Srinagar, Feb 15: Describing the people of Kashmir as the ‘helpless birds locked in rusty cages’, human rights activist Gautam Navlakha Friday said the way Indian civil society maintained ‘criminal silence’ over the execution of Afzal Guru and the continued curfew in Kashmir is “astounding.” “There is no democracy in Kashmir. In fact in whole India democracy is vanishing and I must tell you that by forcing people not to express their views and lodge protest, the State Government is once again compelling people of Kashmir Valley to take up guns,” Navlakha told a local news gathering agency CNS. He said a few Indians who want to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people are being gagged by Hindu extremists.
 Navlakha said Kashmir has become a prison for the people where even media is being gagged. “People of Kashmir feel that no Indian is talking about their plight and yes it is true to a great extent. I am myself surprised the way Indian civil society has maintained criminal silence over the present crises in Kashmir. People of Kashmir are being flocked like cattle and we all Indians are silent. Can we still claim that Kashmir is a part of India when we care a fig for the people there and muzzle their voice, don’t let them come out from the houses to register a protest against the media gag and execution of Afzal Guru,” he said.
 He said that Kashmiris are being again pushed to wall and are being compelled to pick up the gun. “No democracy in the world favours secret execution. It is really pity that Afzal was hanged and even his family members were not intimated about his execution. Indian people especially Indian Civil Society has proved that they are all anti-Kashmiri who love to watch Kashmiris being bashed everywhere,” Navlakha said and added that “how long Government of India will ignore this fact that it has lost everything in Kashmir and Kashmiri people just want to get rid of India at any cost.”(CNS)

Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
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