SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): The Indian Bharatiya Janata Party regime has shifted over three dozen Kashmiri political prisoners from Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to various jails across India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, at least 46 political prisoners, including Islamic scholar and social activist Mehmood-ul-Hassan Shah, have been shifted from several detention facilities, including Srinagar Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal Jail, Jammu, jails in Rajouri and Poonch districts and other sub-jails.
The prisoners have reportedly been moved to prisons in the Indian states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
These transfers have caused significant hardship for the families of the detainees, many of whom now face financial and logistical challenges in visiting their near and dear ones.
Kashmiris being punished for their stance on Kashmir
The Indian BJP government has previously justified such transfers by citing overcrowding in local prisons. However, reports suggest the move is intended to target and punish Kashmiri prisoners for their stance on the Kashmir dispute.
Their families are experiencing severe distress, with many unable to afford the travel costs required to visit their relatives. Some have expressed feelings of isolation and neglect.
International media outlets such as Al Jazeera and the BBC have also highlighted these concerns.
Observers view this step as part of a broader effort by the Indian government to weaken the sentiments of Kashmiris regarding their demand for a plebiscite and the right to self-determination, as promised in United Nations resolutions concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
