SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): Indian forces, in their unabated acts of state terrorism and gross human rights violations, martyred 936 children over the last 37 years in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a report released on World Children’s Day by the Kashmir Media Service, children remain the most vulnerable victims of India’s illegal occupation and military oppression in the territory.
The report highlighted that these 936 children are among the 96,480 people martyred by Indian Army, paramilitary forces, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, naval personnel, Special Operation Group, and police personnel from January 1, 1989 to date.
The report revealed that the killing of civilians by Indian forces has left 108,007 children orphaned in occupied Kashmir.
It also documented severe injuries inflicted on thousands of children — including schoolboys and girls — by bullets, pellets, PAVA shells, and teargas fired by Indian forces at funeral processions and peaceful protesters.
Among the victims are children permanently blinded or partially deprived of their eyesight, such as 19-month-old Hiba Jan, 4-year-old Zuhra Majeed, 8-year-old Asif Rashid, 8-year-old Owais Ahmad, 10-year-old Asif Ahmad Sheikh, and 13-year-old Mir Arafat.
The report said that a large number of schoolchildren and other boys are among thousands of Kashmiris arrested since the military and police siege following India’s scrapping of the special status of the occupied territory in August 2019.
Children in IIOJK traumatized for life
The report added that children in IIOJK are traumatized for life after witnessing their loved ones being tortured, humiliated, and arrested before their eyes — leaving severe impact on their physical and psychological health.
The report stressed that the global community must not forget the plight of IIOJK’s children, and that the Indian regime and its Hindutva-driven military and police establishment must be pressured to uphold international obligations for the protection of children’s rights in the territory.
It maintained that conscientious people must raise their voices for the rights of Kashmiri children, emphasizing that on World Children’s Day the world must not ignore their suffering.
The psychological trauma inflicted on Kashmiri children is immense. Many have witnessed the brutal killing of loved ones, leaving deep and lasting scars on their mental and physical health.
The detention of over three dozen mothers — including prominent figures such as Aasiya Andrabi, Nahida Nasreen, and Fehmeeda Sofi — has left their children in prolonged anguish and distress as they await their release.
On March 30, 2025, Indian forces personnel conducting cordon-and-search operations arrested two young girls — aged 15 and 17 — and a woman from the house of the detained Mohammad Latif, son of Mir Mohammad, in Jakhole area of Kathua district on fabricated charges.
On November 18, 2025, Indian forces arrested Shahzada Akhtar and her husband, Dr Umer Farooq Bhat, during a house raid in Sheeren Bagh, Srinagar, under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, leaving their children in distress.
The report urged the United Nations and the global community to recognize and address the plight of Kashmiri children. It called for immediate pressure on India and its Hindutva-driven military establishment to fulfill international obligations for the protection of children’s rights in IIOJK.
Marking World Children’s Day, the report emphasized the need for conscientious voices worldwide to stand up for the rights of Kashmiri children and demand an end to their suffering under Indian occupation.
