J&K People’s Movement president Shah Faesal on Wednesday said Kashmir was experiencing an unprecedented lock-down and the local people were yet to make sense of what had befallen them.
“No violent incident has been officially reported so far. Random incidents of stone throwing were reported from Rambagh, Natipora, Downtown, Kulgam, Anantnag. But, no news of any killings,” said Mr. Faesal through his Twitter account.
“People are in shock, numb...yet to make sense of what befell them. Everyone is mourning what we lost...its the loss of statehood that has hurt people deeply. This is being seen as the biggest betrayal by the Indian state in last 70 years,” he said. “It was not possible to reach Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sajad Lone or send a message to them. In other districts, curfew is all the more strict. You can say that the entire eight-million population has been incarcerated like never before,” he said.
Mr. Faesal said there was no shortage of goods and essentials as of now. Only those having Dish TV could access news. “Many people still have a bleak idea of what happened,” he said.
He said a few leaders who escaped detention had called for calm through TV channels. “It is being said that the government is ready for a casualty figure of 8,000-10,000 thousand. So, sanity demands that we don't give anyone a chance for mass massacre. My appeal has also been that let's stay alive, then we shall fight back,” he said.
Mr. Faesal said the body language of security personnel manning barricades was “extremely harsh” and that people were being bullied. “But, it's extremely heartening that Kashmiris are staying calm,” he said.
“At airport, I met crowds of heartbroken youth asking me questions about what should we do now. I said we shall go to Supreme Court together and ask for reversing this injustice. All political parties are together on challenges these unconstitutional laws that have deprived us of our history and identity,” said Mr. Faesal.
Stating that he had no expectation from the international community, he said: “The sad fact of life is that only Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can one day give back to us the wealth that has been stolen from us in broad daylight. But then, what's lost has been lost. Or, perhaps, everything has been lost, except our resolve to fight back. And we shall.”
