Sikandar Noorani
WHILE Modi regime is busy crushing the freedom spirit in the IoK with brutal use of military force and fake encounters, sensitivity about plight of Kashmiris has increased mani-folds in multiple Muslim organizations operating at international canvas. Unlike the past, the Muslim world, under highly charged environment, has started bracketing Indian state sponsored atrocities in occupied Kashmir with Israeli inhuman violence in Gaza. This tendency emerged after unilateral unlawful revocation of special constitutional quasi-autonomous status of Kashmir on 5 August last year. Mask of secularism and Gandhian non-violence principles have been thoroughly snatched from the real abhorrent face of Indian state due to rise of ultra-extremist fascist cult of RSS in power corridors of New Delhi. Mischievous diplomacy and false allegations of x-border terrorism on Pakistan have been, for a long time, the most favourite escape routes of Indian state machinery to deal with the concerns raised by the international human rights watchdogs. However, in the post 5 August scenario, exposure of Indian extremism is too wide to shroud with usual past tricks. After a long pause, Pakistan also started chasing India at all international forums in a serious manner. Traditionally, the UK has remained a hub of moral support for Kashmir freedom movement due to large number of Kashmiri and Pakistani settlers over there.
Many of the well-wishers of freedom movement rightly believe that UK, being part of division process of the subcontinent, bears a special moral obligation towards peaceful solution of Kashmir dispute. Unfinished business of partition and unfair accession of Kashmir with India, in a way, is a historic liability on the shoulders of UK. As Kashmir is an internationally acknowledged dispute awaiting solution on the pending list of UNSC, British government and major political parties of UK, as a policy, have never denied this status. Surprisingly, new head of UK labor party Keir Starmer, in absolute denial of historic perspective, graded Kashmir a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. Unaware of ground reality, Starmer accepted Indian constitutional authority to usurp Kashmir and expressed concern over imaginary ‘Hinduphobia’. This careless statement by Labour Party’s new leader has deeply hurt the sentiments of Pakistani and Kashmiri community. Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) leadership condemned this mysterious policy flip during an online APC. Raja Faheem Kayani, UK President TeK, on behalf of 1.5 million Pak and Kashmiri voters, expressed concerns over Starmer’s unjustified concern about non-existent ‘Hinduphobia’ and expected an immediate rectification of policy on Kashmir from Labour Party.
This policy turn around was the outcome of active lobbying by Hindutva ideologue Indian group as pointed out by PM AJK. He said “The recent statement of Labour party leader Keir Satrmer after meeting Indian lobby is a reflection of odious hypocrisy because it leaves out historical facts, UN Security Council resolutions, international laws and ethicality”. PM AJK showed mirror to Starmer by reminding that unresolved Kashmir issue was the legacy of British rule in sub-continent and thus UK, as a state, is under a moral obligation to get it settled in accordance with the aspirations and wishes of the inhabitants of the disputed territory for a durable peace in the region. Irresponsible and biased statement of Starmer stirred wave of dissatisfaction and anger across the globe. MAPIM, an alliance comprising 20 ASEAN NGOs, has expressed valid concerns on Keir Starmer’s meaningful tilt in favour of an oppressive regime and put forward some highly logical demands to end the human rights violations in IoK. Call from MAPIM in support of oppressed Kashmiri brethren reflects much awaited global exposure of Indian state which kept befooling the world by putting on the fancy mask of secularism on horrible extremist face. Echoing of word ‘Kashmir’ at global forums is multiplying the embarrassing desperation of extremist Hindutva cult controlling the wheel in New Delhi. MAPIM, through an open letter, unhesitatingly criticized brutal extra-judicial custodial killing of innocent Kashmiris.
The Alliance has urged UN Secretary General and President UNSC to hinder Indian unlawful attempts to alter the demography of Kashmir. Demands of MAPIM about IOJ&K include release of prisoners, lifting of lockdown, opening of internet, health care arrangements under WHO amid Covid-19 spread, provision of independent access to international human rights bodies and implementation of UNSC resolutions through conduct of plebiscite . Loud and clear response on Kashmir from a major alliance of ASEAN NGOs like MAPIM and strong criticism on Labour Party’s policy flip influenced by Hindutva lobby are enough to ring alarm in New Delhi. Thick layer of mischievous diplomacy has started melting as evident from strong retaliatory social media response in Arab states against rising Islamophobia in India. Prior to speaking for Kashmir, MAPIM is best known for unflinchingly raising voice in support of oppressed Palestinians, Syrian refugees and displaced homeless Rohingya community. MAPIM’s condemnation of atrocities in Kashmir has rightly placed India in the queue of globally acknowledged states deeply involved in oppression, genocide, religious discrimination and human rights violations. This negative global exposure will keep haunting India at international forums until the end of Hindutva extremism.
—The writer is a free lancer who often contributes in national newspapers.
