It’s difficult for non-Kashmiris to talk about psychological problems caused by the occupation because we never want emotional sensitivities to brutal oppression to make Kashmiris appear like they’re sick in some way, although much of mental illness everywhere is caused by humiliation or oppression. But there are also physical health problems caused by the Indian occupation, health problems directly related to PTSD. A friend has sent me articles on the crises of infertility, miscarriage, hormonal disorders among young Kashmiri women attributed by medical research to PTSD.
War, occupation, genocide are not just antiwar, anti-colonial, & human rights issues. They are also feminist & child welfare issues. In building this new international Kashmiri solidarity movement, we should be talking to women’s groups, church social action groups, social justice groups of every kind to tell them what is going on & to ask them to join the boycott of India until it withdraws all it troops & releases all Kashmiri political prisoners. When India has done that, Kashmiris can make their claims for reparations for the irreparable harm India has done to millions of their men, women, & children.