Jammu And Kashmir: Srinagar Pro-India Mayor Under House Arrest

The Mayor of the capital of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region has been placed under house arrest following remarks critical of the ongoing brutal clampdown on Kashmir and the detention of its political leaders, said media reports. Junaid Azim Mattu, the Pro-India mayor of Jammu and Kashmir’s capital Srinagar, was in Delhi, India for medical treatment when he was put under house arrest. In a recent interview with local broadcaster NDTV, Mattu had said while there may not be any bodies littering its streets, assuming that the region has returned to normal would be “highly unrealistic. According to NDTV, Mattu, who is also the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) party’s spokesperson, was particularly scathing in his condemnation of the decision to place mainstream politicians in Kashmir under arrest as a “precautionary” measure.

Over the years, political activists in Kashmir have braved threats and violence by terrorist elements to survive in the mainstream. But today, they are hunted and hounded.Mattu criticized the revocation of Kashmir’s special status by New Delhi, saying a lot of families are not able to communicate with their loved ones due to the move.After revoking the special status on Aug. 5, the government restricted Mattu’s movements.While the communication blackout has created a situation where specifics are speculative, it is safe to assume the ground situation can’t possibly be anywhere near normal. The media and administrative narrative seem content in defining ‘normalcy’ in a purely operational context.