Leading US paper urges India to end its 'repressive' crackdown in Kashmir

• An American newspaper calls on the Trump administration to press India to end its "harsh" crackdown in Kashmir.
• India has become a close ally of the US, but that is only more reason for Washington to press Indian Prime Minister to end the crackdown in Kashmir, Washington Post's Editorial Board emphasizes.

NEW YORK: An influential American newspaper Monday called on the Trump administration to press India to end its "harsh" crackdown in Kashmir imposed after it annexed the disputed state more than two months ago, saying its repression there was not compatible with democracy.

"India has become a close ally of the United States, but that is only more reason for Washington to press (Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) to end the crackdown in Kashmir, including by releasing all political detainees," The Washington Post's Editorial Board emphasized, joining several other US publications in denouncing Modi illegal move to end occupied Kashmir's special status.

"Sadly," the editorial said, "(President Donald) Trump has no understanding of such imperatives — which, no doubt, is one reason the supposedly temporary measures of Aug. 5 remain in place." These measures, it was pointed out, included the detention without charge of thousands of Kashmiri politicians and other leading public figures, and suspension of Internet and phone services.

Referring to Modi's claims that the "harsh, repressive measures" were only temporary, the editorial pointed out that these included the detention without charge of thousands of Kashmiri politicians and other leading public figures, and suspension of Internet and phone services.

"More than two months later, the crackdown continues," the Post said.

"Hundreds of politicians, academics and activists are still being held, including the state’s top elected leaders. Though some restrictions on movement have been lifted and the restoration of phone landlines is to be followed by the resumption of mobile services Monday, the Internet is still inaccessible.

"Meanwhile, there are persistent reports of indiscriminate detentions, beatings and torture by security forces, including of children as young as 13. The Post interviewed 19 people in 13 villages who said they had been abused in the days after August 5; they recounted 'beatings with rods, sticks and cables, electric shocks, and being hung upside down for long periods',” it added.

Noting India's denial of the abuse allegations, the editorial pointed out that it has refused to allow foreign journalists and other independent observers to travel to the region. In this regard, the newspaper cited New Delhi's refusal to allow access to U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat.

"India prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy, but these are not the actions of a democratic regime," the Post said. "Many of those detained are being held without due process. India’s courts, including the Supreme Court, have stalled on considering habeas corpus appeals and challenges to the emergency measures. Any court decision about whether the conversion of Jammu and Kashmir from a state to two federal territories was constitutional has been postponed until after the change is due to take effect, on Oct. 31."

Deploring Indian officials refusal to give straight answers about when the repression will end, the editorial cited Ajit Doval, the government’s head of national security, as saying recently said that it would depend on “how Pakistan behaves.”

"In other words," the paper said, "the freedoms of millions of Indian citizens are linked to the actions of a foreign government."

On his part, the Post said that Pakistan's elected civilian government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been appealing to the United Nations to intervene and help resolve the decades-old Kashmir dispute. The Pakistani prime minister, it added, also asked President Trump to intervene, and Trump expressed interest in mediating. "But", it said,  "that was before Mr. Trump traveled to Houston last month for what amounted to a joint political rally with Mr. Modi."