By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Real-time microblogging and social networking service twitter became a tool for telling torture stories for a number of Kashmiri youths on Friday. Thousands of tweets with hashtag #TortureKashmir were published in a short-amount of time beginning with 8p.m. local time. The magnitude of tweets with the hashtag made it trend on twitter.
The call for telling torture stories were given by a Kashmiri student who goes by the handle @IbneBattuta. Replying to TwoCircles.net on email he said, “It was aimed to let people know about our personal experiences with state torture in Kashmir. Not many know of what is happening here.” Indeed many were shocked to hear these stories of state brutality and empathized with the helplessness of people who suffered.
According to a 2005 survey in Kashmir, 63% of the respondents have seen wounded people, 40% have witnessed people being killed, 67% have seen other being tortured and 13% have witnessed rape. Forty-four percent of the respondents experienced being abused and 11% claimed that their modesty was violated. But very few living outside Kashmir knows about the pains & sufferings of the Kashmiris.
IbneBattuta informed TwoCircles.net that “this was just an idea that came after I found Channel 4 was screening ‘Kashmir Torture’ documentary on July 10th.” He sent a tweet suggesting #TortureKashmir as the hashtag, “then it cascaded into a huge torrent on its own.”
We preset some selected tweets here, we can’t verify the claims in these tweets but they are powerful testimonies and consistent with other stories coming out of Kashmir. They are a difficult read but important for developing proper understanding of Kashmir:
I have been hanged upside down and beaten by BSF in #Kashmir #TortureKashmir
— Sheikh Irfan (@sheikhsays) July 6, 2012
On home from10thclass exm Ws askd for ICard.ws in school uniform shwd my exam slip.Indian forces almost lynched me 2 death #TortureKashmir
— Aamir (@AamirWani) July 6, 2012
Autumn 1999 was driving near Hazuri Bagh when gun butt slammed right thru windshield. BSF personnel amok stuck in traffic #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
#TortureKashmir I was beaten up mercilessly during a routine crackdown with gun butts and fire wood of a local nanwai.
— abc™ (@ashfaqsyed) July 6, 2012
4 days after my appendix was operated, a crack down in our area. I was dragged from my bed& kicked by Sickurity forces #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
I remember how my cousin was put upside down accompanying by beating, applying wooden or iron roller over legs! #TortureKashmir
— sarmát misgér (@Sarmatspeaks) July 6, 2012
Two young boys I knew were taken during a 96 crack down. 1 came back broken & maimed after some days, other never came back #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
I ve witnessed one of my uncles getting tossed like a football during a crackdown #TortureKashmir
— Samurah (@samuuraa) July 6, 2012
An old man walking early for bread after prayers was thrashed, dragged by his beard by drunk bunker forces, 1996 Lal bazar #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
My uncle was shot dead by BSF while he was assisting my causin in shopping for her wedding #TortureKashmir
— Alhaqu Murun (@AlhaquMurun) July 6, 2012
Remember the two young boys of Lalbazar who had come for holidays, shot dead by forces in their homes 1994 #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
Papa-2 was most infamous torture centre run by Indian forces in #Kashmir. 100s who were taken to Papa2 never returned back | #TortureKashmir
— Anonymous! (@ShaalKak) July 6, 2012
#TortureKashmir That ended #Kashmir‘isrelation with India
— ikashmir (@icashmir) July 6, 2012
My best friend killed by ITBP near hawal while he was coming out of his classes. No justice ever #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
Our neighbor old man Majeed Sb tortured with electric shocks, hung upside down in ’96 #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
My uncle returned home after 3 days, I peeked into the room to see him showing his cigarette burns to my grandmother. #TortureKashmir
— Furkan Khan (@Furkan_Khan) July 6, 2012
When asked how hr father died, my friend replied, he was shot dead because he was a few mins late on the orders of Curfew.#TortureKashmir
— Furkan Khan (@Furkan_Khan) July 6, 2012
Seen my neighbour dragged by his hair through the streets naked. #TortureKashmir
— Muhammad Faysal (@_Faysal) July 6, 2012
When my grandmother recalls how my grandfather and his brothers were beaten to pulp in their own house’s top floor (kaeni).#TortureKashmir
— Furkan Khan (@Furkan_Khan) July 6, 2012
Uncle was electrocute, keep naked, no food, no toilet. Manhood damaged! Released almost dead, ’94#TortureKashmir #No2JKReport @IbneBattuta
— Lutfiyyaa Qureshi (@Lutfiyyaa) July 6, 2012
When the teacher told you to thank your God if you reached home alive. Dangerous times, she said.#TortureKashmir
— Furkan Khan (@Furkan_Khan) July 6, 2012
I was walking, #Indian army pointed gun n shouted obscenities,rubbing his groin! Men came to my rescued. 2010. #TortureKashmir @IbneBattuta
— Lutfiyyaa Qureshi (@Lutfiyyaa) July 6, 2012
Electrocution, beatings and sexual humiliation were the three most used tactics used by forces in #Kashmir | #TortureKashmir
— Anonymous! (@ShaalKak) July 6, 2012
Some detainees were suspended from the ceiling, their muscles were crushed. | #TortureKashmir
— Anonymous! (@ShaalKak) July 6, 2012
Electrocution, beatings and sexual humiliation were the three most tactics used by forces in #Kashmir | #TortureKashmir
— Anonymous! (@ShaalKak) July 6, 2012
To wake up to the news that the woman screaming at night was shot dead trying to save her daughter.#TortureKashmir
— Furkan Khan (@Furkan_Khan) July 6, 2012
The report, State of Human Rights In Kashmir, says methods of torture included repeated beating for hours, 1/5#TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
suspension of person from ceiling upright or upside down accompanying by beating,2/5#TortureKashmirbit.ly/N37zNW
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
applying wooden or iron roller ovr legs weighted down by several interrogators on both sides thus crushing thigh muscles 3/5 #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
inserting petrol or chilli powder or rods into the anus of person causing raptures and hemorrhages inside, 4/5 #TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
applying electric current to private and other body parts etc. 5/5 #TortureKashmir bit.ly/N37zNW
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
When comin alive from army custdy was celebratd more than a child brth in da family #TortureKashmir
— Zaffar Kashmiri (@zaffar83) July 6, 2012
Still remember my grandfather and his bleeding head,smashed by’kangri'(hot fire pot) by indian army #TortureKashmir
— Noor ul Haq (@haq_noor) July 6, 2012
#KashmirTorture My mom told to ,’show the bombs hanging from her chest’:( how can I forget that #indianBastards U BLOODY MORONS
— Noor ul Haq (@haq_noor) July 6, 2012
Cant remember as how many times, my dad was tortured by indian army. #TortureKashmir
— Noor ul Haq (@haq_noor) July 6, 2012
My 85 year old neighbor was strangulated to death by CRPF in front of his family members. #TortureKashmir
— xplorer (@peacify) July 6, 2012
My geography teacher was tortured to death by India army. They burnt him to death. #TortureKashmir
— xplorer (@peacify) July 6, 2012
Still remember how my dad was beaten mercilessly by indian army,as we were made to watch that #TortureKashmir
— Noor ul Haq (@haq_noor) July 6, 2012
They dragged my cousin from the bed. It was cold winter night. He was made to lie on the snow and beaten up. #TortureKashmir
— Muhammad Faysal (@_Faysal) July 6, 2012
“Torture has not been specific to men only, Kashmiri woman have equally suffered. Due to social stigma only few reported”#TortureKashmir
— IbnBattuta (@IbneBattuta) July 6, 2012
My male relatives were dragged from their beds. Lined up. One was taken away. The women cried. He returned after days (1/2) #TortureKashmir
— Muhammad Faysal (@_Faysal) July 6, 2012
His one kidney had failed due to electric shocks in his private parts. His eyes were black and he could hardly walk. #TortureKashmir
— Muhammad Faysal (@_Faysal) July 6, 2012
Uncle was tortured at Papa 2 during mid-nineties. He never married. #TortureKashmir
— Nadeem (@I_m_Nadeem) July 6, 2012
Dad was beaten ruthlessly inside a bunker near our home. I cried bitterly. #TortureKashmir
— Nadeem (@I_m_Nadeem) July 6, 2012
My Dad’s cousin tells me, he saw people in PAPA II hung like in a butchers shop. #TortureCamp
— Muhammad Faysal (@_Faysal) July 6, 2012
My brother and me were abused by CRPF after a bomb blast occurred near Kashmir Haat. I was in 7th standard & brother in 9th #TortureKashmir
— Nadeem (@I_m_Nadeem) July 6, 2012
#TortureKashmir Rats were let into my trousers and when I cried, the police officials laughed and took my pictures with their mobile phones!
— sarmát misgér (@Sarmatspeaks) July 6, 2012
The torture victims are shadows of the previous life. Much like the living dead. #TortureKashmir
— Muhammad Faysal (@_Faysal) July 6, 2012
Link:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kashmirs-torture-trail