In solidarity with the locked up Kashmiris not one, but two protests were held simultaneously from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 10^th of September, 2019.The organizers and participants of the first protest were Kashmiri students and professionals based in Delhi or outside Delhi who decided to come together at JantarMantar on the day of Muharram. Speakers explained that Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad was beheaded in 680 CE at the battle of Karbala; the mourning/remembrance/observance of Muharram includes deriving messages from Hussein’s sacrifice and includes story telling. Iman Hussein’s family members and companions accompanying him were killed or subjected to humiliation. Muharram being the first month of the Islamic calendar its tenth day known as Ashura symbolizes struggle against oppression.

The analogy of Muharram was used to depict the plight of entire population of Kashmir to be under oppression and facing a near death; yet struggle against oppression was to continue. In fact people of religions other than Islam also take part in and observe the Muharram activities in India.

The placards prepared by the Kashmiri students had messages addressed to people of India primarily:
 

• Stand up; Speak up
• We are people too
• We have mothers too; We have fathers too; We have brothers too
• You voted for fascism once, not again
• Your silence is seen as consent; Speak up for Kashmir
• Caged in our own home; Do not be complicit in crime
• I stand with Kashmir
• Ink your finger red for Kashmir
• Forced marriages are not made in heaven
• Who killed Asrar???

There was no slogan shouting at this protest. At one corner lay the ‘corpse’ of democracy covered in white sheet and a garland of marigold flowers. Some mourners sat in vigil near the ‘corpse’. The banner at the protest site had a map of Kashmir in bloody red colour; it also symbolizes their Karbala as Kashmir has been under 36 days of military seize the protesters were mourning the death of democracy at JantarMantar not as citizens but as prisoners of Kashmir. The word ‘citizens’ stands cancelled on the banner.

The Kashmiri students listed legal professionals, RTI activists and politicians who are under arrest. It was pointed out that if this protest at JantarMantar had taken place in Kashmir all the students would have been arrested. A lady doctor related her experience of how stressed people in Kashmir are and have become victims of Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression. She asked three questions:
 

• Why are Indians silent?
• Of what are Indians afraid?
• Can this India be really termed as a democratic country?

She said that either India is normal or Kashmir is normal. She started and ended her speech with Urdu poetry which was actually sung at the end. A student from Lucknow raised the question:
 

• Which narrative is one to believe in that of the Indian state or the lived experience of Kashmiris?

Another Kashmiri student said that this is a solidarity demonstration and praised the courage of the participants who had come to attend. To non-Kashmiris the message was:
 

• What has happened in J & K will happen to whole of India one day
• This monster – loss of Constitution and democracy in Kashmir – will come for you in India

A speaker disclosed that there were death threats to them back in Kashmir.

The Second Protest

In the second protest the participants included women’s groups – National Federation of Indian Women, Purogami Mahila Sangathan, All India Democratic Women’s Association,Pragatisheel MahilaS angathan;senior activists like Tapan Bose, documentary film maker; residents from slums, resettlement colonies & workers from industrial areas participated in the protest demonstration. Leaflets in Hindi and English were distributed by Purogami Mahila Sangathan. The protesters carried placards with messages in Hindi and English:
 

• Down with lockdown
• Freedom is our fundamental right
• We dare because we care
• People of Kashmir you are not alone; We are with you
• Restore democratic rights of Kashmiri women
• If there is heaven on earth it is here; it is here, it is here; now where is that heaven; where is it?

Speakers stressed the following points:
 

• In the name of Indians,don’t oppress Kashmiris
• We oppose the Government’s oppression in Kashmir
• Remove the telecommunications blocked for over 35 days
• The role of army should be confined to protecting the borders
• We oppose the establishment of Hindu Rashtra in India
• The statement of right wing leaders of Haryanaabout north-Indian men to now easily marryKashmiri girls is highly deplorable
• Hindu workers in Kashmir feel safe working for decades in the valley
• An appeal to all Indians to strengthen this movement in support of Kashmir

The following slogans were raised:
 

• Stop atrocities on Kashmiri people
• Long live our unity and solidarity with people of Kashmir

A poem was read out in support of Kashmiri people; shayari (Urdu poetry) was used in abundance by several speakers capturing their concern and expressing solidarity with the oppressed people of Kashmir.

At the end of this protest at about 2 p.m. the protesters marched in a rally towards the police barricade and shouted slogans in support of the people of Kashmir. Finally they stood in support with the Kashmiri students.

(Dr. P.S. Sahni & Shobha Aggarwal are members of PIL Watch Group. Email: pilwatchgroup@gmail.com)

Courtesy: Counter Current

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On 22 August, 2019 leaders of most major opposition parties demonstrated at the national protest site, JantarMantar, New Delhi, India from 11 a.m. to 1.15 p.m. The all party demonstration was organized to urge immediate release of leaders detained in J & K; to save democracy and to protect human rights. The call for this action was given by the DMK President, M.K. Stalin. Supporters of DMK from Delhi joined in large numbers.

While the attendance at the protest was in hundreds the body language of the opposition leaders; the tone and tenor of their speeches and statements; the stingingly sharp criticism of Modi Government’s action on Kashmir; no mincing of words;the political ambience of the meeting; the electrifying environment created by the playing of a Tamil song with lilting tunes at the start of the function – all sum up the mood at the gathering. The pain, anguish and outrage at the August 5 decision of the Modi government was all too discernible. The protest was attended by leaders of DMK, Congress (I), CPI, CPI (M), Indian Union of Muslim League, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, Trinamool Congress, RashtriyaJanta Dal, LoktantrikJanata Dal. Shehla Rashid of J & K Peoples’ Movement was also present.

Before the leader addressed the gathering the following slogans were raised repeatedly for a few minutes:
 

• Release the political leaders detained in J & K immediately
• Resume telecom services in the valley
• Restore democracy in J & K
• Restore normalcy in J & K

The message in the slogans formed the resolution adopted at the protest.

The sixteen odd leaders spoke in Tamil/Hindi/English and stressed:
 

• “Our (National Conference) leaders don’t know why they have been arrested. I will return to Kashmir and inform the people that so many supporters are there in India willing to extend hand-in-hand support.”[National Conference representative]
• “Promises were made to Kashmiris by our ancestors who fought for India’s freedom; those in power today appear to be fighting those very freedom fighters through their action in Kashmir … Kashmir has become an open air prison.” [SharadYadav]
• “Please tell us what is the crime they have committed that they are behind bars, it is our right to know.” [Dinesh Trivedi]
• “Country’s unity cannot be maintained with a bandook (gun) and the army. BJP’s action in Kashmir is antinational.” [Brinda Karat]
• “Time to hold each other’s’ hand. If we are silent today – doomsday awaits us. We voted against the government in Parliament.” [RJD]
• “We condemn what is happening. Abrogation of Article 370 is undemocratic, unconstitutional and an assault on democracy. There is a sininster attempt to push through RSS agenda of Hindu Rashtra. There is curfew all over; jails are full in J & K. We should reach out to people of J & K; call for nationwide protests.” [D. Raja]
• “Media is muzzled; does not have access in J & K; jails in U.P. are being used to house Kashmiris arrested in the valley; this is a dangerous situation.” [Ram GopalYadav]
• “Mulkka, kaumkaitanabheenamiyaargire, kisurkhiyaandekhateheehaath se akhabaargire…

With the start of the 2^nd term of the government a reign of dictatorship has started. Today the struggle against dictatorship has also started.” [Manish Tewari]
 

• “Government’s swoop down in Kashmir seizing J & K through military take over; the Constitution has been manipulated to pave the way for a Hindu Rashtra.” [SitaramYechury]
• “We (DMK) have a national outlook; steps in whenever constitutional norms are in danger.”[DMK representative]
• “Something grave is happening in J & K. Only international media knows it. Indian media is covering Kashmir but the telecast is not being allowed. We are no longer living in democracy.” [GhulamNabi Azad]

Placards carrying the following messages (in Hindi, English and Tamil) were displayed:
 

• Release all political leaders, workers and ordinary people arrested in Kashmir.
• BJP-RSS-NDA Government stop assaults on the Indian Constitution.
• Stop assaults on rights of people in J & K.

Dozens of workers, members of CPI (ML) New Democracy came out in support carrying placards with messages:
 

• Do not trample federal structure
• Restore democratic rights of people of J & K
• Restore Article 370.

Some Delhi based, non-party political activists also joined the protest in solidarity. As we walked away after the protest was over, one of us – who had attended J.P.’s rally of 25^th June, 1975 – commented that though J.P.’s rally was attended by around a lakh of people at RamlilaMaidan, Delhi the political message sent out by today’s protest is as loud and clear as it was then in 1975!

(Dr. P.S. Sahni & Shobha Aggarwal are members of PIL Watch Group. Email: pilwatchgroup@gmail.com)

Courtesy: Counter Current

The post Most Major Opposition Parties Demonstrate At New Delhi In Support of Kashmiris; Protest Reminiscent of J.P.’s 25 June, 1975 Rally appeared first on SabrangIndia.

I am making a few suggestions in the wake of monumental tragedy caused by floods in Kerala. Apart from whatever the administration is doing to contain epidemic of water borne diseases, stress should be on two very simple steps:

1. The Kerala government could announce and initiate on a war footing ‘Operation Chlorine Tablet’
2. The Kerala government could announce and initiate on a war footing ‘Operation Bleaching Powder’

These should be distributed at the relief camps/medical centers so that it reaches every household. If implemented these two steps alone could save thousands of lives in Kerala. The chlorine tablet would take care of the water being made drinkable; the bleaching powder would ensure that the surroundings are disinfected. These two steps are very cost effective & could be done even by financially strained municipalities.

Of course the services of WHO, UNICEF and NICD (National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi) could be availed of, but their advice should be questioned on scientific grounds before their prescription is implemented on the masses.

These suggestions emanate through work in areas/situations where water borne diseases become imminent. I was a member of one of the first medical team which reached Indo-Bangla border in 1971 where almost ten million refugees had landed. The camp where I worked had housed twenty-five thousand refugees. The stress was on vaccination against cholera and typhoid, use of bleaching powder as a disinfectant and distribution of Sulfaguanidine tablets at our makeshift clinic. Those in severe dehydration were given intravenous glucose saline solution – which was always a scarce commodity. Since we worked during the months of June, July and August the monsoon rains as also the overflowing small nearby rivers played havoc in the spread of epidemic diseases.

During the 1988 cholera epidemic in Delhi half the citizens were vaccinated by the Rajiv Gandhi government even though WHO had concluded by then that vaccination is both useless as well as dangerous once the epidemic has started. Over 1500 people had died in this epidemic. It is well known that governments resort to mass vaccination since those in power want to appear to be doing something during the crises – and vaccination offers the best mask as if something effective is being done for the masses. Majority of the deaths had occurred because people were being shifted to infectious diseases hospitals whereas they should have been treated right at the local treatment centers at the relief camps.

(In recent years the WHO has again changed its stance and is now seen to be advocating cholera vaccination even when there is a full blown epidemic; perhaps the WHO, too, wants to be seen to be doing something just as politicians in power do worldwide.)

I had a chance to work among the tribals in Nilgiris in 1973 where Dr. Narasimhan Rao had devoted his whole life for the cause of the tribals. He impressed upon us through experience that where intravenous glucose saline solution is not available, one could directly inject green coconut water; all one needs is the intravenous tubing set. In fact this method is of use in remote areas of some countries along coastal areas. But its use is limited to severe dehydration cases.

Dr. P.S. Sahni is a member of PIL Watch Group Email: pilwatchgroup@gmail.com

Courtesy: https://countercurrents.org
 

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