Srinagar: The violent and enforced electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir is continuing with increased arrests, brutalization and siege. In last few weeks around 2000 people have been arrested, mostly youth. Leaders like Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah and scores of other political leaders and activists have been detained. Besides these political persons a very huge number of young people who are mostly students have been arrested, tortured and humiliated.
According to a statement issued to KNS, frustrated by the success of boycott campaign in South Kashmir, on the instructions of the Indian Home Ministry, the armed forces have intensified the arrest spree. This climate of arrests and oppression also led to the killing of Bashir Ahmed Bhat at Nawa Kadal, Srinagar.
Dr. Ghulam Qadir Lone, an eminent scholar of Sufism who is not affiliated to any political party has also been arrested. Dr. Lone has been arrested for having an opinion against the State. By these arrests and intimidation Indian State has violated their own laws and the International laws. It is part of the civil and political right of an individual to boycott elections and also carry out a campaign against elections. Military regimes from around the world have carried out sham elections to legitimize their oppressive rule. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being used by Indian State as a legitimacy for their military presence therefore campaign for boycotting elections has been treated as a military challenge and thus choked. JKCCS condemns these arrests, brutalization and siege. The Indian State has repeatedly by its conduct proven that elections in Jammu and Kashmir are a military exercise.