Sons, daughters of detained protesters tweet support

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 16

The sons and daughters of several high-profile women, who were arrested at a protest yesterday and included renowned academicians, took to Twitter on Wednesday to express support for their mothers.

Those who expressed support included actor son of Hawa Bashir and academician daughter of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s sister Suraiya Mattoo.

“After the initial shock, some perspective...while my mother and aunts are in jail for a peaceful protest,” Aamir Bashir, son of Hawa Bashir, said.

Hawa Bashir, wife of former High Court Chief Justice Bashir Ahmad Khan, was detained yesterday near a park in central Srinagar when they were holding a protest against the recent crackdown and abrogation of Article 370. Among the nearly 12 high-profile women who were detained included Abdullah’s sister Suraiya and his daughter Safiya Khan.

Bashir said his mother and other women “took a stand and chose to speak out against this”. “While they’re old and need medicines for arthritis, asthma and cardiac ailments, they’re still better off than those mothers who have not seen their young ones since this lockdown began,” he said.

Another series of tweets was posted by Nyla Ali Khan, a US-based academician and daughter of Suraiya Mattoo. She said, “My mother and the rest of the women with her at Pratab Park have been taken to Central Jail, Srinagar. They have been put behind the bars for attempting to peacefully protest”.

Mansoor Anwar, whose 81-year-old mother-in-law Ruqaya Sayeed was among the detained women, said he was proud of her.