SRINAGAR: The graffiti artist and painter, Mudasir Gul, who was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police for his Palestine mural has been set free. He was received by his family and the locality.
Gul was one of the 21 persons who were arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for showing any kind of solidarity with the Palestine people. These included Sarjan Barkati and Mudasir.
Mudasir’s arrest had triggered widespread condemnation and helped Kashmir creep into the Palestine news worldwide.
People all over the world are protesting against the atrocities committed by Israel on Palestine. But in Kashmir its a punishable offence where an artist is booked under PSA & a preacher is arrested simply for expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 16, 2021
Reports said that when Mudasir came home, the family showered him with flowers and sweets. The locality came out and congratulated the family. There were at least three photographs on social media showing Mudasir being showered with candies by his mother and kissing a young baby after reaching home.
Mudasir is a gifted artist who is painting trucks for a living. He is sensitive and brilliant. It was simply because of this capacity that he was asked by his peers in the locality to draw something in solidarity with the suffering occupied territories. The 32-year-old artist was arrested and made to deface the graffiti that showed a woman sobbing with her head wrapped in the Palestinian flag. The graffiti that read “we are Palestine” was widely shared on social media.
Hours later, he was asked to rub it off – he painted it black, and was arrested. More than 24 hours later, he is back home. Along with him, many youngsters were rounded up.
Earlier in the day, police handed over 17 of the young men – whom they had arrested for violating Coron curfew – to their families.
