Kashmiris caged like animals: Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter writes to Amit Shah

Iltija Javed, the daughter of Jammu and Kashmir’s former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, has released another voice message, where she can be heard questioning her house arrest. Iltija, who was detained at her home within days of her mother’s arrest, also wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah to inform him that she was warned of “dire consequences” if she opened up to the media again. In her letter to Shah, she wrote that Kashmiris were being “caged like animals” and that they were being “deprived of basic human rights”.

Writing to Shah on Independence Day, she said: “Today the rest of the country celebrates India’s Independence Day, but Kashmiris remain caged like animals, deprived of basic human rights.” Iltija has alleged that she is not even informed when her guests are turned away by the security forces, nor allowed to step out of her house, reported NDTV.

She was reportedly told by the security personnel at her gates that she had been detained over her inflammatory media interviews.

In the letter released along with the audio message, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader’s daughter said: “For the world's largest democracy, doesn't a citizen not have a right to speak up in the face of unimaginable repression? It’s a tragic irony that I am being treated like a war criminal for stating the inconvenient truth.”

“I am being treated like a criminal and I am under constant surveillance. I fear for my life along with those Kashmiris who have spoken up,” she added.

August 16 marked the twelfth day of the lockdown imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, which granted a special status to the state. While most restrictions imposed on Jammu on August 5 have already been lifted and talks on reopening schools and government offices from August 19 are on, mainstream political leaders continue to be in custody. The politicians who have been arrested include former chief ministers, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah.

IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal was also detained by the forces at the Delhi airport on August 14 and was told to return to Srinagar. He too was placed under house arrest later. The Centre is yet to comment on when these mainstream politicians would be released.