Miseries of Kashmiris highlighted in ‘Ay Duniya Kay Munsifo’

Stage play highlights Indian atrocities in Kashmir, the silence of the global community

ISLAMABAD: With the siege in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir lasting over 170 days, a play was staged in the federal capital on Saturday which attempted to shine a light on the hardships that the residents of the disputed valley have had to face.

Written and directed by Tahir Siddiqui, the play was staged at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Saturday in collaboration with the Islamabad Art Production group.

Titled ‘Ay Duniya Kay Munsifo’, it is based on the current situation in the disputed Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir where the Indian government, led by the right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is working on a plan to convert the native Muslim population into a minority by killing and dislocating them in a such a way that they will be unable to claim majority.

The play sought to expose the brutality of Indian forces meted out to the indigenous residents apart from expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people and their struggle for their right of self- determination.

Several theatre and television artists participated in the drama including Batin Farooq, Anjum Habibi, Rubina Naz, Diya Rehman, Shabbir Mirza, Aslam Mughal, Rizwana Khan.

Siddiqui attempted to recreate the suffering, miseries and hardships being endured by the Kashmiri people through emotional dialogues.

Several scenes demonstrated the brutality Kashmiri women had to face and a representation of hate some Indians have for the people of Kashmir.

The play also posed a question to the global community regarding their silence on the brutalities in Kashmir.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2020.