Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is marred by decades of killings, arrests, disappearances and crackdowns at the hands of Indian occupation forces in a bid to crush the Kashmiri people’s persistent struggle for right to self-determination, guaranteed by the United Nations.
A comprehensive report released by the Kashmir Media Service, on Tuesday, removes the lid from the gravity of the deepening human rights crisis in the occupied territory. The figures speak volumes, with more than 96,290 Kashmiris, spanning across generations, having lost their lives since the eruption of the ongoing phase of resistance against India’s illegal occupation in 1989.
The report sheds light on the relentless Indian state terrorism that continues to plague the territory. Atrocities, torture, cordon and search operations, house raids, and harassment have become a harrowing norm, rendering the lives of Kashmiris in a perpetual state of tragedy and trauma.
The situation has worsened since August 5, 2019, when the Modi-led Hindutva Indian government violated international laws by dividing IIOJK into two union territories and imposing a military siege. This unprecedented siege has transformed IIOJK into the world’s largest open-air prison, with the Kashmiri population enduring stifling conditions and severe restrictions on their daily lives.
The report raises a poignant question: For how long must Kashmiris face humiliation, and when will the international community break its silence. The right to live, the report asserts, is applicable to Kashmiris as well, and it implores the world to come to their rescue.
It strongly condemns the RSS-backed Hindutva government, blaming it for making the lives of Kashmiris a living hell. Modi’s pursuit of a Hindutva agenda in IIOJK is claiming innocent lives in Kashmir where Muslims are targeted as victims of this ideology. The report concludes by calling on the global community to recognize Kashmir not as an internal matter for India but as a pressing global issue.
It urges international pressure on India to end its brutal occupation of Kashmir, emphasizing the violation of international laws in the occupied territory. The figures presented in the report underscore the urgent need for collective action to address the alarming human toll in the occupied territory.—KMS
