During the two-month clampdown by the Indian government, every single native of Jammu and Kashmir “who has a voice at all” has been put behind bars, lamented famed Indian novelist and social activist Arundhati Roy.
“Anybody who has a voice is in jail. Anybody who dares to speak up is being picked up, anybody on the street, you know, and of course, internationally,” said Roy, a Booker Prize-winning novelist.
In an interview, she asked why the fate of Kashmiris is being debated without a single voice from the region.
Mentioning leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, she asked “Why are they negotiating the fate of 7 million people who have been caged?”
She said Kashmiris want the right to self-determination “to be independent, to be in charge of their own destiny, the stewards of their own land and their culture.”
India blocked communication and imposed strict restrictions to thwart any rebellion, while political leaders in the region have been detained, as rights groups urge New Delhi to lift the restrictions and release detainees.
