Besides Humans, Kashmir Conflict Is Engulfing Animals

(Warning: The following article contains images that may be disturbing to some readers.)

It was January 24, 2018. 48-year-old Ghulam Hassan Bhat went out early morning to tend his livestock including a flock of sheep and a cow placed in a shed, located opposite to his single-story house in Shopian district of South Kashmir.

Bhat바카라�s love for his livestock was uncomplicated and unequivocal. He was taking care of them every time, hoping he would sell all animals at a reasonable price one day.

On the evening of the same day, soldiers cordoned the village of Bhat. They had specific information that a 17-year-old militant Sameer Ahmad Wani had come to meet his family with an associate.

Wani바카라�s home was located a few meters away from Bhat바카라�s home. Before the gun battle broke out, the soldiers, according to eyewitnesses, opened fire on protesters who were helping the trapped militants to escape. One youth Shakir Ahmad Mir and Wani바카라�s sister Saima were killed. Bhat바카라�s daughter Sumaiya was seriously injured.

Amid the clashes, the militants had tried to escape, but they were stuck inside the cowshed of Bhat. In the brief gun battle, the forces killed the militants and destroyed the cowshed. All the animals placed inside were also burnt to death.

바카라�I had 35 sheep and a cow. The army fired shells repeatedly,바카라� said Hassan. 바카라�The livestock was the main asset of my property. I lost everything that day.바카라�

It바카라�s been over 10 months, but Bhat바카라�s family is still coping with the loss of their livestock.

바카라�Animals can바카라�t differentiate between right and wrong, war and peace. How could they die a tragic death?바카라� said Bhat, standing near his demolished cowshed.

Ever since the militant commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter in June 2018, the militancy in Kashmir has escalated.

In June 2017, the government had declared 바카라�Operation All Out바카라�- to wipe out the militants and subsequently, hundreds of militants were killed during systematic encounters.

According to the rights group Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), around 250 militants have been killed so far in 2018, mostly in militancy stronghold districts of Shopian and Pulwama in South Kashmir.

During the encounters, scores of houses along with cowsheds and other essential assets were destroyed.

In Bhat바카라�s neighbouring village, the lone family had met the same fate when the gunfight between militants and soldiers broke out during the intervening night of May 31 and April 1, 2018 leaving five militants and three civilians dead. Three houses and two cowsheds belonging to Abdul Rehman Lone, Ali Mohd Lone and Zahoor Ahmad Lone were razed, and the house of Mohammad Maqbool Lone was partially damaged.

Maqbool said they lost 40 sheep and three cows in the encounter. Next morning, when people gathered near the gunfight site, they took out the dead animals from the rubble. Their carcasses were emitting smoke.

Skelton of a cow under rubble inside a destroyed cowshed in Kachidora, Shopian (Pic credit: Aamir Ali Bhat)

바카라�I pleaded before the soldiers to let us take out cows and sheep from the shed, but they didn바카라�t listen,바카라� said Maqbool. 바카라�It was a devastating day for our family.바카라�

After an 18-hour gunfight on the evening of December 8, 2018 in Majgund on the outskirts of Srinagar, a picture of a seriously injured cow was circulated widely on social media. The blood was oozing out from her injured parts. The cow had received a bullet in the abdomen, her udder was injured, and a veterinarian had amputated her tail.

Mohammad Ashraf Mir, owner of the cow has lost his house and cowshed. 바카라�What was her fault?바카라� asked Ashraf, looking towards cow. 바카라�It gives me immense pain to see her in this condition.바카라�

In Kashmir, since the cowsheds remain close to the owner바카라�s house, livestock like cows, buffaloes, hen, sheep and goats die a tragic death during gun battles. 

바카라�No animal rights exist in Kashmir.  Our Valley is the most ignored region. Nobody takes the issue of animal rights violation in Kashmir seriously,바카라� said Dr Maroof Shah, development officer of sheep husbandry. 바카라�Animals should be evacuated during encounters. Even rights group should also take this thing very seriously.바카라�

There is no official figure available in Kashmir regarding the loss of livestock during gun battles.

However, the officials in Animal Husbandry claim that they send their doctors to inspect the situation if they receive a notice from higher officials.

바카라�We have sub-centres in every village. We have a responsibility towards livestock present in the local house,바카라� said Dr Hamidullah Dar, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer of Shopian district where most of the livestock died during recent gun battles.

In another 24 hour-long gun battle on December 19 last year, in Batmurran village of South Kashmir, five houses and three cowsheds were razed. Besides, two militants and one civilian, the gun battle left four cows dead.

바카라�The soldiers blew up my cowshed, burning the cow inside it to death. The carcasses were emitting smoke. The war in Kashmir is cruel. It doesn바카라�t spare anyone or anything,바카라� said Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat, owner of the cowshed. 바카라�One of the cows was pregnant. We loaded them on the tractor and dumped near the mountain.바카라�

Destroyed cowshed of Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat in Batmurran, Shopian (Pic credit: Saqib Mir)

To find the data on animals killed in Kashmir conflict, this reporter contacted People to Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), however, they don바카라�t have any data available. 바카라�Animals claim allegiance to no nation, and they don바카라�t choose sides. For animals, there are no Geneva Conventions and no peace treaties 바카라� just our mercy,바카라� says Dr Manilal Valliyate, CEO, PETA India.

Abdul Rasheed Lone of Gatipora village in South Kashmir had lost his horse on October 9, 2017. 바카라�I tried hard to save my horse. I took it to nearby animal husbandry center. However, the horse had lost more blood,바카라� said Rasheed.

Expressing his indignation, Dr Parvaiz, president of doctor바카라�s veterinary association, Kashmir said, 바카라�Yes, animal rights are being violated in Kashmir. The victims even don바카라�t get any compensation. Both stray and domestic animal lost their lives. It should be stopped.바카라�