When an African-American named George Floyd was mercilessly killed by two police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, people protested not only in America but all over the world including Britain, France, Mexico and Brazil. People came out to streets, demanding justice only because one man died. But even after thousands of Kashmiris have been killed and tortured, the World Community is in silence, but why? Aren’t Kahmiris humans?
The Kashmir issue has been around for about 73 years now. It is a territorial conflict between two countries India and Pakistan. It is an issue which has caused 2 wars and several border disputes between the two countries.
India controls 55% of Kashmir which include the areas of Jammu, Kashmir valley and the Siachen Glacier. Pakistan controls 30% of Kashmir including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. The rest 15%, surprisingly is controlled by China which include Ladakh and Aksai Chin region.
After the partition of India and a rebellion in the western districts of the state, Pakistani tribal militias invaded Kashmir, leading the Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir to join India and starting the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 which ended with a UN-mediated ceasefire along a line that was eventually named the Line of Control.
After further fighting in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the indo-Pakistan war, the Shimla Agreement formally established the Line of Control between the two nations’ controlled territories.
Ever since, the once united countries have become bitter enemies. Both sides have constant border disputes and have killed many innocents living near the borders to this day.
Since Modi became the President of India, the Kashmiris have perished. He has tortured them and still no one spoke against him. In 4 August 2019 7 million Kashmiris have been in a curfew which has denied them of their basic rights. There has been no Internet, mobile phone service, many people have become jobless.
A meeting a more than 3 people has been banned and more soldiers have been brought in to patrol the streets. In 2016, the United Nations declared access to internet and mobile phone service a human right.
In the last 3 years India has violated this law more than a 100 times and the United Nations didn’t did anything but why? They sent a United Nations Military Observer Group in Kashmir to control India’s military activities but that is inactive and clearly has no use.
The United Nations also called for a referendum in Kashmir but for over a decade now that has not been done. Why is that so? Does Kashmir has no significance or it has some alien species living in it?
Why is the world community in silence? Every week the Kashmir issue is raised in the United Nations but they have not done anything, anything at all.
Even the Muslim community has not spoken for their Kashmiri brothers. Muslims are the most powerful nation in the word if united.
The Arab countries control the world’s oil supply making them the worlds most powerful as well as the moth wealthiest in the world. But they won’t unite at all. The only other country which has raised the Kashmir issue is Turkey. It has, many times asked the UN to give it freedom.
So in conclusion literally no one in the world is paying attention towards the oppressed Kashmiris not even Pakistan itself. In this Covid-19 lockdown the world experienced something which the Kashmiris have been facing from decades.
But the question remains, why no one pays importance to the Kashmiris? Are they to be perished forever? We must act because they are dying in vain. By Abuzar imran
