EDITORIAL: February 5, Kashmir Solidarity Day, was observed as usual all over Pakistan to reaffirm support for the Kashmir people’s just struggle against Indian occupation. In his message, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the world “to take notice of India’s grave human rights violations in IIOJ&K [illegally Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir] which include crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide acts as well as the threat of forced demographic change”. That it is not a rhetorical statement, is borne out by the “deep concern” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been expressing over the humanitarian crisis in IIOJ&K. In its reports, Office of UN Human Rights Commissioner has also been highlighting what it called a situation of chronic impunity for violations committed by Indian security forces, emphasising that “this is not a conflict frozen in time. It is conflict that has robbed millions of their basic human rights and continues to this day to inflict untold suffering”.
Yet in violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions that call for a referendum in IIOJ&K for the resolution of the issue in accordance with wishes of the Kashmiri people, the Narendra Modi government went on in August of 2019 to strip the disputed region of its special status, letting loose a reign of terror. Mass arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, custodial killings, rape and use of pellet guns on unarmed demonstrators blinding scores of young men have gone on with impunity. In a recent statement, President of Genocide Watch Gregory H. Stanton described the Indian government’s actions in the troubled territory, the world’s most militarised zone, as “an extreme case of persecution that could very well lead to genocide.” Meanwhile, deciding to change the demographic complexion of the region, India has changed an old law that disallowed non-natives to buy or own property in the Valley, issuing thousands of domicile certificates to Indians. But as consistent reports emanating from the IIOJ&K show relentless aggression by the Indian state has only strengthened the Kashmir people’s determination to throw off the yoke of occupation. Hardly a day goes by without reports of clashes between the freedom fighters and the occupation forces. For a while, some concerned people within India, cognizant of the prevailing sentiments in the disputed region, have been telling the Modi government it has lost Kashmir, advising it to talk to Kashmiri leaders as well Pakistan, the other party to the dispute as per UN Security Council resolutions.
As regards Indian refusal to accept UN’s role, a few days ago UN Secretary General said that the world body still regards Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, and the dispute needs to be resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions. “We have, as you know, a peacekeeping operation there. We are, of course committed”, he added. The humanitarian crisis in the disputed territory and the tensions it has created between Pakistan and India can lead to an open confrontation between them, with devastating consequences for this region and beyond. India’s Western friends can, and should, help resolve the issue. They may be distracted by their own economic and geo-political considerations but they need to realise that this dispute can easily destabilise this entire region.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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