Reax in India-administered Kashmir to UNGA

(27 Sep 2019) Residents of Indian-administered Kashmir hope speeches by Indian and Pakistani leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday will turn world attention to an unprecedented lockdown in the disputed Himalayan region. Simmering tensions in Kashmir are threatening to erupt into open conflict between India and Pakistan after New Delhi imposed heavy restrictions in the area it controls and stripped it of its statehood and semi-autonomy on Aug. 5. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned in recent days that war is possible over India's crackdown. Residents of the region will be watching Khan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see if they use the UN stage to ratchet up or down the temperature. Khan has already promised to use his speech to describe what he says is years of Indian oppression and human rights violations in the region. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan. Both nuclear-armed rivals claim it in its entirety, and have fought two wars over its control. In August, Modi's Hindu nationalist-led government sent in thousands of additional troops, imposed a sweeping curfew, arrested thousands, and cut virtually all communications in the Muslim-majority region. Authorities have since eased some restrictions and encouraged students to return to school and businesses to reopen, but Kashmiris have largely stayed indoors to show their defiance of Indian rule. India's government says the abrogation of the region's semi-autonomy under the national constitution was necessary for development and eradication of "terrorism" in the region. It has arrested anti-India as well as pro-India activists, including some top Kashmiri leaders who have historically accepted Indian rule over the region. Some residents hoped the UN speeches would help ease the harsh restrictions on their lives. "Whether it be Kashmiris in India or in Pakistan, this entire population has suffered a lot in the last 70 years," said Mansoor Badyari, a Srinagar shopkeeper. He added that Kashmiris want "a solution to our problem once and for all." Others were sceptical of any positive outcome, citing past experiences with such speeches at the United Nations. "We've been hearing about these speeches since 1947. Nothing has come out of them," said Riyaz Ahmad, a local resident. On Friday, a group of activists and students protested in New Delhi to demand that the lockdown in Kashmir end. The group also urged the withdrawal of Indian troops from civilian areas in Kashmir. "The government is saying that everything is normal there, but what we have seen there is nothing, nothing normal," said Annie Raja, an activist who was part of a fact-finding team that visited several villages and towns in Kashmir earlier this month.   Despite the arrests of many political and social leaders, Kashmiris have launched a campaign of refusal to resume their normal lives, confounding India at the cost of economic losses for themselves. Shops have adopted new, limited hours of operation in the early morning and evening. On Thursday, dozens of Kashmiris protested in Srinagar against Indian rule, chanting "Go India, go back" and "We want freedom." The conflict over Kashmir began in late 1940s, when India and Pakistan won independence from the British empire and began fighting over their rival claims. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...