zfyn: Please pay attention to what is going on in Kashmir right now. Kashmir is going through an int
zfyn: Please pay attention to what is going on in Kashmir right now. Kashmir is going through an internet blockade. Over 35,000+ Indian troops have been deployed in a region with reportedly half a million Indian troops already present. In the past couple of days, leaders, activists, and journalists have been detained. Businesses, schools, and all transportation have been shut off. City streets and rural villages are being patrolled by Indian military forces. People continue to be locked in their homes as a curfew was declared. All this without a clarification or explanation from the government. However, the government has scrapped Kashmir’s special status pertaining to a law (section 35A) that gives the Kashmir government the right to decide who qualifies as a ‘permanent resident’. (Only permanent residents can acquire land, settle, and get government jobs, scholarships in Kashmir.) Former chief ministers and leaders of Kashmir have warned the Indian government against tampering of the law as it could lead to increased distress in the region. 1/3rd of the the world’s second largest army is currently in Kashmir. The region (which is already intensively militarized for the past 3 decades) is under siege. The people of Kashmir have no say in this major decision that is being made about their homeland by the Indian government and their response to it being silenced. The current Indian government also has a lengthy record of fascism, fear mongering and promotion of communal disharmony within the country. The people of Kashmir have been exposed to extreme militarization, human rights violations, and brutal responses to their resistance. As militarization peaks up in Kashmir within the last few days, the international community must take action before it’s too late. It is critical to make sure the future of these people is secure and safe. As Kashmir goes under communication blackout, it becomes our duty to amplify their voices. More info: guardian & aj | via withkashmir, standwkashmir and mc -- source link