A group of 250 activists, academics, students, artists and concerned citizens of Gujarat have signed this letter to declare solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been silenced and held captive in their own land. We call for a complete lift on the media and communications blockade, (including the restoration of internet services), the release of political prisoners detained without trial since August 5, the demilitarisation of Kashmir, and the initiation of a meaningful dialogue with the people of the region, on their future.
A Letter Of Support
On August 5, the Indian state unilaterally and without consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir legislature revoked the state’s right to self-governance. It brought the region under the direct control of the New Delhi government. In doing so, the central government displayed a blatant disregard for the nation’s founding principles of democracy, secularism, and justice.
This was followed by a military blockade, and an unprecedented media and communications shutdown, which has lasted more than two months. The blockade has plunged the people of Jammu and Kashmir into fear and uncertainty and initiated a humanitarian crisis in the region. Kashmiris have been denied the basic civil liberties and freedoms of expression, information, assembly, movement and religion. Eid and Ashura passed as the clampdown continued, and Kashmiris both within and outside the state were unable to wish their family members. Even when an earthquake hit Mirpur, killing 38 and injuring hundreds, there was no media coverage of damages, injuries and fatalities on the Indian side of the LoC, leaving Kashmiris across India unable to contact their loved ones.
Despite mounting and credible evidence of human rights abuses and a healthcare crisis, from numerous international media sources and independent fact-finding missions, the Indian government continues to insist that everything in Kashmir has returned to ‘normal’.
Military forces have detained thousands of people, among them politicians, leaders, lawyers, journalists, teachers, students, and children as young as ten. Civilians, including children, are being tortured and ruthlessly beaten, and subjected to electric shocks.
In a report from BBC News, a civilian is quoted saying, “we told them we are innocent. We asked why they were doing this to us? But they did not listen to us. I told them don’t beat us, just shoot us. I was asking God to take me because the torture was unbearable.”
Meanwhile, medical reports and hospital admission logs are being manipulated, in order to keep casualty reports low. Doctors report being under pressure not to issue death certificates.
On August 15, as the rest of India celebrated independence from colonial rule, Kashmir went into an indefinite lockdown imposed by the Indian government. As India celebrated freedom, won through years of protest, civil disobedience, and a commitment to self-rule, Kashmiris were being denied those very liberties.
With each passing day that this is allowed to continue, India inches closer to fascism, and further from democracy. While thousands protest outside the United Nations in New York, here in Ahmedabad the police refuse permission to protest. Gujarat is where the very spirit of dissent has been crushed, under the weight of a state, actively, and tacitly, supported by the majority. The state has attempted to control the media narrative, shuttered places of protest, and stifled age-old democratic institutions, like the Gujarat Vidyapith and the Mehdi Nawaz Jung Hall. The Sabarmati Riverfront, touted as a monumental reclamation of public space, does not allow for public assembly and dissent.
Despite this, we assert that there are still voices in Gujarat calling for change, voices that some have tried their best to quell, but that refuse to remain silent. Among civil society leaders, there is a sense of fear, uncertainty and helplessness. And still, there is dissent.
The Indian state has decided that the value of land is greater than that of human life. We cannot let this stand. We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with Kashmiris, and demand that Kashmiri voices be heard.
Now, more than ever is the time to remember those who fought for our freedom, B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, among so many others. These freedom fighters had a dream for this country, a pluralist democracy, composed of states and peoples who willingly came together to preserve the idea of India. This dream of a free state, did not, and could not, have included shutting an entire people out of the democratic process and imprisoning them.
It is imperative today, that we remember their vision of a state in which justice, equality, and peace could reach everyone. In their memory, we should fight for freedom once more, from those who wish to usurp the very idea of what this country stands for.
We urge the Indian government to lift the communication and media blockade, restoring fundamental human rights to freedom of movement, assembly and information.
We call for the release of all political prisoners – leaders and young people – who have been detained without trial since August 5.
We call for the demilitarisation of Kashmir, and the initiation of a meaningful conversation with the Kashmiri people on the future of the state.
Signed,
In Gujarat
- Dev Desai, Social Activist, Anhad
- Maansi Shah, Teacher, CEPT University
- Sharik Laliwala, Researcher
- Maya Ratnam, Teacher, Ahmedabad University
- Akshaya Vijayalakshmi, IIM Ahmedabad
- Navdeep Mathur, Teacher, IIM Ahmedabad
- Inayat Singh Kakar, Researcher, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan
- Ishu Gupta, Researcher, IIM Ahmedabad
- Hiren Gandhi, Activist, Samvedan Samsritik Manch
- Aziz Minat, Concerned Citizen
- Shraddha Kulhari, Concerned Citizen
- Fr. Cedric Prakash, Activist
- Rakesh Basant, Concerned Citizen
- Dhaval M Chauhan, PhD Student, Gujarat University
- Parth Trivedi, Activist
- Poornima Varma, Academician
- Prasad Chacko, Social Worker
- Swati Goswami, Writer, Artists Unite Ahmedabad
- Rachana Mudraboyina, Transgender Rights Activist
- Anilbhai, Concerned Citizen
- Aparajith Ramnath, Academic
- Shyam Shah, Architect
- Jignesh Sengal, Banker
- Nitish, Student, SFI
- Sonia Mishra, Concerned Citizen
- Bhargav Oza, Researcher
- Kavan Gediya, Student
- Dixit Kumar Parmar, Activist, RDAM
- Ikram Beg Mirza, President, Welfare Party of India, Gujarat
- Navdeep Mathur, Teacher, IIM Ahmedabad
- Mohammed Marfatiya, Concerned Citizen
- Maneksha Varghese, Concerned Citizen
- Suahila, Concerned Citizen
- Sejal Dand, Activist
- Atish Indrekar Chhara, Theatre Activist, Budhan Theatre
- Ghanshyam Patel, Concerned Citizen
- Rathore Rameezkhan, Teacher, Azad Foundation
- Krishnakant, Volunteer, NAPM
- Prashant Patel, Photojournalist, Amar Photography
- Ketan Satish Deshmukh, Student, IIM Ahmedabad
- Svati Shah, Concerned Citizen
- Nirjhari Sinha, Activist, Jan Sangharsh Manch
- Ghanshyam Shah, Retired Professor, JNU
- Abbas Ghulam Mehdi, Teacher
- Persis Ginwalla, Concerned Citizen
- Firoz Rangrez, Politician
- Daud N. Kitharia, Activist, Action for Juhapura Infrastructure Movement (AJIM)
- Rohit Prajapati, Activist
- Nimmi Chauhan, Independent Development Communications Practitioner
- Aruna, Concerned Citizen
- Neha Shah, Teacher
- Danish Qureshi, Legal Activist, Democratic Minority Forum
- Varadharajan Ramakrishnan, Software Entrepreneur
- Rachana Varadharajan, Pharma Industry – Operations
- Balendra Vaghela, Concerned Citizen
- Huma Nizami, Teacher
- Riaz Motiwala, Concerned Citizen
- Divya R., Concerned Citizen
- Najir Patel, Activist, Ahmedabad Task Force
- Adil, Concerned Citizen
- Kadir Shaikh, Concerned Citizen
- Ammar, Teacher
- Salman Mansuri, Concerned Citizen
- Salim Mansuri, Concerned Citizen
- Aslam Langha, Social Worker
- Tofik Kazi, Android Developer
- Naeem Ansari, Service
- Murtaza T Madraswala, Versatile Designer
- Saiyed Mohsin Saiyedali, Tailor, SDPI / ATF
- Saiyed Mohammedyunus, Police Service
- Shabana Patel, Activist
- Mirza SoyebBeg YashinBeg, Student
- Mohammadfarhaz Shaikh, Student
- Ansari Akib Ali Akbar Ali, Student
- Javed Gori, Self Employed
- Vhora Alfaz, Concerned Citizen
- Zakwan Mansuri, Data Scientist
- Ashraf Husen Liyakat Husen Shaikh, Student
- Gautam Priyadarshi, Student
- Ali, Concerned Citizen
- Tausifahmed Diwan, Underwriter, Star Health
- Isharahmad Khalilullakhan Pathan, Manager
- Gulammohiyuddin Muntazimoddin Kazi, Engineer, Tuv Sud South Asia Pvt Ltd
- Azhar Saiyed, Architect And Social Worker
- Natasha M., Concerned Citizen
- Sumaiya, Government Servant
- Leepi Agrawal, QA Engineer, Automation Anywhere
- Mridul Gupta, Student
- Dishant Lodaliya, Concerned Citizen
- Nachiketa Desai, Freelance Journalist
- Abdul Hafiz Lakhani, Editor, Gujarat Siyasat Newspaper
- J.S.Bandukwala, Concerned Citizen
- Munawar Hussain, Journalist
- Shamshad Pathan, Lawyer, Alp Sankhyak Adhikar Manch
- Imran Bhohariya, Social Worker
- Sameer Yadav, Academic Associate, Anant National University
- Neha Patel, Student
- Bhavesh Jain, Gandhinagar Institute of Technology
- Amaani Vaniya, Concerned Citizen
- Manav Sumara, Concerned Citizen
- Abdul Qayyum, Concerned Citizen
- Joseph Mattam, Emeritus Professor
- Reetika Khera, IIM Ahmedabad
- Payal Ganga, Student
- Salim Hafezi, Concerned Citizen
- Terrin Manjila, Student
- Navnath Baliram Sonwane, Student
- Prof Mehboob Desai
- Nikhil Sharma, Teacher
- Rajan, Business Owner
- Ayush Patel, Student
- Sneha Jain, Student
- Renu Khanna, Development Professional
- Stalin K., Concerned Citizen
- Uttam Parmar, Activist
- Vishal Rajput, Student
- Sulekha, Student
- Rafi Malek, Activist
- Anurag Shukla, Doctoral Student, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
- Farooq Abdulgafar Bawani, Freelancer
- Utpal Anish, Research Scholar, Gujarat Vidyapith
- Malek Atik, Student
- Akki, Student
- Sameer Yadav, Academic Associate, Anant National University
- Simran Mulchandani, Student
- Raghavan Rangarajan, Professor
- Viral Shankarbhai Konkani, Social Worker, Adivasi Ekta Parishad
- Karthik Rao Cavale, Assistant Professor, Ahmedabad University
- Manas Kandi, Research Scholar, Central University of Gujarat
- Jay Patel, Student
- Svati Joshi, Academic, Activist
- Hiren Patel, Concerned Citizen
- Harsh Kinger, Student, MSU
In India (outside Gujarat)
- Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist, Anhad
- Sathya S, Consultant and Activist
- Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, Public Health Doctor
- Jimmy Regina C. Dabhim, Navsarjan, Xavier’s Cell for Human Development
- Saravanan V, MPhil Scholar, Delhi
- K. M. Shrimali, Former Professor of History, Delhi University
- Kamayani Swami, Concerned Citizen
- CB Choudhary, Activist, Samajwadi Jan Parishad
- Anand Teltumbde, Teacher, Goa Institute of Management
- Jagmohan Singh, Activist, General Secretary Association For Democratic Rights (Punjab)
- Tushar Parmar Marxpriya, Communist Party of India (RP)
- Mohd Abuzar , Activist, Anhad
- Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, Public Health Doctor and Researcher
- Dr. Batul Hamid, Principal, Viva College of Law
- Manjusha Bhagade, Lawyer
- Dr. Swati Lavand, Professor, Sardar Patel College of Engineering
- Runu Chakraborty, Activist
- Prasad Chacko, Social Worker
- Bindu A Karedan, Concerned Citizen
- Owais Afzal Khan, Indian National Congress Volunteer
- Laboni Singh, Activist
- Shanmuga Pillai, Concerned Citizen
- Chinmoyee Roy Chowdhury, Concerned Citizen
- Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Insurance Advisor, Atheist Republic Kolkata Consulate
- Arun Prasad Sinha, Activist
- Balaji Gurude, Farmer
- Dr. Dev, Shayar, Writer, Teacher
- Akash Debnath, Concerned Citizen
- Dr. Manchala Gangadhar, Chief Editor, Democratic Teachers’ Federation
- Amar Nath Parcha, Activist
- Ritesh Nath Tiwari, Concerned Citizen
- Amitabha Basu, Retired Scientist
- Jasvir Singh Arora, Concerned Citizen
- Dimple Oberoi Vahali, Concerned Citizen
- Atul Mhase, Software Professional
- CMRB India, Consultant
- Rachana Desai, Homemaker
- Harishchandra, Activist, Anhad
- Sokat Malik, Social Worker
- Saify Saraiya, Life and Wellness Coach, ZVM
- Monalisa, Professional
- Armaan, Concerned Citizen
- Talaha Nandoliya, Civil Engineer
- Dr. Shaheen Ansari, Program Coordinator, Arkitect India
- Sujata Patel, National Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study
- Nazim Shekh, Senior Citizen
- Vimal Bhanot, Retired Professor
- Bharat Chitale, Advocate
- Amrita, Researcher, Wildlife Institute Of India
- Antonio Jose F.X. Colaco, Retired Banker
- Teesta Setalvad, CJP
- Chitransh Saxena, President, Padbank
- D. Parthasarathy, Teacher
- Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Activist
- Jitendra, Student
- Mahesh Kumar, Freelance Journalist
- Sudhir Chopra, Retired Joint Director
- Asha D’Souza, Consultant on Development and Labour Rights
- Amit Bhaduri, Professor Emeritus, JNU
- Ranjeet Kindo, Director, Tribal Research and Training Centre
- Tapan Bose, Filmmaker, Writer & Human Rights Defender
- Dr. Lubna Sarwath, Telangana State General Secretary, Socialist Party(India)
- Arun Kumar, Concerned Citizen
- Ms. Rahman, Professor
- Harshit Mitruka, Concerned Citizen
- Hussain A Babat, Compliance Officer, IMS
- Ritik Raj, Student, Law College Dehradun
- Prakash Louis, Teacher
- Ameer, Concerned Citizen
- Arvind Sivaramakrishnan, Teacher
- Madhu Bhaduri, Retired Ambassador Of India
- Kalpana Kannabiran, Concerned Citizen
- Tehzeema, Concerned Citizen
- Irfan Engineer, Concerned Citizen
- Faraz Ahmad, Freelance Journalist
- Asha Ahmad, Retired Ophthalmologist
- G. Thiraviyam, Concerned Citizen
- Subhasis Bandyopadhyay, Faculty, Iiest, Shibpur
- Pamela Philipose, Journalist, Public Editor, The Wire
- Sannybhai, Activist
- R. Govinda, Professor, Council For Social Development
- Bianca, Concerned Citizen
- Appanasamy, Journalist
- Ram Naresh Jha, Retired School Teacher, PUCL
- E. Donald Xavier, Director, Green India Foundational Trust
- Nidhi, Concerned Citizen
- Abhinav Jain, Co-founder, Oye24
- P. Kerketta, Activist
- Anjali Noronha, Concerned Citizen
- George K., Concerned Citizen
- Preeti, Development Worker
- Sr. Sudha, Social Worker, Arpanam Trust
- Samuel Asir Raj S., Professor
International
- Arul Anthony, Australia
- Malik Malik, Data Analyst, United States
- Nikeeta Shah, Student, United States
- Rishi Doshi, Doctor, United States
- Pooja Doshi, Physical Therapist, United States
- Fatima Hassan, Student, United States
- Elle Davidson, Student, United States
- Aaron Dickinson, United States
- Heena Shah, Physician, United States
- Arul Pandian, Australia
- Apurva Shah, Physician, United States
- Samir Shah, Student, United States
- Ghazia Shamim, Student, Canada
- Nagarajan V., Student (Studying Abroad), Germany
- Saifuddin Mohd, Activist, United States
- Tina, Attorney, United States
- Neel Doshi, Physician, United States
- Bhaswati Bhattacharya, Sr. Research Fellow, Centre for Modern Indian Studies, Germany
- Zeelan Bahsha, Accountant, UAE
- Rimsha Chaudhry, Student, United States
- Prof. Ismail Poonawala, Professor Emeritus UCLA, United States
- Rao Rampilla, Actor, United States
- Stephen Perenara Marr, Maori, Councilor Local Government, New Zealand
- Shaukat Ajmeri, Canada
- Sarah Kuo, Environmental Scientist, United States