[Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested

[Junaid]

Dozens of young boys have been arrested across Kashmir under draconian
laws over the last few weeks. The charges that have been filed against
them range from "waging war against the state" to defiling "state
honor". In recent months Indian military and police commanders have
described protests in Kashmir as "agitational terrorism" and
"non-violent terrorism" in order to justify violent clampdown on
protests by Kashmiris. In the same period around 8 people, mostly
teenagers, have been either shot to death or fatally injured by
indiscriminate use of tear-gas shells. Over the last two years the
number of dead in shootings is more than a hundred. Meanwhile
thousands of people have been injured. Many of them will be  left with
permanent physical disabilities. The police authorities have banned
any peaceful assembly of people. Many places in downtown Srinagar and
other towns have reported police brutalities. Even the villages are
not being spared. Only yesterday, mourning villagers were attacked by
CRPF troopers in Redwani in South Kashmir. Dozens of them were injured
by CRPF's indiscriminate firing. Most of the injuries were inflicted
above the waist showing an intention to kill.

India's dirty war in Kashmir has been going on for many years now, but
in the last two years it has acquired a particularly cruel dimension.
The systematic nature of brutal tactics is meant to discipline and
demoralize Kashmir's struggling masses. At the same time, the Indian
state has kept up the rhetoric of confidence building measures to
deceive its own citizens. In this light, the move to allow Kashmiris
in Azad Kashmir to return home is nothing new. This surrender policy
has been there for many years, but is ceremonially dusted and brought
back every few years to earn brownie points.

National Conference government which has proved its inability to
function without authorization from New Delhi, and can't even remove
an erring official without Delhi's explicit approval, has sought to
play it safe: i.e. to stay in power they will go to any extent to
please their masters. In photo-ops Omar Abdullah is seen begging for
leniency from Chidamabaram, but at home he has reinvigorated the cruel
police apparatus his father put into place in mid-1990's. CRPF and
Kashmir police has increased their level of savagery in recent months,
perhaps in a bid to show that they can handle Kashmir without Indian
army's help.

Indian media has mostly blacked-out the grim news from Kashmir (apart
from the few and far in between stories, like the ones below). It is
time, the conscientious and rational Indian citizens form a solidarity
with Kashmiris, disseminate widely the stories about Indian state's
inhuman tactics in Kashmir, and build pressure on their government to
stop human rights violations in Kashmir. And to accept the fact that
Kashmir is a political issue that needs to be solved, with the full
involvement of Kashmiris.
_____________________
Stone-pelting an act of war: J-K gov;

Riyaz Wani

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Stone-pelting-an-act-of-war--J-K-govt/580232

The Jammu-Kashmir government has decided to arrest stone-pelters for
‘waging war against the state’, a crime punishable with death or life
in jail.

The state has already slapped the Public Safety Act against eight
stone-pelters, all between 15 and 18 years old, over the past week
while 16 youths from downtown Srinagar are being tried under section
121 of CrPC (waging war against the state). Sources in the state Home
Department told The Indian Express that the government was ready with
PSAs against “20 more such youths”.

The 16 youths were produced before a Srinagar Court on Monday. Police
sought their remand for eight days, which was soon granted by Judge
Masarat Jabeen.The boys, the investigating officer told the court,
were directly involved in pelting stones at police and security
forces.

However, counsel for the accused Rafique Joo said the youths were held
in random raids across the city and were not involved in
stone-pelting. He opposed booking of youth under Section 121 of CrPC.

J&K first started booking stone-pelters under the Public Safety Act
during the 2008 Amarnath land row agitation. The first person to be
booked was Nayeem Ahmad of Rainawari, Srinagar. Though he was released
shortly after, Ahmad was again picked up in June last year during
protests over the death of two women in Shopian.

IGP, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad said he was not in a position to give “the
exact number of youths” booked under PSA or Section 121 of CrPC. “I am
out of station and don’t have the exact number,” Ahmad told The Indian
Express.
Police say waging war against country, judge not impressed

_____________
Police say waging war against country, judge not impressed

Peerzada Ashiq
peer.mushtaq at hindustantimes.com

Srinagar: Who is Zahoor Ahmad? shouted Masrat Jabeen, sitting on a
raised platform in 14X14 room with three rows of chairs. “Yes madam.
Present madam”, replied a boy standing among 16 jostled youth with red
cheeks and red hands because of cold.

This is no classroom but a court hearing of 16 boys arrested on Sunday
in downtown Srinagar for allegedly pelting stones at policemen. The
police presented them before the court on Monday for extending their
police remand. But after hearing the two sides, judge Jabeen sent the
boys to judicial remand for 15 days.

“How did you know all the names of the arrested youth in advance?”
judge Jabeen asked the investigation officer of the police. “Through
reliable sources,” replied the investigation officer.

“How is it possible? I don’t know anyone of these boys. Who are these
reliable sources?” asked judge Jabeen. To which the investigation
officer, looking at the floor, said: “They are active stone throwers,
and involved for the last five years.”

There was sudden commotion in the court room, when Zahid, one of the
accused, interjected saying, “This is for the first time we are in the
lock up,” adding he was just 16 year old and a school-goer, who was on
the bike when the police arrested him.

The boy, wearing a pair of jeans and jacket, started crying and are
joined by others in the room, with the lawyer, Muhammad Rafiq Joo,
requesting them to wipe tears and be mum. “Don’t worry justice will be
done,” said Joo adding since Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the
media we are launching a crackdown against stone-pelters, the police
are picking up anyone who comes in the way.

The boys --- in the age group of 15 to 22 and brought to the court in
heavy chains --- are facing the charges like the waging war against
the state and insulting the national honour. The punishment includes
life imprisonment. The boys have been arrested from downtown Srinagar
and were presented before the court by the Nowhatta Police Station.

Lawyer Joo contested that the police cannot impose the waging a war
against the nation unless a magistrate has done an investigation in a
case and the police cannot do it on their own.

While the weeping boys in chains left the court room in a row, their
relatives shake their hands. The boys keep pleading their innocence:
“We were not involved. They let go who do stone pelting and arrested
us,” they said.

While a policeman shouted back: “They have snatched our peace.”