By Asian Marxist Review (AMR)
The Progressive Students Federation (PrSF) has condemned the ongoing state crackdown on the mass movement in Jammu Kashmir, expressing solidarity with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and the thousands of people participating in the movement for democratic and economic rights.
In a statement, the student organisation described the recent violence against peaceful demonstrators as a new wave of state repression. Referring to reports of protesters being killed and hundreds injured during security operations, PrSF condemned what it characterised as the use of force to suppress a popular movement and called for those responsible for the violence to be held accountable.
The organisation argued that the JAAC-led movement reflects long-standing political, social, and economic grievances in Jammu Kashmir. It noted that the committee has previously organised mass protests against cuts to wheat subsidies, rising electricity prices, and other policies affecting working people, and said the current mobilisation is rooted in demands for basic democratic and economic rights.
PrSF also criticised the Pakistani state’s approach towards Jammu Kashmir, arguing that successive governments have invoked the Kashmir issue for political purposes while failing to address the everyday needs of the region’s population. According to the organisation, the current crisis reflects broader patterns of economic exploitation, unequal development, and political marginalisation that also affect other oppressed nationalities, including those in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Sindh.
The student organisation called for the protection of democratic freedoms, including the right to peaceful protest and political representation. It also opposed internet shutdowns and other restrictions on communication, arguing that such measures undermine democratic rights and obstruct public scrutiny of events on the ground.
Reaffirming its solidarity with the people of Jammu Kashmir, PrSF urged the authorities to end the use of force against peaceful protesters and to address the movement’s political, social, and economic demands through democratic means. The organisation stressed that the grievances of the Kashmiri people should be heard rather than met with repression.
The statement adds to a growing number of expressions of solidarity from student organisations, trade unions, and progressive movements across South Asia condemning the reported use of force against protesters in Jammu Kashmir and calling for the protection of democratic rights.
