Salahuddin Haider
Since August 5, 2019, India has ignored local and international pressures, kept brutalizing and ill-treating its own minorities, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and neighbours including Bangla Desh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim.
Its track record face stands blackened with crime against human rights.
Not only that it ignored all international appeals for returning to its secular position, propounded by Gandhi, who its people revere like ‘bapu’ (fatherly figure).
The Mahatma’s ‘Ahinsa’ has been set aside under a well thought—out plan, which is replaced by murders, harassment against women, children, sex gender, with least consideration to values or morality.
Its face is completely blackened, and India is now a worst State with morality and discrimination at lowest ebb.
Voices against its policies in Kashmir, annexed now as part of the Union, raised by international human rights organisations, European Union, US State Department,were conveniently overlooked as if India alone counts on the map of the world.
From denting repute of secularist country to democratic, from largest democracy to largest extremist country, from humane perspectives of Gandhi to brutalities against minorities, India has paid a very heavy price.
Samjhota Express (2007), Gujarat (2002) and Delhi riots (2019), CAA / NRC (2019), Annexation of J&K (2019), state authoritarian tactics against Nagaland Christians, and ongoing Farmers protest testify India’s poor record of human right violations.
• India remains a hegemonic regional state with policies to interfere in neighbouring countries through coercion, blockades, or proxy wars eg East Pakistan (1971), Sri Lanka (1980s/90s), Maldives (1988), Pakistan (2000s till to date), Nepal (2015 & 2020), Bhutan (2017).
• Banning Amnesty International and many other international and domestic organizations for reporting on HRVs in IIOJK define today’s brutal India.
Defying all UN resolutions, India has virtually converted IIOJK to the largest open air prison in the world (with thousands of people gone missing, killed on mere suspicion, sexual misconducts, financial squeezing of locals and a state organized programme to change demography of the region).
• Pakistan’s recently issued Dossier on Indian Terrorism, Kulbushan Yadav, reports by UNSC, HRW, US Treasury provide connection to dots expose Indian linkages (financing and sponsoring) with regional and extra-regional terror organistaions and wide ranging HRVs.
India under Modi is also using virtual cyber space to malign and target neighbouring and regional states e.g. facts unearthed by EU Disinfo Lab report, maligning Arab states on criticizing disrespectful social media campaign by Hindu against Islam, targeting US administration / celebrities for highlighting Farmers Protest etc.
It continue to be a spoiler in Afghan Peace Process and triggers regional instability by irresponsible acts and policies e.g False flag in Pulwama, Balakot incident, incursions in Laddakh during stand-off with China, proxy war by supporting and financing sub-nationals and terrorists (MQM-L, BLA, BRA, SAATH Forum, World Sindhi Congress and Voice of Karachi etc).
India also disturbs international norms by using water as a weapon and conspires to damage.
Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir union territory are an ongoing issue in northern parts of India.
The abuses range from mass killings, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual abuse to political repression and suppression of freedom of speech.
The Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Personnel (BSF) and various separatist militant groups [1][2] have been accused and held accountable for committing severe human rights abuses against Kashmiri civilians.
Some rights groups say more than 100,000 people have died since 1989 while the official figures from Indian sources state the estimates of number of civilians killed due to the insurgency as above 50,000.
According to scholar Seema Kazi, the crimes by militants are incomparable to the larger scale abuse by Indian state forces.
India accuses the Pakistan Army and its state sponsored terrorist outfits for abusing human rights in Jammu and Kashmir by violating the ceasefire and continuing to kill Kashmiri civilians, a claim rejected by Pakistan which holds Indian Indian army wholly responsible for the violation of Line of Control.
Diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks revealed that the Red Cross had briefed US officials in Delhi in 2005 about the use of torture from 2002–2004 by security forces against hundreds of detainees suspected of being connected to or having information about militants.
Voices against Indian attitude, its brutalities, and discrimination in Kashmir and within the mainland, were feeble in the beginning but seems to picking up a tempo which indeed is heartening for those holding aloft the banner of mannerism, respect for human rights, and working for regional peace, and around the globe.
