Solitary boat on lake

Once a tranquil land of lakes and mountains, Kashmir is now caught up in a violent struggle for independence.

Horse-drawn carriage

Girl skipping in street

Most of Kashmir’s seven million people are Muslim, and since 1947 India has claimed this state as her own.

Children playing,

Armed soldiers in the streets

In the last three years, 3000 people have died as the independence struggle has degenerated into violent social unrest. And now the Indian army is here in force. 300,000 soldiers keep Kashmiris under strict military control. Any resistance is harshly dealt with.

Independence graffitti

But still the Kashmiri youth continue to resist.

Mosque, gun shots at night

Young nationalists attack an Indian military check point and retreat into the night.

Daylight, car with smashed windows, broken glass on bed

The following morning the Indian army’s response to the attack: a dawn raid followed by mass arrests of young men and the persecution of local people.

(Interview with woman – subtitled)

The army men came and smashed the window panes and kicked down the door, abusing verbally, they also hit us.

Street scenes

Here in the town of Hanwara a soldier was shot dead. The army’s response: three hundred shops and residences burnt to the ground. Such actions are now almost normal, but more recent incidents have raised widespread concern about the Indian army’s continuing role in Kashmir.

Village of Koonan Pushpora, village gathering

Woman 1

Woman 2

The army agreed that they did enter the village of Koonan Pushpora on the night of 23^rd February. They said they questioned people and found some arms. But these people have given human right’s investigators a more harrowing account of what happened here. They say the men of the village were taken from their homes and tortured, and at least 53 women left alone with their children were gang-raped.

Woman 1: At 11 in the night some men came and took my husband and me. I was alone. They took him and I was taken (raped) by six men until 6 in the morning.

Woman 2: It was all havoc. They captured us and raped us in our house. Who will we tell this to? This is the oppressors’ tyranny.

Groups of women

Woman 3

Woman 3

53 women gave statements to human rights investigators, the youngest was thirteen, the oldest eighty.

This woman was pregnant at the time of the incident. She says that three days after she was raped and beaten, her child was born with a broken arm.

Woman 3: They came in at around 11 in the night. I ran to the second floor. They followed me. I had my mother and sister along but they fled. I was caught by four men of the army and they tore my clothes, then I don’t know what happened.

Outside of building

Man inside building demonstrating how they were tortured

Scars on man’s back

In this building the men of the village say they were interrogated and tortured.

Man 1 Two men were pushing me from behind and my neck was down here.

These scars are allegedly caused by electric wires.

Village huts

Girl washing with pot in river.

What happened that night has left many families in ruin, husbands have left their wives, young unmarried girls have seen their prospects of marriage vanish as word of the incident spreads throughout the area.

Woman 4 with children

Woman 4: I have two big girls. They can’t be married now. No one will take them as brides from now onwards.

Woman 5

Woman 5: What can I do now? There were small, very small girls who have been abused and their lives have been ruined. They have ruined their lives and it cannot be undone, we will do the same to them, we will bite and eat them now.

Village scene

Group of men

While the women come to terms with their terrible ordeal, their menfolk remain traumatised by the experience.

Man 2

Man 2: We never thought that these infidels would come and abuse us. We are Muslims and we consider other women to be our mothers and sisters.

Kapwara

Mr Yessin in office

Woman 6 complaining

The nearby town of Kapwara. Two weeks after the incident, the magistrate, an Indian official, wrote a report in which he said the soldiers behaved like beasts. Mr Yessin is used to dealing with complaints about the army, here, another complaint about army harassment and arrest.

Woman 6: We are from Ziati, we are not against having a TV, we are in favour of it only if it is in an Islamic way.

Man 3: So why don’t you buy your children a TV for the home?

Woman 6: Our children are doing their studies so, if we bought them a TV, they would be distracted from Quranic education and schooling.

Mr Yessin

Mr Yessin: I had to submit a report to the authorities to conduct an equation and to take action. It will be good in the larger interests of the country if they stop the killing …(?)

Abdul Ghani walking out of house

Abdul Ghani is a former member of the Kashmiri state legislative, now disbanded. He believes India has lost Kashmir.

Abdul Ghani: By their .. deeds they are alienating the people of Kashmir day by day. They’re actually alienating the hearts of the people. You will find in one word they are losing the souls of the Indian – I mean Kashmiri people. Day by day. And by this act actually Kashmir has been shaken, the people of Kashmir.

Young boy with basket in street, c/u on individuals, group scenes

Music

In a society such as this, rape is not normally talked about. Yet in Koonan Pushpora there is bitterness and sadness. Lives have changed, relationships shattered.

Woman 3

Woman 3: I have no trust upon him, whether he will ask or not, I don’t expect. I will raise this child now to fight and avenge the Indian State.

Army trucks going down road

Men of the village in group.

A massive military presence still binds Kashmir to India. But the strain is beginning to show. As tales of atrocities abound, Kashmiri nationalism grows. There are no friends of India in Koonan Pushpora.