Kashmir Valley — under world scrutiny
THE “Human Rights Watch Report 2022” has uncovered Modi government’s real motives to the world by highlighting the Indian atrocities in Kashmir.
Report disclosed the oppressive laws to silence critics by curbing the freedom of expression of minorities, especially Muslims.
Report revealed the brutal force used by Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris during so-called search operations.
Many Kashmiri civilians had died during the inhuman torture and many deaths happened during forceful custody.
Even, the Indian courts stay silent and failed to give justice to innocent Kashmiri people. On 05 Aug 2019, Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) abrogated Article 370 and revoked Article 35-A over Kashmir.
The changes were welcomed by Indians who saw Kashmir as an integral part of India but the Kashmiris rejected it as a threat to change the demographics of the valley from Muslim-majority to non-Kashmiri and non-Muslim.
After the abrogation of article 370, Kashmir became a prison cage for Muslims.
But this horrible step by Modi government gave new vigour and direction to freedom movement of Kashmiri people.
Even, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern on the “rise in human rights abuses” in India.
He said, “We are monitoring some recent developments in India, including a rise in human rights abuses by government, police and prison officials.
” The report also disclosed upon a wide range of issues from freedom of expression to terrorists targeting the police and military and also the status of Kashmiri Pandits.
India is destroying and violating basic human rights in Kashmir for long and world often stay silent on Indian atrocities in Kashmir.
Indian army doesn’t regard international humanitarian laws and violates human rights with absolute impunity. By doing all this vicious activities, India has become a threat to regional peace.
According to reports, 2021 and 2022 saw bloodshed of Kashmir’s and silencing of Kashmir’s civil society, arrest of human rights defenders, journalists and members of the civil society.
Besides human right Watch, Amnesty International had also highlighted massive human rights violations in Kashmir.
India has been always on the radar of international organizations due to its Human Right violations and atrocities in India, especially in Kashmir.
When Modi-led BJP government came to power, it gave full freedom to Indian forces and other right wing groups to go lethal against minorities, especially Muslims of India.
Modi government has made life of Muslims miserable in India. The world powerful countries, the so-called champions of human rights always turned a blind eye to India’s atrocious human rights violations.
Every country wants to keep its own interest with India because of its larger market size and don’t want to indulge in Kashmir matter.
Pakistan always at every forum, on every possible way, raised voice for the innocent Kashmiri’s and other Muslims of India.
Pakistan will never allow world to forget the issue of Kashmir and will always keep exposing Indian atrocities to the world.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that “no military solution to the Kashmir issue was possible and that any confrontation between Pakistan and India would have dire consequences for the region and the world”.
World Powers and UN must compel India to resolve of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through the implementation of the UNSC resolutions and give the right of freedom to innocent Kashmiris who are struggling for freedom for long.
India should allow open investigation of the Human Right reports. Day by day pressure is building on India and with force and oppression; India cannot hold Kashmir for long.
India cannot keep world, Pakistan, media and people of Kashmir silent on this issue. World knows, sooner or later, people of Kashmir will get their right of self-determination.
—The writer is a freelance journalist and a researcher based in Islamabad.
