Around 150 students from the Aligarh Muslim University took out a protest march on Thursday from Kennedy auditorium to Sir Syed Gate on campus against the abrogation of article 370 in Kashmir and the continued communication blackout. "The current situation in Kashmir is extremely grim and disturbing. It has snatched our peace of mind and our studies have been heavily affected. We are worried about the well being of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir including our family members who have been locked in their homes by more than a month long restrictions. Most of us have no contact with our family member since August 5," the students said in a statement.
Calling Kashmir an 'open air prison, the students pointed to reports that said nearly 40000 people between 9 to 75 years were being jailed without reason. "The 'black' laws like Public Safety Act have been enacted against innocent civilians. In the midst of a communication breakdown and a media blackout, we have been undergoing psychological trauma. It appears that we are being treated as sub-humans whose lives don’t matter and who deserve no rights. The reports of torture, killings and pellet injuries in Kashmir published in the international media have shocked us beyond imagination," they wrote.
The students said that through this protest, they want the world to know that they have been suffering for the last 70 years and they feel deeply threatened by the revocation of the 'No First Use’ of nuclear weapons by India and by continuous war cry from Pakistan. "We urge the government of India to allow the people of Kashmir to speak up for them and not impose any decree from Delhi. We want the Indian Prime Minister to know that the people of Kashmir will not accept any forced narrative and it is not going to help in bringing peace and prosperity to the region. We want to express our deep concern for the fears of demographic change in Kashmir and loss of jobs. We urge the global community and the human rights organisation in India and abroad to ensure that therights of Kashmiris are safe," the protesting and grieving AMU students said.
