JAMMU GENOCIDE 1947
The year 1947 marks the beginning of a chilling chapter of horrifying atrocities endured by the Kashmiri people since the partition of the subcontinent. The organized bloodbath that took place that year stands as a stark testament to the unimaginable horrors that have been inflicted upon the people of Kashmir. However, it is important to note that the history of oppression in Kashmir did not start in 1947. From Afghan rule to Indian military occupation of the region in 1947, Kashmir has been embroiled in a complex web of political disenfranchisement, human rights violations and atrocity crimes. 1947 marks the commencement of a dark chapter in a long history of oppression on Kashmiris. The perpetual conflict in Kashmir has its roots in the 1947 genocide, and it is deliberately forgotten. The violence in Jammu was brutal, with the Muslim subjects from different parts of Jammu province being forcibly displaced by the Dogra Army in a programme of expulsion and murder carried out over three weeks between October-November 1947. The massacre of more than 240000 Muslims was state-sponsored and state-supported, with the forces from Patiala Punjab being called in and the RSS being brought in to communalize the whole scenario and kill Muslims. The Muslims, who constituted more than 64 percent of the population of Jammu region, were reduced to a minority after the killings and displacement of over one million people. The state from the beginning has tried to cover up the genocide which is unfortunately not talked about.
The repercussions of that dark period linger and cast a long shadow over the Kashmir valley. Fast forward to the present day, and concerns over demographic changes in the valley persist. The reading down of Article 370, the distribution of domiciles to non-state residents, and the allocation of land to non-locals are all ominous signs. Initiatives such as the identification of land for separate Sainik colonies, bulldozing properties belonging to aborigines, snatching land from its rightful owners and distributing it among outsiders further give a peep into the calculated effort to alter the region’s demographics. The government in India, led by a lifetime member of RSS – the same organization that executed the Jammu Genocide – is using all resources at its disposal to alter the demographic status of the valley. Post 5th August, the occupying Indian state has tightened its grip on the valley, creating an environment of fear where dissent is stifled, and voices are muted.With the worsening situation in Kashmir where restrictions are imposed on every facet of life including the very act of breathing, there are growing apprehensions that history might repeat itself. The current military administration, driven by extremist ideologies, may carry out a genocide akin to the one witnessed in Jammu in 1947. In 2016, the president of Dogra Swabhimaan Sangathan Choudhary Lal Singh threatened a Muslim delegation in Jammu by telling them to “recall what we did to you in 1947”. In the recent past, we witnessed how rallies were organized in support of rapists and heard provoking sloganeering from RSS rallies in Jammu.
MY MEMORY COMES IN THE WAY OF YOUR HISTORY
Syed Suhaib Abdullah
We are witnessing an erasure of the Holocaust of the East during the last 70 years. India and its client politicians in Kashmir have so cunningly brushed aside this genocide as mere “tragic events”. What is annoyingly more tragic is the mention of Dogra Hindu despots’ decision to join India, Tribal “raids” and the arrival of the Indian Army in Kashmir as the primary focal points of discussions surrounding the dispute of Kashmir.
The Jammu Genocide is conveniently omitted or not even considered as anything to have occurred in the first place. This invisiblization of Jammu Genocide is deliberately woven into Indian politics with an aim to present India as the savior of Kashmir and its inhabitants. And unfortunately, it has led to a severe distortion of our history. Adding insult to injury, India has now declared Hindu despot Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday and October 26, the day Indian Army entered Kashmir, as public holidays. Amid this onslaught on our history, memory serves as a potent tool of resistance that enables communities to preserve their narratives, challenge dominant historical discourses, and assert their identity in the face of oppression and erasure. In various conflict zones, memory has been harnessed as a means of resistance, allowing communities to subvert state-sponsored narratives and uphold their historical truths. For us, Kashmiris, memory has, over the years, emerged as a central element in the struggle for freedom and justice and it indeed plays a pivotal role in countering the Indian narrative and preserving our collective identity. In the face of attempts to erase historical truths, the use of memory as a weapon of resistance has an overwhelming impact. By leveraging collective memory, we can construct narratives of hope and resilience that serve as a counterbalance to state-sponsored projects of obfuscation & ahistoricization. The interplay between memory, hope, and and political resistance highlights the enduring strength of any oppressed community and its commitment to preserving its history and pursuing self-determination. The Indian occupying state in cahoots with its political pimps in Kashmir have, to a great extent, succeeded in suppressing the harrowing details of Jammu Genocide. As we confront this assault on historical truth, we must recognize the overwhelmingly important role of memory as an important weapon of resistance. In the face of state-sponsored obfuscation, the preservation and dissemination of collective memory become acts of defiance, important for unveiling the truth and reclaiming a suppressed narrative. This does hold a significant sway over the culture of Tehreek (movement) in Kashmir. It not only preserves the memory of the conflict but also propels the resistance movement forward thereby providing a sense of continuity and purpose in the face of ongoing challenges.
NOVEMBER 1947: REMEMBERING JAMMU GENOCIDE
Kay Ess Kashmiri
Jammu, the closest region to the province of Punjab, had historical ties with the Muslim population of Punjab even before the creation of Pakistan. The fact that the region was having a majority Muslim population, it was anticipated that Muslims in this region would initiate a movement for joining Pakistan. However, before any such movement could commence, a horrific ethnic cleansing of Muslims was carried out in the area. The killing of Muslims in the outskirts of Jammu region, including areas like Bair Nagar, Sialni, Chaandi, etc., had commenced in October. However, the most brutal and horrific massacre of Muslims in Jammu took place on November 4, 1947, following the visit of Indian Home Minister Sardar Patel, Defense Minister Sardar Baldeo Singh, and Maharaja Patiala to Jammu. The orchestration of this mass killing in Jammu was primarily carried out by these figures. Under the guise of maintaining law and order, the Indian government announced on November 5 that Muslims expressing a desire to go to Pakistan should report to the Police Lines. Subsequently, the traumatized and oppressed Muslims were loaded onto 36 trucks. Instead of being taken to Sialkot Pakistan, as initially claimed, the convoy was diverted to Samba, where indoctrinated Hindu terrorists armed with guns, swords, axes, and clubs carried out a systematic public massacre.Although the campaign of mass killings of Muslims in Jammu had begun in late September and the first week of October, the night of November 5th and 6th presented a horrifying scene of carnage for the Muslims in and around Jammu. The Muslim refugees migrating towards Pakistan under the “protection” of the Dogra Maharaja’s forces became the targets of a horrific massacre. Those Muslims were subjected to mass slaughter on an unprecedented scale, akin to the slaughter of livestock.The protection of the Dogra Maharaja’s army did not safeguard the Muslim caravans migrating towards Pakistan from becoming victims of widespread massacre. The brutalities committed during this exodus resulted in the mass slaughter of not just hundreds but thousands of human beings, a heinous act unparalleled even in ancient times. This genocide was not orchestrated by some ancient king but, shockingly, it occurred during the partition of the subcontinent in Jammu, carried out by Hindu terrorists.The Muslim-majority regions of Jammu, including Jammu itself, Akhnoor, Rajpura, Channi, Kuthua, Samba, Udhampur, and Riasi, witnessed the systematic eradication of the Muslim population. This horrifying chapter in history, corroborated by international media reports at the time, marked the extermination of Muslim communities in these areas. British newspaper The Times of London reported on this massacre. According to the newspaper, 237,000 Muslims were killed in Jammu. The editor of The Statesman, Stephen, detailed the massacre in his book. According to his account, up to 200,000 Muslims were killed by Autumn 1947.Journalist Horace Alexander, while documenting the atrocity, wrote that the Muslims of Jammu sacrificed their wealth, relationships, lives, and emotions to join Pakistan.British historian Alistair Lamb wrote in his book that Hindu and Sikh marauders entered Jammu, committing brutal acts of massacre and plunder. They mercilessly martyred over two hundred thousand Muslims and forcefully displaced hundreds of thousands towards Western Punjab (Pakistan).Senior journalist and author P.G. Rasool, in his book titled Kashmir Ki Tareekhi Asliyat, states that the news reports by global media, the roles of Jawaharlal Nehru, Maharaja Hari Singh, Baldev Singh, Sardar Patel, Mehr Chand Mahajan, Sheikh Abdullah, and other figures from August to November 1947, government records, and all available evidence confirm the Indian government’s direct involvement in Jammu Massacre.Kashmir Times’ Executive Editor Anuradha Jamwal asserts that the events in the Jammu region indicate an attempt to alter the population ratio. The atrocities of the 1947 massacre left only Hindu or Sikh populations in many Muslim-majority villages of the Jammu district.As the conflict of Kashmir remains unresolved, the preparations for the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims continues. Human Rights organizations across the globe neither played their role in 1947 nor are they playing any role today. After 2019, India devised a strategy to erase the Muslim identity of Kashmir and is altering the demographic balance by transforming the entire occupied region into a prison of atrocities. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is issuing continuous threats of war. It is essential to bring India’s war crimes to the world’s attention, garner international support, and unveil the sinister face of Modi through aggressive and organized diplomatic campaigns. Since August 5, 2019, the Hindutva government has violated the property rights of local residents, causing deep concern among the Kashmiris. Despite the passage of 76 years, the problems of the people of Kashmir persist. While Kashmiris are no longer under Dogra rule, the illegal occupation by India has worsened their conditions. At present, India has deployed nearly one million troops in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir, making it the most heavily militarized zone globally. These military forces are involved in crimes against humanity. Today, India is implementing the same policy in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir that Hari Singh adopted. The people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir commemorate November 6 every year as the Day of Martyrs, reaffirming their commitment to not let the sacrifices be in vain and to continue the struggle for freedom.
(This Article was first published in a Kashmir-based Magazine in Urdu language)
A SILENT CRACKDOWN ON MASAJID’S IN KASHMIR
Gowhar Farooq
Taking Over Of Waqf Board
In 2022, India’s politico-military administration in Jammu and Kashmir assumed control of the Waqf Board, appointing Darakhshan Andrabi, a member of the BJP, as its chairperson. Shortly after taking office, Andrabi was granted the status of Minister of State (MoS). It is important to mention that the origins of the Waqf Board date back to 1940, a period when Jammu and Kashmir was a princely state under the rule of the Dogra Kings. At that time, it was known as the Muslim Auqaf Trust. However, with the Indian occupation of the region, significant changes began to unfold. The Muslim Auqaf Trust was eventually rebranded as the Waqf Board, and following the events of 2019, like several other such boards, it came under the direct control of the Indian government after being reconstituted under central law.As is expected in any occupied territory, the Waqf Board has been instrumentalized by pro-occupation political figures for their vested interests. Parties like the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have utilized it for their vote bank politics. However, despite the fact that a majority of Kashmiris do not adhere to the practice of grave-worshiping which is often associated with these shrines, the people of Kashmir continue to hold all Muslim Shrines and Khanqahs in deep reverence. These sites have been reflecting their cultural and historical significance since hundreds of years.
Controlling Religious Institutions
The occupying Indian state had planned the crackdown on Masajid’s well before it robed Kashmir of its semiautonomous status in 2019. In 2017, an assessment report prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) suggested a total control of Masajid’s, Madrasa’s, print and TV media to “change the political atmosphere of the valley”. Immediately after the nullification of 370, Imaam’s across the valley were summoned to the nearest army camps and directed to deliver sermons highlighting the benefits of scraping Article 370 of the Indian constitution (آرٹیکل 370 کے خاتمے کی فضیلت).
Almost 20 days before the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the puppet police of Jammu and Kashmir issued a circular directing its SP-level officers to gather information about all the Masajid’s across Kashmir. The circular directed these officers to also collect information of Imaam’s, Khateeb’s and their ideological affiliations. After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the Indian occupying state has accelerated its war against the very faith of Kashmiris. The occupational regime is increasingly tightening its control on Muslim religious spaces in the region. During the ongoing massacre of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Waqf Board has ordered preachers to not mention any atrocity being perpetrated by the Zionists on Palestinian people. Not only this, the board has strictly prohibited them from even making any Dua’s (special prayers) for the oppressed Palestinian people who are facing unprecedented violence from the settler colonial state of Zionists. After some Imaam’s protested against the move, they were told that they can make Dua’s in Arabic language and not in Urdu or Kashmiri. Waqf has now become the de facto authority over all Masajids across Kashmir. It continues to monitor sermons made by Imaam’s and Khateeb’s in several shrines and Masajid’s across Kashmir. It is important to note that the Board runs major shrines including Dargah Hazratbal, the Shah Hamdan and the Sultan-ul-Aarifeen in Srinagar. It is ironic that the shrines of those who brought Islam to Kashmir centuries ago are now controlled by the BJP. The same BJP notorious for its anti-Muslim policy is responsible for incidents such as the lynching of Muslims in India, the Gujarat Massacre, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, and the construction of the Ram Mandir at the same site where the Babri Masjid once stood. The puppets of this board have now “centralized” the recruitment of Imaams, Khateeb’s and Muezzin’s. The Imaams and Khateeb’s will now deliver scripted sermons and preach whatever BJP’s Darakhshaan Andrabi and her bosses in Nagpur find necessary. For the first time in more than 600 years, Eid and Friday prayers were not allowed in Khanqa-e-Moula Srinagar.
Counseling Sessions by Major Rank Officers of Indian Army
It all began immediately after the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Following the collection of information on all the Masajid’s, the local Imaam’s and khateeb’s were summoned to the nearest army camps in the evening hours across Kashmir. At these meetings, high-ranking Indian Army officers would conduct lectures on various topics, instructing them on what to include and what to avoid in their Friday and Eid sermons. Hindu officers in the occupying Army thus officially began the practice of imparting guidance to Muslim Imaams and khateebs on the content of their Islamic sermons. In the northern parts of Kashmir, at least 41 Imaams were detained on charges of delivering sermons critical of the Indian state’s policies in Kashmir. In two villages near the Chillora Army Camp, local young men were subjected to torture while loudspeakers blared their screams, reaching the ears of every resident in the nearby villages.Initially, these occupying Army officers focused their lectures on the “benefits of removing Article 370,” but over time, their topics have diversified. According to a recent report, Indian occupying officers, in collaboration with BJP members, are instructing some Imaams to emphasize the “positive role of Narendra Modi” during the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict. These officers assert that “Modi has saved hundreds of lives by sending crucial aid to Gaza” and that Muslim leaders across the globe should take a lesson from him. In central Kashmir’s Budgam, a Shia cleric was summoned after he criticized Israel for killing innocent people in the Gaza Strip. He was told by a high-ranking officer of the Indian Army that “No one will stop us if we decide to dismantle your mosque along with you, just as Israel is doing.” In another incident in Shopian, a group of Imaams were instructed to encourage people to invite Army officers to their functions and seek their assistance on numerous issues related to the development of their villages. Indian Army is increasingly tightening its control over Masajids across Kashmir. An Imaam is now supposed to remain in touch with major-ranking officers in Indian Army.
Promoting Passive Islam?
Following the events of August 5th, India has been formulating new strategies to counter the popular sentiment and exert total control over religious spaces in Kashmir. The Indian Army, in collaboration with the local Jammu and Kashmir Police, is compelling Imaams and Khateebs to adhere to their directives. By gaining influence over the pulpits, their aim is to shape the religious discourse in the region. The scripted sermons, which Imaams and Khateebs are now expected to deliver, must align with the pro-occupation narrative.These calculated efforts are not only intended to sway public opinion but also to leverage the deeply ingrained respect for religious authorities to quell dissent and further the Indian agenda in the region. The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, as well as local panchs and sarpanchs, are effectively serving as frontline agents in the exploitation of faith. They are transforming places of worship into platforms that promote the occupying regime’s narrative. The takeover of the Waqf Board represents the first step in this process, not because the Waqf or the shrines under its purview represent Kashmiri Muslims, but because the occupying state seeks complete control over religious spaces in the region and this trust can be effectively used for this project. This control over the trust is merely a component of a broader plan to influence the practice of Islam in the region.India is systematically utilizing Sufism to influence religious discourses and reshape our understanding of Islam. The version of Sufism they wish every Kashmiri to embrace can best be propagated through the Waqf Board. Their intention is to disconnect us from our cultural and religious roots by first introducing a form of Sufism that erases our fundamental understanding of Islam. This is a precursor to what they refer to as ‘Ghar Wapsi’ – a process of renouncing Islam and converting to Hinduism. This strategy is part of their broader agenda to Brahmanize Kashmir, as they view Islam as the core problem that in their view was “imposed” on us centuries ago.This war against our religion has intensified, with the occupying authorities summoning religious scholars who resist their initiatives and framing them in false cases, along with employing various other tactics. Besides Waqf, Indian agencies have employed some lesser-known unscrupulous wannabe writers to propagate Sufism in the valley. These merchants of conscience have started a systematic campaign to distort realities and are unabashedly aligning themselves with our tormentors. Without any consideration for the sentiments of the Kashmiri people, they are shamelessly engaged in defaming our religious Rehbars in the most disgraceful manner.
We Have to Fight Back
Our occupiers, driven by a nefarious design, aim to domesticate and disfigure Islam to suit their agenda. They attempt to rewrite the narrative, to redefine our beliefs and practices and erase the essence of our faith that has been a beacon for generations. Recognizing this dangerous plot and fighting against it with every possible means is crucial. Now, more than ever, we must hold onto the true teachings of Islam, the principles of justice, compassion, and unity. Our occupiers attempt to exploit divisions, to sow discord among us. We must not allow them to succeed. Our Masajids, shrines, and sacred spaces are not tools for manipulation; they are symbols of our strength, resilience, and shared heritage. In the face of this religious warfare, it is our duty to remain steadfast. We must resist the attempts to dilute our faith, to alter the core principles that have guided us for centuries. Our resistance is not just against a physical occupation but against the colonization of our minds and hearts.Let us use every means at our disposal to fight back against this assault on our Muslim identity. Educate ourselves and our communities about the true teachings of Islam. Preserve the authenticity of our religious spaces by guarding against external influence. Remember, our strength lies in our unity, our resilience, and our unyielding faith. United, we can thwart the designs of those who seek to diminish our identity. Stay strong, stay united, and let the light of our true Islam guide us through these challenging times.
THE KILLABLE KASHMIRI BODIES AND THE WORLD OF IMPUNITY IN KASHMIR
Shahnaaz Mohiddin
Finally, as always, the cat is out of the bag once again. The military administration has suspended the sentence of Army Major Bhoopendera Singh who was involved in the Amshipora fake encounter where three Kashmiri youths were killed and dubbed as armed resistance fighters. “We allow the application for suspension of sentence for life imprisonment and direct that the applicant shall be released on bail” the Armed Forces Tribunal said. Bhoopendera Singh’s counsel Major (Retd) Sudhanshu A. Pandey argued that “such conviction of a young officer in this manner would have a very demoralizing effect on other officers who are sacrificing their lives for the nation”. The Ashimpora Shopian fake encounter is just one example of the hundreds of instances of extrajudicial killings and fake encounters carried out by the Indian military in Kashmir. From Pathribal to Ganderbal to Kupwara, the footprints of fake encounters are smeared across the landscape. The unchecked power bestowed on the Indian occupational troops has turned the region into a killing field where Kashmiris are being killed for sport, monetary rewards and promotions. Ather Zia, a Kashmiri professor, writer and anthropologist says that “Kashmiri bodies are constructed as “traitors” to Indian sovereignty and marked as “deviant” and “killable” in the nationalist imaginary.” The construction of Kashmiri body in the eyes of Indian nationalist imaginary is thus fit to be killed for the reason that it has been posing resistance to their sovereignty.
What grants impunity to these occupational troops is AFSAPA. The law grants impunity to Indian occupational forces from any legal consequences if they kill anyone on the suspicion of being a “terrorist”. Implemented in 1991, the draconian law, termed by Amnesty International as a “lawless law”, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), has cast a long, ominous shadow over the lives of Kashmiris, rendering every individual a potential suspect in the eyes of the Indian military establishment. Designed for maintaining “law and order”, it has created an environment where any Kashmiri can be arbitrarily stopped, or worse, shot without the burden of providing an explanation. The people of Kashmir find themselves living in a state of perpetual vulnerability, where the specter of unbridled power has effectively reduced everyone to the unsettling status of being deemed Killable. Zia aptly describes this situation by saying that, In the Indian perception, the Kashmiri body is framed as the “Other”—a Muslim, and by extension, often labeled as either Pakistani or deemed as a traitor. This perception of a body marked by “distinct otherness” gives a free license to Indian state to justify and perpetrate extrajudicial abuses. It’s important to bear in mind that the Indian state lacks the legitimate authority to wield power or dispense justice in Kashmir. An occupying force fundamentally exists to exert control in its occupied territories, often leading to a pervasive environment of oppression and violence.
FROM PALESTINE TO KASHMIR: THE OUTWARD INVINCIBILITY OF OCCUPATION AND ITS HIDDEN FRAGILITY
Idrees Bhat
Israel, supposedly one of the largest military powers of the world, would have never imagined what was coming its way. No one in the whole world would have either. The huge shock dealt to Israel on October 7th when Palestinian resistance forces launched a massive surprise attack by land, sea and air took everyone by surprise. Israel was supposed to be invincible. It had spent billions of dollars on the massive fence and high-tech surveillance system deployed around Gaza. How could a supposedly invincible barrier be so fragile? How could Palestinians in Gaza, who have been under brutal Israeli occupation since 1967 and an inhuman blockade since 2007, with everything coming in and out of Gaza under complete Israeli control, tear apart the mightiest Israeli fences so easily? One of the most advanced military powers was brought down to its knees by home-trained guerilla fighters in a flash. The power of the most advanced military technology failed to stop the power of home-made weapons built largely from scrap. We will not go into the details of that heroic Palestinian onslaught, but we will focus on the lesson here i.e., Israel was not so mighty and not so invincible after all.
It’s a lesson for everyone, for every resistance group that feels choked and suffocated. If Gaza can break free from the grip of Israeli military might, so can every other besieged and occupied land and that includes for us, first and foremost, Kashmir. It’s the supposed “world’s highest militarized zone”, even though Indian military and its technology is no match for what Israel has deployed in Gaza and other Palestinian territories.
There’s a kind of belief set up in the hearts of people about Indian occupation of Kashmir, that It is invincible. There’s a strong sense of suffocation and defeat in common people. But we need to remember the lesson we just talked about. Every foreign occupation that’s seemingly invincible to the highest level, has an ultimate fragility at its very core. Occupations are built upon deceit and treachery, and these things only last so long. Kashmir can and will break free, just like Gaza did. We need to remember that the might of Indian occupation is no match for the determination, honour and integrity of resistance.
India is one of the largest importers of Israeli military technology, that makes our lesson from the Gazan uprising even more important. We can do it, just like they did. Even in Palestine, there was a huge sense of defeat among common people, as it looked set that Arab countries will completely normalize their relationship with Israel and Palestine will be forgotten forever. But everything changed on 7th October. It just needs one brave act!
Diplomacy and talks may have its importance and its need, but just like we saw in case of Palestine, it didn’t get anywhere and it seemed to have failed, until armed resistance rose up and dismantled the power and arrogance of Israeli military occupation. There’s a need to look seriously at armed resistance in Kashmir and do everything possible for its revival. If resistance in Gaza could dismantle Israel even while being besieged in the harshest manner, why can’t we do it in Kashmir, when we have a sovereign Azad Kashmir that can be used as a base for resistance and while the fence around Occupied Kashmir is much more penetrable than the most-advanced fence around Gaza.
It just needs a strong will and who better to learn it from other than the Palestinian resistance who have proved it beyond doubt that every arrogant occupying power has its fall and so will India.
There’s also another important lesson for us: we need to stop relying on others or expect anything from the so-called torchbearers of freedom and democracy. In case of Palestine, they were about to be sold by the Arab leadership, until they were forced to take their traitorous negotiating hands back by the heroic Palestinian action of 7th October. We might be sold by such nations in deals we will never even know about. We have to strengthen ourselves and our allies. It will not happen through diplomacy and debates, we saw how they did nothing for Palestine. It’s the armed resistance that changed everything. It’s the Palestinian armed resistance that forces me talk to you right now through this write-up. We need to focus our energies at the right places. We need to remember as strongly as possible that armed resistance is our only hope.
Palestine and Kashmir have many historical similarities, which we will not discuss here, but will leave it for you to explore. Currently, our occupiers are allies. Israel is a friend to India. This unites Kashmiri resistance with that of Palestine. Our enemies, our occupiers are allies. You might have also seen how all of Indian propaganda machinery has been deployed to support Israel and demonize Palestinian resistance. Kashmir needs to join Palestine in resistance against these combined forces of evil. A weakened Israel means a weakened India, as India imports military technology from Israel and they perform a lot of joint exercises from economy, industry to intelligence and military. India has been even following the Israeli settler-colonial tactics in Kashmir. It wants to replace the Kashmiri Muslim population with Indian Hindus just like Israel wants to replace Palestinians with Jews from all around the world. India is setting the stage for a brutal ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Muslims. India is trying hard to destroy the Islamic culture of Kashmir. It’s trying really hard to Hinduize Kashmir. These designs of India don’t need to be explained as they are evident to everyone living in Kashmir. Indian Hindutva and Israeli Zionism are two similar entities that need to be removed from this world with the fiercest resistance. If India sees Israeli occupation succeed against Palestinian resistance, it will accelerate its evil mechanisms in Kashmir.
Therefore, an attack on Israel means an attack on India. A weak and fragile Israel means a weak and fragile India. We need to take the signal from Palestinian resistance and strengthen ourselves on the armed front. Our armed resistance will be our only defense. History has proven it time and again. And Palestine proved it just a month ago on October 7th.
Let’s stop waiting for miracles and do what needs to be done. There’s victory in resistance and defeat in silence. We should follow the path of armed resistance just like Palestinians did. A brutal military power can only be defeated through a stronger military response. Our cries and wails will otherwise be drowned in the deafening sounds of trampling military boots. Lastly, lets part with the words of Abu Obeida (the spokesperson of the Palestinian Al-Qassam Brigades) that have strong relevance to our mutual struggles in Kashmir and Palestine, in the hopes that both Palestinian and Kashmiri resistance succeeds in dismantling the axis of occupying powers:
“The sick dreams of the Zionist war-leaders, about ending our resistance in Gaza, are but an attempt to escape their resounding defeat and the bitter reality that they live. They, whose faces are covered in soot that is as black as the political and military fate that awaits them. We remind these delusional leaders that Isaac Shamir had the same ambitions, as did Rabin, who wished to wake up and find Gaza swallowed by the sea – and this was a time in which our fighters were but dozens, with light arms. Sharon, too, promised to end the Intifada in 100 days. These, all, have gone to the garbage heap of history with nothing but a record of slaughtering innocents – and our resistance remained, and grew greatly in might. You, murderers, will not be luckier than they were, and you will achieve nothing but disappointment and downfall, by the will of God. Our faith is absolute, in God’s victory, and the justice of our struggle and the holiness of our battle.”
Countering India’s Novel Methods of Oppression With Novel Methods of Resistance: A Case of Counter Surveillance
Suhail Rather
In recent developments, the military administration in Jammu and Kashmir has taken a draconian step by employing GPS ankle monitors on individuals accused under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) who have been granted bail. This move by the occupying Indian state not only raises serious concerns about civil liberties but also adds another layer to the long history of inhumane experiments and oppressive measures imposed on the people of Kashmir. The use of GPS ankle monitors is just one example of the myriad experiments that the Indian state has conducted in Kashmir over the past three decades. Kashmiris have been subjected to various forms of state-sponsored violence and experimentation, including the use of pellet guns that have resulted in the blinding of thousands of individuals. This pattern of inhumane treatment has led to Kashmir being described as a laboratory for executing experiments on its inhabitants and, more or less, treating them as guinea pigs for conducting new experiments. From Pava Shells to Pegasus, India has first used these weapons on Kashmiris. Every new lethal or non-lethal weapon brought from Israel and other countries is used upon the Kashmiri body to check its efficacy. Since India is on its way to become a fascist state, it has lately been implementing (experimenting) new laws and policies in Kashmir to be used, later, in Indian states. The psychological toll on individuals subjected to such measures cannot be overstated. The constant surveillance and restriction of movement contribute to a sense of helplessness and anxiety. History has shown that subjecting a population to such oppressive measures not only violates basic human rights but also leaves lasting scars on the collective psyche of a community.
But despite the trials and tribulations, I can feel a sense of resilience growing within us. We are not alone in this struggle. Every Kashmiri, every individual who has faced the heavy hand of oppression, shares in this collective experience. We are not merely subjects of experimentation; we are a people with a rich history and a deep-rooted connection to our land. We refuse to be defined by the oppressive tactics of the Indian state. We refuse to be a mere statistic in their experiments. We will rise, and our time will come. The spirit of the Kashmiri people cannot be broken. We will demolish every apparatus of the occupation, and we will reclaim our freedom and dignity. Our resilience will be our strength, and our unity will be our power. The time for change is on the horizon, and we will rise to meet it.
Counter Measures
Since the occupation is using all measures physical and technological to strengthen its control, it is necessary for the oppressed to adopt suitable resistance measures as warranted by the situation. One purpose of these novel ways of surveillance is to spread terror and fear in people’s minds that the “big boss” is watching. Therefore, we have come up with a solution to counter these surveillance tactics. Here for this particular GPS tracking, preventive measures can be used by people to jam the GPS signal.
To understand this let us first understand how GPS works. GPS is a system. It’s made up of three parts: satellites, ground stations, and receivers.
Satellites act like the stars in constellations—we know where they are supposed to be at any given time. The ground stations use radar to make sure they are actually where we think they are. A receiver, like you might find in your phone or a surveillance device as used by the police here, is constantly listening for a signal from these satellites. The receiver figures out how far away they are from some of them.
A GPS tracker must be connected to the GNSS network. The GPS signal jammer uses the same wavelength as the GPS device to broadcast a radio signal. This takes precedence over the messages from the satellite. Because the jammer is interfering with the GPS tracking device’s signal, pinpointing its specific location is difficult. All GPS operations, including navigation and monitoring, are disrupted by GPS jammers. GPS jammers are often small and easy to put up. They are simple to install and uninstall, and they turn on in less than a minute. In any case, GPS tracker jammers are widely available and often affordable. The easiest method of disabling a GPS monitoring device is to place it in a metal container. Any electrically conducting metal will reflect and absorb inbound and outgoing signals. It will stop working as a result of this. Tinfoil may be used to cover a GPS tracker, but copper and even silver can also be used. The aluminum wrap foils, wax papers, thick cotton fabric is easily available in our homes or can be purchased in the local market. These are very low-cost and easy GPS jamming methods.
A GPS jammer is a small, self-contained transmitter that emits radio waves at the same wavelength as a GPS device to conceal one’s location. The GPS device is unable to determine its location due to the disruption.
The device used in Kashmir is a GEOSATIS Hybrid GPS Monitoring Ankle Bracelet. Some of its additional drawbacks are it is not a waterproof device, it is only water resistant and therefore if it remains under consistent water flow, it will fuse. Moreover, it is a chargeable device which means once its battery is dead, it will no longer function. Therefore, its battery can be removed when the victim goes out for a walk and the authorities will be informed that its battery is dead. If the device is perturbed consistently, the authorities will need to either buy new devices or send their team over and again creating a headache for them and increasing the cost of occupation. This is the least we can do.
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