Blinded by pellets, Kashmiri children images stun world – Newspaper

WASHINGTON: "Watching cartoons on television, playing with my friends in the street, reading books for hours; this is what I dream of now," says Asif Ahmad Sheikh, nine, a class 5 student from Anantnag.

“I used to teach sewing and tailoring girls in my town, but not anymore. Because of the injuries, I couldn't write my class 10 exam, "says Ulfat Hameed, 17, a Baramulla class 10 student.

"When I went to a hospital in Srinagar, there were so many people that the doctors sent me back home because they had no beds available," says Bilal Ahmad Bhat, 17, another Baramulla student.

These three children are among the hundreds of Kashmir people blinded by pellets in Kashmir in India. Dozens have lost lives. His images are included in a 109-page book prepared by Amnesty International to draw the attention of the international community to cruel practice.

The book was one of several exhibits exhibited at the Pakistani embassy in Washington on Monday night in connection with Black Day, which is observed annually to show solidarity with the cashmere fighting for their rights under the Indian occupation.

How many people have been arrested since August 5, US lawmakers ask the Indian ambassador

The images of the victims of pellet guns surprised the world and the universal condemnation that followed forced India to claim that it had ordered its troops to no longer use those weapons. But the Kashmirs say Indian security forces continue to use pellet guns, particularly after August 5, when India illegally annexed the disputed territory.

US citizens of Kashmir origin claim that dozens of cashmere in the Indian Valley have been injured by pellet guns in recent months.

This week, six members of the United States Congress, David N. Cicilline, Dina Titus, Chrissy Houlahan, Andy Levin, James P. McGovern and Susan Wild, also raised the issue in a letter to Indian Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Rejecting the claim of the Indians that there was calm in retained Kashmir, lawmakers argued that the image portrayed by India in the Valley was different from what their constituents had told them.

"We have heard reports that rubber bullets are being used for crowd control by the authorities within Jammu and Kashmir and that there have been cases where protesters are blinded by the use of rubber bullets," the lawmakers wrote.

“Can you confirm if there are known cases of protesters blinded by rubber bullets, including the number of children? Are rubber bullets still used for crowd control? What is the Indian government doing to guarantee the rights of peaceful protesters? ”, They asked.

Lawmakers reminded the Indian ambassador that he had told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on October 16 that Jammu and Kashmir were normal. When seeking specific information about the situation in the valley, lawmakers told the ambassador: "Many of our voters have painted a very different picture of the situation of what they shared with us."

They wrote that their constituents had expressed concern about the repeal of article 370 of the Indian Constitution, as well as the suspended access to internet and telecommunications, the arrests of local politicians and activists and the imposition of a curfew.

“Therefore, we request your answer to the following questions: Has 100 percent of the landline service within Jammu and Kashmir been restored, or is there any remaining interruption? When will all mobile phone service be restored, even for those who use prepaid phones? When will full Internet access be restored (not just access to kiosks)?

“How many people have been detained under the Public Security Law or other legal provisions since August 5? Please be as specific as possible. Of them, how many are minors? What is the standard judicial procedure for a person detained under the Public Security Law?

“What is the status of curfews that have been imposed in Jammu and Kashmir? What are the government's plans to allow residents to return to the uninhibited movement? When can we expect that?

Lawmakers also asked the Indian ambassador to explain the reasons why they did not allow foreign journalists to enter Jammu and Kashmir and asked: "When will they be allowed to enter the region?"

In addition, the ambassador was asked if his government would welcome members of Congress or other foreign officials who wish to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the hands of India.

“We believe that true transparency can only be achieved when journalists and members of Congress have free access to the region. We encourage India to open Jammu and Kashmir to national and foreign journalists, and other international visitors, in the interest of the open media and greater communication, "they wrote.

Posted on Dawn, October 30, 2019