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Caught Between Virus and Violence in Indian Kashmir

Muheet Ul Islam

   As 12-year-oldBasimlay on a hospital bed, his father Aijaz Ahmad asked
   him to recite some verses from the Quran.

   "Papa, am I going to die?"Basiminquired innocently.

   The only child of his parents had suffered ninety-percent burn injuries
   in an explosion. Doctors had told Ahmed his son would not survive.

   Basimwas one of hundreds of people who had visitedNawakadal, a densely
   populated area of Srinagar in Indian administered Kashmir to see the
   destruction suffered by locals in a thirteen-hour-long gunfight in
   which two militants were killed, eleven houses were damaged, and four
   completely destroyed.

   Eyewitnessessaid they heard an explosion, most likely from a left-over
   explosive, before a house collapsed on five people. Four out of the
   five, includingBasim, died.

   Ever since the Indian government enforced a lockdown in Kashmir
   following the outbreak of COVID-19, violence has surged in the area.

   Figures provided by Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, an
   umbrella organization of human rights groups, reveal more than 200
   people have been killed this year due to the conflict, compared to only
   95 people killed in the last half of 2019.

   Rights activists blame theincreaseon the Indian government ratcheting
   up its security operations against militants during the coronavirus
   pandemic.

   The region has faced a secessionist movement for decades that often
   turns violent.

   Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, residents of Indian controlled
   Kashmir said Indian forces used to face strong resistance to their
   anti-militancy operations, mostly from disgruntled youth who would rush
   out of their houses and pelt them with stones, allowing the militants
   to flee.

   The fear of the pandemic is keeping people home. In addition, the world
   is pre-occupied with the coronavirus and international media's
   attention is diverted. Due to fears of COVID-19, many foreign
   journalists are either not traveling or traveling less than before.

   Neither an army spokesperson for theregion northe Kashmirpolice chief
   respondedto repeated requests for comment.

   However, in a joint presser, they said they will declare south Kashmir
   a militant free zone by the end of June before turning their focus on
   curbing militancy in north Kashmir.

   Speaking to VOA on a condition of anonymity, a top medical expert of
   the valley, who is at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, said
   conducting operations during the pandemic can cause a medical
   catastrophe as large numbers of people assemble at the encounter sites.

   "People assembling at the encounter sites after the operations could be
   one of the reasons that we saw a rise COVID-19 patient in south
   Kashmir."

   Many army and paramilitary personnel,including the local police in
   Kashmir,have tested positive for COVID-19, giving rise toconcernsthey
   could spread the disease.

   "Imagine if a trooper is positive for COVID-19 and he conducts a
   door-to-door search. What will happen?" the doctor questioned, adding
   that he can infecta large number ofthe population.

   Pervez Imroz, the chairman of JKCCS and himself aRaftoaward-winning
   human rights lawyer, believed India was using this as an opportunity to
   take unpopular actions or pass unpopular legislation without
   resistance.

   "The major concern for India is there should not be any public uprising
   and that is why they are hastily passing laws which are perceived to be
   changing the demography of Kashmir," Imroz said.

   One such law, unpopular among the majority Muslim population of
   Kashmir, is the domicile law passed in May. The new law allows Indian
   citizens living in the region for 15 years to apply for residency
   benefits including purchasing land.

   Previously those benefits were limited to people who were born in the
   erstwhile state. In the past one month after the passage of the law,
   25,000 people have been granted domicile certificates.

   Leaders of India's ruling Bhartiya Janata Party justify the step by
   saying it will benefit long term residents and willnotchange the
   demography.

   "Let people who live here for 15 years get the benefits, no other
   outsiders will get it," said Ashok Kaul, the general secretary for the
   BJP in Jammu and Kashmir.

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