Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have arrested at the least 20 folks, together with an outspoken non secular chief who prayed for Palestine and an artist who drew graffiti in solidarity with the Palestinian folks.
The household of 32-year-old Mudasir Gull, an artist based mostly in the principle metropolis of Srinagar, accused the regional authority of censoring freedom of expression of an artist.
“Why is he detained? What has he executed? Has the federal government banned artwork right here?” his sister Muzamil Firdous requested.
“When the entire world is waking up in opposition to Israel’s atrocities, we will’t communicate, we will’t follow artwork; what sort of democracy we dwell in? Can’t we specific our grief for Palestine?” Firdous informed Al Jazeera.
Kashmiris got here out on the streets after the congregational Friday prayers in help of Palestine, waving their flags in a present of solidarity in opposition to lethal Israeli air assaults on the Gaza Strip and a brutal crackdown on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and Israel.
A minimum of 174 Palestinians have been killed, together with greater than 40 kids, triggering solidarity protests internationally.
Can’t we specific our grief for Palestine?
However safety forces in Kashmir, one of the militarised zones on the earth, moved rapidly to clamp down the protests within the area the place anti-India sentiment stays excessive. In August 2019, India’s Hindu nationalist authorities eliminated the area’s restricted autonomy and imposed a safety lockdown to beat back protests.
Gull’s household stated that he was approached by a bunch of younger folks on Friday to color the graffiti. “They informed my brother, it’s a protest of solidarity. They satisfied him that it’s not in opposition to India or there is not going to be any such slogan raised,” Firdous stated.
The 32-year-old artist was arrested and made to deface the graffiti that confirmed a lady sobbing along with her head wrapped within the Palestinian flag. The graffiti that learn “we’re Palestine” was extensively shared on social media.
“He’s an artist. We’re shocked at his detention for doing his job. We don’t need the federal government to wreck his life, portray is his livelihood,” Firdous informed Al Jazeera.
The household stated that Gull is affected by well being points and can’t stay in detention for lengthy amid an outbreak of COVID-19.
‘Detained for praying’
Among the many 20 arrested is a non secular chief, Sarjan Barkati, from southern Kashmir’s Shopian district. He was arrested after he raised slogans and prayed for the Palestinian folks in a mosque, his household stated.
Barkati was arrested in 2016 when he led protests in opposition to the killing of a preferred insurgent commander, Burhan Wani, by Indian forces. Hundreds of individuals have been killed in a long time of armed revolt in opposition to Indian rule.
My buddy, the sensible Kashmir artist Mudasir Gul has been charged underneath PSA (Public Security Act) by Indian govt for drawing artwork work in help of Palestine.#freemudasirgul#freedomofspeech#indiahttps://t.co/mkx9YhkUy7 pic.twitter.com/jlqiSN2R2D
— Mir Suhail (@mirsuhail) May 15, 2021
The area has witnessed protests and help by way of artwork and writing for the Palestinian trigger over time. In components of Srinagar’s previous metropolis, graffiti depicting help for Palestine can nonetheless be seen on store shutters, roads and partitions.
For the reason that abrogation of Kashmir’s autonomy in 2019, the area has been underneath large state strain to forestall any public protests. At the same time as Kashmir has been unusually calm during the last 12 months and a half, the simmering tensions have resulted in a number of protests in latest months.
“We all know there may be a number of pent-up anger in folks. Our previous observations counsel that it wants a set off to come back out and that set off might be something,” a police official informed Al Jazeera on the situation of anonymity.
“Even these solidarity protests may set off greater pro-separatist protests. That’s why we don’t need to take an opportunity this time round,” he stated, referring to pro-freedom leaders as separatists.
Kashmir insurgent teams and pro-freedom leaders need independence from India or its merger with Pakistan. India has accused Pakistan of arming the rebels – a cost Islamabad has denied.
‘O the oppressed of Palestine’
Shabroza Jan, 30, the arrested Shopian non secular chief’s spouse, informed al Jazeera that her husband has been arrested for a solidarity prayer.
“He didn’t do something unsuitable. He simply prayed for them (Palestine). On Saturday morning, police took him away from his house. We tried to fulfill him however we weren’t allowed,” she stated.
Within the video, shot inside a mosque in Shopian, Barkati could be seen praying for Palestine and elevating slogans like “O the oppressed of Palestine, we’re with you”.
Police officers informed al Jazeera that they won’t enable any such protests within the area.
Even these solidarity protests may set off greater pro-separatist protests.
“We is not going to enable such protests and never give an excuse to miscreants and pro-Azadi (pro-freedom) parts to galvanise folks on this level to go for road protests,” one other senior police official informed Al Jazeera on situation of anonymity.
Earlier, the police in an announcement warned in opposition to any road protests and stated that police have been retaining a really shut watch on parts “who’re trying to leverage the unlucky state of affairs in Palestine to disturb public peace and order within the Kashmir Valley”.
The police in an announcement stated that “it will not enable cynical encashments of public anger to set off violence, lawlessness and dysfunction on Kashmir streets.”
Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a political analyst based mostly within the area, stated that “Kashmiris have all the time been supportive of Palestine ever because the difficulty erupted.
“Although they (Kashmiris) have themselves been concerned in an identical kind of state of affairs. However the truth that they too perceive the pangs of subjugation made them extra delicate in the direction of the Palestine difficulty as in contrast with different components of the sub-continent,” Hussain stated.
Hussain stated that India was extra vocal concerning the Palestinian difficulty following its independence in 1947 from British rule.
“It was solely in the direction of the later years of [Prime Minister] Indira Gandhi that they began to get nearer to Israel, and now the ruling authorities is hand in glove with Israel,” he stated, including that the federal government in Kashmir fears that there could be a related sort of rebellion right here.