On August 12, 2019, a bunch of students from the Valley organised an event at Jantar Mantar to observe Eid. “Eid Away From Home” was attended by both Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris alike. People had come together to express solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sharika Ameen, one of the organisers and a Kashmiri, said, “We have gathered at Jantar Mantar not to celebrate Eid, but to observe Eid because as individuals of Jammu and Kashmir we have been deprived of the basic communication that one must have on Eid. Hence, there can be no Eid in Jammu and Kashmir. We are here to express solidarity with our people back home and with people who have not been able to communicate with their family. So it is a silent mark of protest against the ongoing communication clampdown that continues to put Kashmir under curfew for almost a week now. But, we do want to celebrate the resilience of people of Kashmir, their hope, their strength and move forward with the spirit of Eid. But in reality, there can be no Eid in Kashmir.”

Among those in attendance was Arundhati Roy, who also stood in solidarity. Eyes brimmed with tears as people shared their memories of past Eid celebrations. There was one common thread: the pain of not having spoken to parents and family members.

Faiq Faizan, a Jamia Millia Islamia alumnus and a Kashmir resident, said, “There is always a person in every family who sends WhatsApp forwards to everyone on every Eid. Every family has that person. Today, I’m actually missing those WhatsApp forwards from them. Today, I’m realising the value of messages you receive from your loved ones.”

Rayees, a UPSC aspirant from the Valley, took several pauses as he spoke. He said, “Today is Eid and we were supposed to be with our families. Eid means happiness to us and we need our families to celebrate that happiness. Today, we can’t even talk to them. I don’t think people in Kashmir can celebrate Eid properly. I don’t think people could read namaz peacefully.”

He added: “Ye wahi Hindustan hai jaha ka nara tha ‘Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai hai bhai-bhai’. Agar ek ko bhi alag kia to kya wo Hindustan rahega (This is the same country which had ‘Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are brothers’ are brothers. Will it remain the same country if one of these communities get alienated)?” 

Those in attendance expressed their love and support for the people of Kashmir by bringing food and beverages along with them. People had brought delicacies like Rogan josh, Kebabs, Biryani and Firni.

Shek Mantisha, a Kashmiri studying in Delhi, told Newslaundry, “People have gathered here in large numbers and this gives a sense of security. Now we know that there are people who are with us and we are not alone. Not just Kashmiris but from other parts of India, different religions, have come to this event. This gives me a (sense) of belief that there are people who stand by the truth and human rights. I definitely needed this sense of security because in a situation like this when you can’t even speak to your parents, you definitely need support to voice our opinion. Hum khauf ke sath zyada nahi jee sakte (we cannot live with fear for long).”

Speaking about how different earlier Eid celebrations were, Mantisha said, “This Eid is a black one for me and I don’t even feel like it is Eid today. I can’t express joy (or share it) with my family and friends. So how can this Eid feel like the other Eids? The leaders have taken away my happiness and have also taken away the happiness that this festival used to give me. “Ek vishwasghat jaisa situation ho chuka hai Kashmirio ke sath, fraud hua hai dhoka hua hai aur hum khush nahi hai is Eid pe (This is like a breach of trust for Kashmiris, we are not happy on this day of Eid),” she said.

While speaking to Newslaundry, Prakash Upadhyay, a retired UGC professor,  expressed his anger. “We can’t judge a decision on the basis of the support the government gets, even if the government calls for a nuclear war there will be people who will support it, but it doesn’t mean that it is right. Even Hitler has ruled for so many years because the Germans supported him.The rational people throughout the world are very few and only in a small section.” 

He added, “People have come here to show their solidarity with the people of Kashmir, and we are here only for solidarity. From 1931-47, the type of political unity between the freedom struggle both of Kashmir and India were so strong that Kashmir as a whole came to India. It came with the support of the people and that support was slowly lost because of the various policies of all the governments but this government has become fascist and there is going to be total alienation. The cost of the war is going to be massive. This policy is totally imperialistic, you can’t put a gun at somebody’s head and ask him to say that you are a part of India.”

While people expressed their unhappiness with the scrapping of Article 370, they had come together at Jantar Mantar to show their love for the people of Kashmir.