Kashmir Black Day
Letters to the citizens of the world
by Manahil Fatima
Grade 10
Dear Citizens of the World,
2020 - a year full of global uncertainty, significance and ambiguity. From the natural disasters, like the Australian bushfires and the spread of the Covid 19 pandemic, to the economic crash of the stock market, everyone, all of us, across the world has suffered this year. And yet, in the middle of lockdown and quarantine, millions took to the streets, across the globe, in anti racist protests to support the African American community and speak out against police brutality and the murder of George Floyd. And while everyone joined hands to support this protest, I write to you today because the world is still oblivious to the screams and cries of the Kashmiri children. Many of us may not realize that we have been given a mere glimpse of the Kashmiri struggle by the implemented lockdown due to the spread of the Virus. However, our lockdown is for our own safety while the Kashmiris are illegally under control by India, facing oppression and insecurity in their own homeland. To this day, October 17th 2020, Kashmir has been in a security lockdown and a communication blackout for exactly 1 year, 2 months and 11 days. That’s exactly 439 days.
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Thousands of people, including men, women and school going children like me, have been detained in their homes, against their will, in a curfew and lockdown, knowing that the punishment for stepping out of their homes would be certain and brutal torture and death. And while most of us in the many countries of the world, know and have experienced and suffered the pain and isolation of our lockdown, for a difficult 8 months or more, many of us have felt suffocated and caged, unable to stand the restrictions that it has imposed on our freedoms. Some of us have continuously and insensitively broken the standard operating procedures of the pandemic to find some respite from their captivity, but the Kashmiris have been deprived of their freedom for much longer. Unlike us, the price of stepping out of the house and breaching the curfew for them is almost certain imprisonment and death.
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For those of you who don’t know why this is happening, let me tell you why. On August 5th 2019, India decided to abrogate Article 370 of its constitution, - which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir - by illegally occupying the province, detaining prominent local politicians and by cutting off communication of Kashmiri residents with the rest of the world. Originally, the states were not given to India through the Boundary commission, made by the last viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, however; it was taken over by a fake ‘Instrument of Accession’ which the Indian Archives Department has now declared as a lost document. In 1954, as Article 35A was put into the Indian constitution through a presidential order allowed privileges to Kashmiris related to employment, scholarships and other privileges but all these fundamental rights are now withdrawn. At the time of partition, the signing of the fake ‘Instrument of Accession’ shows that the violation of Kashmiri Muslims is not something new but has been going on for centuries. These violations have put discrete emotional, physical and psychological restrictions on every single person in Kashmir.
Over a year of lack of connectivity, presence of police and armed forces, restricting the movement and activity of around 12 million (2011) Kashmiri Muslims has especially impacted unfavourably the social and emotional health, sanity and safety of children of all age groups. While many of us have had the privilege to attend school virtually, and learn in a hybrid model so that our education does not suffer, the children of Kashmir have not gone to school from 5th August 2019; this not only impacted the children’s educational life but mentally drained them to their lowest points. From extreme psychological impacts on their mental and emotional health and safety to the feeling of great isolation, loneliness and depression, the children of Kashmir have been crying their way through their days. If such acts of oppression and human rights violations were to happen in another part of the world, it would easily be called out, protested and challenged. The world would not remain silent against the persecution of the innocent.
If I, as a part of the youth of Pakistan, can speak up about such an inhumane act, so can the adults, leaders and politicians of not only Pakistan but other countries as well. If protests against discriminated races can be held, so can protests against unlawful acts and illegal human rights violations be held. Just because a country holds more power than the other, it doesn’t give them the right to oppress, terrify and restrict all acts of freedom against citizens of all age groups over one piece of land. These acts go against ‘The Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ in which Article 5 states, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. Instead of letting insensitive, unlawful acts go by – depending on what the leaders of India think and decide – we should consider what the Kashmiris really want. Do they want this oppression? Is restriction, violence and maltreatment the new norm for anyone asking for independence and freedom? Are we going to sit with our freedom, letting the thought of malnourished and oppressed children being unsafely restricted go by? I trust that it is past time to speak up about this, don’t you? 10 years into the future, it would be a shame to be considered a part of a world that is a silent witness to Kashmiris’ suffering’, wouldn’t it?
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Sincerely yours,
Manahil Fatima.
Grade 10
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Children of Indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) under lockdown:
The World a silent witness to their suffering
Letter by Ashar Ghumman
Dear People of World,
COVID-19 has taught me the true meaning of freedom, independence and liberty. Life coming to a halt in a closed environment has reminded of the sufferings, sorrows of brothers and sisters based out of Jammu and Kashmir. Javed, a teenager of my age, trapped in the disputed area, has not suffered and seen quarantine for seven months but has been going through it for more than 18 months now, because India’s move to disband and annex Jammu and Kashmir last year has amplified alienation, despair, hopelessness and fear in the region. The change in the environment has caused multiple risks and challenges for the local residents. They have now become more distant from the World as their hopes, desires, privileges and rights have been shattered and traumatized. India’s violation of basic rights and setting rules that destroy the well-being of the people, have caused distrust and disbelief and have lead to terror, fear and fright. The World is acting like a silent audience and if that was not enough, COVID-19 hit the World with an unexpected timing and proportion.
There exist too many silent sufferers. It is not because they don't yearn to reach out, but because they have tried and found no one who cares and repairs. The lockdown that followed abrogation of Kashmir's special status, and later the constraint on movement to contain the novel coronavirus spread, has taken a toll on Kashmir's society, economy and people's mental health. Every human motion from education to agriculture has been deeply affected. Instead of improving, the situation has gone from worse to wickeder. Schools and colleges have been closed for months and children are unable to go out and interact. They don’t have the luxury of freely going out and engaging in healthy or interactional activities.
The current situation created by the pandemic, has not only halted the life of all individuals around the Globe but has immensely affected the lifestyle of people based out of Jammu and Kashmir. Children in the region are living in the most militarized and terrorized zone of the world. There is presence of more than 700,000 military troops, which exposes them to the risk of all six grave violations against children as laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The presence of military, un-official lockdown, lockdown, children are suffering in all aspects of life. They have been behind closed doors with no physical interaction with their friends, and have not been able to participate in study or sports related activities. They need to remain active to avoid any depression or mental health issues but the situation is taking its toll very heavily without having any way out. They were disconnected from the outside World but because of multiple lockdown situations, the children have been in complete social disconnect.
Children are not the face of this pandemic, but they risk being among its biggest victims. Children are not directly impacted by the pandemic but indirect effects on child survival stemming from strained health systems, household income loss, and disruptions to care-seeking and preventative interventions like vaccination may be substantial and widespread. They are being affected, in particular by the socio-economic impacts and, in some cases, by mitigation measures that may inadvertently do more harm than good. Harmful effects are more for those in already disadvantaged or vulnerable situations. Vulnerable children will become malnourished due to the deteriorating quality of their diets and the multiple shocks created by the pandemic. To mitigate COVID-19, it is disrupting food systems, suspending health and nutrition services, devastating livelihoods, and threatening food security.
The school closures are one of the most visible and controversial means which is affecting young people. Combined with the other stresses of living in isolation under quarantine, it will have serious consequences, delaying their cognitive, emotional and social development. For those in the most critical periods of adolescence, it may even increase the risk of mental illness. The children being part of a disputed territory and not too rich, will be hardest hit by all of these effects, lockdowns are expected to widen the existing inequalities across the globe, with repercussions for years to come. Clearly, even relatively brief periods of time out of education can have a lasting impact. It’s not just the missed opportunities for learning that need to be considered during the current crisis, however, the more serious concern is that, when schools are closed for long periods, many children will begin to forget what they already know. Children not having ability to go for schooling, will widen the (already highly significant) gap in educational achievement between them and others from more developed platforms. Home schooling is being encouraged but, it relies on a good digital connection with internet, computer and a closed environment. The parents need to be well equipped as well to support the children. With the current situation this is not a case and that is a big draw back for future generations.
Overall, children are not the ones who will be directly affected but are indirect sufferers. The family condition and the impact of that on all individuals will be everlasting if the situation remains the same because of military and lockdown. Children, not having access to educational facilities along with basic needs for day to day living will leave its mark for future generation. The health-care facilities disruption and non-availability will cause serious illness and concerns in the future. There are no emergency/exits or places of refuge for these people. Their social, economic and financial rights will be affecting their personality, growth and well-being in years to come.
I would like this to be heard and people should join hands together in addressing this human rights violation with proper resolution for the people of Kashmir and their independence. The distrust will create tension, scary condition among the people with no doors favoring them to be opened. There needs to be a central body created who should listen to people’s voice and make the future decision based on individuals living there but not on political terms and plans.
Yours sincerely,
Ashar Ghuman
DP 1