Revealing barbarism in IIOJK
WITH Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) concluding its second year, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi decided to highlight the unresolved Kashmir debacle on an international front.
He beseeched the UNSC to stay true to its commitments; accordingly, Indian actions are “null and void” as they stand in absolute contrast to the 4th Geneva convention and Humanitarian law.
On Sunday, he put forward a 121-pager report addressing war crimes, chagrin of the Kashmiris and violation of international laws.
The historic occupation of Kashmir took place on August 2019 after Modi unilaterally revoked the Article 370 and Article 35A unconstitutionally, in violation to UN resolution, with ulterior motives of altering demography.
Accordingly, it abolished the rights of Kashmiri citizens pertaining to autonomous law-making, property-ownership and job security.
Under the guise of Covid-19 lockdown, it imposed a draconian curfew over out-and-out communication, public movement, closure of workplaces, suspension of mobile and internet usage which remains in effect.
To elucidate, violation of civil liberties in IIOJK has been constant since decades. It continues to be a pre-eminent affair as ever-increasing accounts of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary incarcerations, missing persons, rebuttal of health care and women injustices keep up.
The fascist ideology of BJP has turned a blind eye to the plight of Kashmiri Muslims, in particular the women.
Within this chronicle, stories of trauma and injustices pertaining to women have been on-the-backburner.
The conflict of Kashmir is also gendered in nature. As Susan Mackay famously asserted, women are politicized as tools of war.
We are the dupes of honour culture where men find honour and shame in women’s’ bodies; hence, in Kashmir, rape has been traditionally discerned as a constructive modus-operandi to enervate morale of the adversary and provoke discourage locals in attaining self-determination.
The rising chauvinistic attitude has coalesced with conventional patriarchal mindset into illicitly materializing this crime of humanity. Consequently, rape cases have skyrocketed since the infamous act.
Unwarranted immunity under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)permits Indian soldiers to detain anyone without authorization, shoot suspects on sight and annex private property to sustain ‘law-and-order’.
It is incumbent to rejuvenate plight of our Kashmiri counterparts who have mercilessly suffered at the hands of our neighbour since inception.
India must realize that blatantly executing these operations is synonymous to cutting its own throat.
The need of the hour is for the entire global community to break the silence and forgo double standards set for Kashmiris against the rest of the world.
Kashmiris demand the same level of attentiveness as Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Rwanda.
International bodies like UN, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, OIC, as well as, great powers must play their role in impeding India against ethnic cleansing, radicalization and ceasefire violations.
Ultimately, it is a sad reality that in any situation women always suffer the most.
The Kashmir fiasco is certainly not different as every day a girl is either raped, slaughtered or killed. I speak for all the oppressed voices of Asifa, Asiya, Neelofer and Tabinda who remain devoid of justice. Justice must be served since justice delayed is justice denied.
—The writer has completed her BSc in Politics and International Relations from University of London.
