World Women’s Day:Protests held in both parts of Kashmir
5 Dariya News
Srinagar 08-Mar-2016
On the eve of International Women’s Day, hundreds of women and young girls took out a rally in Muzzafarabad, the capital of Pakistan administered Kashmir, drawing attention of the international community towards the ‘plight’ of womenfolk in India-held Kashmir. The rally was organized by International Forum for Justice and Human Rights to mark International Women’s Day, which is observed worldwide in accordance with a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 21 years ago that sets the agenda for realizing women’s rights. Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, one of the human rights activists of Indian administered Kashmir told CNS that the rally was started at Central Press Club and it paraded through different lanes and bylanes of Muzaffarabad.Participants of the rally were incandescent at the silence of the international community towards what they say the atrocities unleashed by Indian government in Kashmir.
The banners and placards being carried by them exhibited images of the wailing women, as well as slogans drawing attention of the international community in general and the United Nations (UN) in particular towards the repercussions of the festering Kashmir dispute. “Why the UN, OIC and global human rights watchdogs are tight-lipped at India’s atrocities on Kashmiri women,” questioned a big banner.A protest against the plight of Kashmiri women was also organized by Kashmir Tehreek Khwateen led by Zamrooda Habib. The protesters assembled in Press Enclave Srinagar and amid pro-freedom slogans alleged that due to anti-people policies adopted by New Delhi, the women in Kashmir have immensely suffered. Drawing attention of International Community towards incident of Kunanposhpora mass rape, Zamrooda Habib said: “Kashmiri women were among the worst sufferers of sexual violence in the world, apart from other forms of oppression and suppression,” she said.Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) also staged a protest in Srinagar against what they termed as “atrocities on Kashmiri women by Indian State”.
The rotesters raised slogans for Kashmiri women who they said showed “matchless courage and passion and have been tolerating worst kind of oppression unleashed by Indian state.” Speaking on the occasion JKLF vice chairman advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt said that today we through this protest are raising our voices in favor of our sacred women who are showing matchless courage and passion and have been tolerating worst kind of oppression unleashed by Indian state. Butt sahib said that “JKLF respects and stands for women because this is our religious, moral and human duty,” said JKLF Vice Chairman Bashir Ahmad Butt. He said that on international human rights day, JKLF through this protest intends to send a message to the international community that Kashmiri women also need its support as they are the worst victims of “Indian state-sponsored oppression and violence.”“Their passion, resilience, courage and continuous struggle is our precious treasure and a great inspiration to the people fighting for the independence of Jammu Kashmir,” he said. (CNS)