Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net
An anthology of 30 essays penned by different activist authors and political journalists across India translated into Telugu titled ‘Kashmir Bahiranga Cherasala’ (Kashmir an open-air prison) was released 24th January 2020 at the Somajiguda Press Club.
The book contains articles on aftermath of revocation of Article 370 in Kashmir on August 5th 2019 and violation of the rights of the people of Kashmir by A G Noorani, Arundhati Roy, Markandey Katju, Ramachandar Guha, Shahnaz Bashir and Gowhar Geelani among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Gowhar Geelani a writer, journalist and political commentator hailing from Srinagar who was the chief guest for the book release, said he began his career as a journalist in Hyderabad working for ETv. He said he feels safer travelling to the Southern states of India and feels that these are the places where conversations can be had freely. He appreciated the solidarity shown by the people of Hyderabad.
Narrating his experiences about the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, he said he wants to make sense of what is happening in Kashmir so the audience can know what is actually happening there and not what is being shown by the various TV channels and other media whom he referred to as stenographers of the government.
“Eighty lakh Kashmiris are without internet from the last 173 days. And this has resulted in loss of academic year to the students who apply online for admissions in universities abroad and in India, has affected the doctors’ groups on whatsapp who conducted surgeries by consulting each other, research scholars, journalists and others. All this punishment has been meted out to us because we are Kashmiris”, he said.
He also said that the voices of the people of Kashmir have been silenced, and their agency has been taken away from them dehumanizing them further. The government has changed the narrative of the entire state by taking over the media and controlling it.
He drew parallels from the reign of Hitler whose minister for propaganda Joseph Goebbels had glorified the Nazis and demonized the Jews to the present day anchors who expertly spread lies and falsehood about Kashmir and Kashmiris.
If the Kashmiris had access to internet they would speak up on the social media about what they are facing there which the Government does not want and hence the shutdown of internet.
He also said that “Three former chief Ministers of Kashmir including Dr. Farookh Abdullah whose party National Conference is the oldest have all been selling the idea of India or idea of democracy to the people of Kashmir from the last 7 decades are right now in jail. In short it is democracy that is in jail.”
He also shared that the central government wants to instill permanent defeat in the hearts and minds of Kashmiris by demonstrating that they have troops and the media who is their stooge and will never ask questions to them. However, he said the silence of the people of Kashmir is not fright but a form of resistance and civil disobedience and they are biding their time.
Gowhar Geelani, author of Kashmir Rage and Reason ended his talk with a few lines from a poem by Habib Jalib:
Zulm rahe aur aman bhi ho
kya mumkin hain tumhi kaho
hanstee gaati roshan vaadi
tareeki main doob gayi
Apne hoant siye hain tumne
mere zubaan ko mat roko
tum ko agar taufeeq nahin to
mujh ko hi such kehne do.
(Oppression is rampant yet there should be peace
Is it possible, you tell me?
The valley of laughter and songs has been drowned in
Obscurity, you have sealed your lips, but don’t stop my tongue;
If you don’t have the sense to speak, let me at least tell the truth)
At this the audience raised slogans of ‘Kashmiri saathiyon, ham tumhare saath hai’ (we are with you Kashmiri friends).
Others present for the occasion were K Balareddy, in-charge of Malupu books, Veekshanam editor N. Venugopal Rao, Managing Editor of Siasat Daily Zaheer Ali Khan, Rama Sundari, writer and others.