Dr Muhammad Khan
IN yet another absurd statement, General MM Naravane, the Indian Army Chief blamed Pakistan for creating a new terror group in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The General claimed that, Pakistan has created a new terror group in Indian occupied Kashmir called “The Resistance Front.” General Naravane reinforced his statement by saying that, this ‘Terror Revival Front’ is being supported by proxies from across the border (Pakistan). Indeed, one has to curse the wisdom of General MM Naravane, who made such an insane statement. The fundamental question, the General should have been asked by Indian scholars and its media as how could Pakistan create this so-called terror group in an area which is occupied by over 900,000 Indian Army and paramilitary forces. Over and above, the occupied Jammu and Kashmir is under strict curfew and lockdown since August 5, 2019. There has been complete clampdown and communication blockade with no internet services available there ever since the illegal Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act-2019 was passed in August 2019. So much so the Indian media was not allowed to enter the occupied state since the imposition of clampdown.
With this heavy military deployment, making the occupied state as the world’s most militarized zone, where birds cannot fly independently, how Pakistan could create terror groups there. Indian author and journalist Rani Singh called Kashmir as “the world’s most militarized zone as well as the largest region occupied by security forces.” Throughout this clap-down and curfew, the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir had no knowledge about their next door neighbours and their closest relatives, since they had strict security measures outside their houses with closed streets. The Indian Army Chief was indeed trying to cover up its military failure by blaming Pakistan. During this prolonged curfew and lock-down only the Indian Army and paramilitary troops had the freedom to move to any house without warrant or permission. The occupied Indian Army men could rape women of any age group at gun point and arrest anyone they desire, since PSA and AFSPA provide them an absolute impunity. Since August 2019, thousands of Kashmir youth were arrested from their houses, many of whom were taken outside the state’s boundary in Indian prisons, while hundreds of them were killed for their pro-freedom sentiments. Thousands of Kashmiri youth are still under detention in the torture centres of Indian Army, waiting to be killed either during torture or else through fake encounters, a stage-managed strategy of Indian Army, in practice since many years.
Hats off to Pakistan, if it can really create such resistant groups in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, an area which is totally sealed. Apart from the lockdown and curfew in populated areas for the last nine months, the Line of Control is totally fenced with well-lit flood lights and heavily guarded by the regular units of Indian Army. After its fencing in 2008, there is no possibility of any infiltration into occupied Kashmir from Azad Kashmir side. The Foreign Office of Pakistan strongly rejected the allegations levelled by Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane and down played his threatening remarks, considering him as a ridiculous person. Coming over to the reality of ‘Kashmiri Resistance Front’ the fact is that, every Kashmiri in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir pose a ‘resistant front’ against Indian occupation. The Kashmiri resistant groups are not new; they started their movement against India in 1947, revived it from time to time and continue it as a regular struggle since 1990. The resistant groups in occupied state are its state subjects and resisting against demographic changes, being made by India after revocation of state’s special status and making changes in the domicile laws of the state.
Today, all Kashmiris in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir consider themselves as part of the Kashmir Resistant Front against Indian occupation and presence of its 900,000 military forces. They are determined not to allow India to make demographic changes in their state. They strongly believe that, Indian military presence in the occupied state is the real problem. ‘The Washington Post’ in its op-ed (March 4, 2020) has published a survey of the Kashmiri youth, carried out in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The survey report reveals that, 91% youth of Indian occupied Kashmir demands that all Indian security forces must leave their state immediately. The same number of the Kashmiri youth demand their right of self-determination through UN sponsored Plebiscite. Kashmiris need not any external dictations and sponsorship, thus accusing Pakistan is baseless and an unprofessional approach from the top military officer of Indian Army. Indeed, the statement of General MM Naravaneis revealing the failure of Indian Army in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir for which he stands directly responsible being the Army Chief. Besides, it is a desperate Indian attempts to divert the attention of international community from Indian state terrorism and horrific human rights violations in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, the statement is a ploy for further intensification of Indian military oppression against those Kashmiris who are demanding their right of self-determination and protesting against demographic changes in their state.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
