At least 21 men have been incarcerated by the police in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir. Amongst the arrested are two men, one was an influential religious leader praying for Palestine and the other was an artist who drew graffiti in solidarity with Palestinians.
The incarcerations took place after the non-violent protests in Srinagar\’s Padshahi Bagh and Safa Kadal regions. A small group set the Israeli flag on fire and wrote pro-Palestinian graffiti by a bridge.
Mudasir Gull – A 30 Years Old Artist
Mudasir Gull is a 30-year-old artist based in main Srinagar city. His family accused the regional authorities of censoring an artist\’s freedom of speech.
During her talk with Aljazeera, Mudasir’s sister Muzamil Firdous asked the following questions; Why did they arrest him? What did he do? Is the government here prohibiting art?
According to Gull’s sister, young people approached him on Friday to paint the graffiti. \’Those young people convinced my brother saying that this is just a solidarity protest and there is nothing against India\’, she told Aljazeera.
The 32-year-old artist was arrested and taken for the sake of drawing graffiti, which showed a woman weeping in the flag of Palestine with the slogan “We are Palestine”. The graffiti went viral on social media.
Furthermore, Gull’s family stated that he was suffering from health problems and therefore could not last long in custody during a COVID-19 outbreak.
Pro-Palestinian Protests in IOK
After the Friday prayer, in the support of Palestine, Kashmiris ran out on the streets. They waved their flags to show their unity against the deadly Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Moreover, they demonstrated their moral support against violent repression against Palestinian people in Occupied East Jerusalem and Israel.
The attacks have killed at least 174 Palestinians, including over 40 children. This has triggered worldwide solidarity protests.
Sarjan Barkati – An influential Religious Leader
Out of the 21 arrested men, Sarjan Barkati is one of them. He is a leader from the Shopian district of South Kashmir. Reportedly, Barkati was caught holding slogans and praying in the mosque for the Palestinian people. However, according to the Police, the actual reason for the arrest was the violation of COVID-19 SOPs.
In 2016, when Burhan Wani, the famous Kashmiri leader, was targeted by the Indian forces, Barkati was also arrested during protests against targeting Burhan Wani. In October last year, after spending about four years in prison, he was released.
Shabroza Jan, wife of the arrested religious leader told al Jazeera that her husband was arrested for delivering an Eid speech. Her husband spoke about Palestine’s situation.
Indian Security Forces Crackdown on Protestors
The area has been under immense pressure from the state to prevent popular opposition since the abolition of Kashmir\’s autonomy in 2019. Through force, Kashmir has seen calm over the past year and a half. However, the tension in these last months has led to a few protests.
Previously, the police had warned against any street protests. They mentioned that the police was closely monitoring elements, who are trying to tap into the unfortunate situation of Palestine in the Kashmir Valley to disrupt public peace and order.
Indian security forces have been moving rapidly to tackle the protests. They rushed in the areas where anti-India feelings continue to be strong. The BJP-led Indian government removed autonomy from the area in August 2019 and placed a security lockdown to prevent protests. Presently, this region is on top of the world’s largest militarized regions index.
\’Even those demonstrations of unity could lead to major pro-separatist protests.\’ Indian Police told Al Jazeera.
History of Protests in IOK for Palestinian People
Over the years, the area has seen protesting and demonstrating solidarity for the Palestinian cause through art and literature. The old town of Srinagar, shopping shuttles, roads, and the walls still feature the graffiti depicting support for Palestine.
I am glad that India and Palestine are cooperating extensively in key sectors such as technology, training and infrastructure development.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2018
It is noteworthy, India and Israel have enjoyed strategic ties that have grown gradually over the years. Surprisingly, India\’s actions in Kashmir are similar to Israel\’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza. As a result, they both resemble an open-air prison. One Famous Indian actor Anupam Khair even called for a \”Final solution\” for Kashmiris. This comes as a contradiction to Indian policy on Palestine.
Kashmir Solution has begun.🇮🇳
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) August 4, 2019
On a state level, India since its advent has supported the Palestine issue, and Palestinians have recognized the Indian stance as well. India\’s nonalignment has always called for a peaceful resolution based on a two-state solution. This is intriguing as India, which recognizes the right of Palestine in its foreign policy has tried to curb peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Palestine in the occupied territory of Kashmir.
