Hameed Shaheen ALvi
Islamabad
An International Kashmir Virtual conference, entitled, “Kashmir’s Double Lockdown and the Global response,” organized by Tehreek-e-Kashmir, UK, Thursday in Birmingham was attended among others by the academics, researchers, social and civil rights activists, media personnel from Turkey, India, Pakistan, Azad Kashmir, United States, Canada, Middle East and many other parts of the Europe.
Fahim Kayani, President Tehreek-e-Kashmir, U.K., the host said that the webinar will provide a platform to analyze the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir and provides some suggestions to resolve one of the longest standing issue of the United Nations – Kashmir. Fahim added that the Kashmir dispute has resulted in heavy death and destruction in Kashmir simply because the Indian army was given impunity under draconian laws, like “Public Safety Act” (PSA).
“Soldiers kill civilians with impunity. Indeed, Indian law grants virtual legal immunity to any type of war crime or crime against humanity perpetrated in Kashmir. The people of Kashmir have suffered long and needlessly because of this brutal conflict. They demand and they deserve peace,” Fahim reiterated.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Pakistan Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, the significance of addressing Kashmir is important in view of the dangers it poses to the whole region of South Asia. Kashmir stands on the verge of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. The just resolution of Kashmir conflict will bring peace and prosperity to the region of South Asia.
“The issue of Kashmir is a movement for self-determination inspired by a spirit for freedom and it has its legitimacy in the United Nations Security Council resolutions. The struggle remains alive and vibrant because the people of Kashmir want to chart their own destiny. It is a purely peoples movement inspired from within which aims at regaining the freedom and economic justice that the foreign occupation has usurped,” Senator Mushahid Hussain added.
It is vital for the world powers not to loose sight of the true objective in determining peace in South Asia. Settlement of the Kashmir conflict is central to the purpose of stability and security in the region.
Senator suggested that the increasingly negative image of Modi administration as extremist, sectarian, fascist and communal should be used effectively to enhance the cause of Kashmir at the global level.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Mir, President, World Kashmir Awareness Forum said, Covid-19 has struck with fury. It has devastated all communities, particularly the vulnerable members of the society without distinction of caste, class or country. In the case of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir it has had a particularly devastating physical, psychological and economic impact on our people.
Dr. Mir explained that Occupied Kashmir is the most militarized state in the world—800,000 man Military and Paramilitary forces. And on top of it the Modi Govt brought around August 5, 2019 surreptitiously rushed in his 250,000 Hindutva militias. These voluntary Hindu radicals of RSS belong to Modi’s mother militant organization the RSS (Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh). Modi joined it as a young man and rose through the ranks. They are his bosom buddies.
An ongoing step by step genocide is in progress. You can call it ethnic cleansing or you can call it demographic engineering to make Kashmir a Hindu state. Call it whatever you will. But, the inescapable conclusion has to be that with Covid cover Kashmir is one step closer to the last phase of genocide. Indians did it to Native Dravidians, the Budhists and they are doing it to Indian Muslims. They sure can do it to Kashmiris.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary general, World Kashmir Awareness Forum said that the situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir has dramatically changed, particularly since August 5, 2019, and it will not be an exaggeration to say that the people of occupied land are facing an existential threat. We have come to a juncture in the history of our freedom struggle where we all have to decide once and for all as to what role we can play in this difficult but a noble endeavor.
Fai suggested that an extensive use of social media, especially webinars, videos, will become instrumental in highlighting the struggle of people of Kashmir. And an effective outreach campaign on Kashmir dispute towards the peace loving sections of the world community, including Indian civil society and diaspora is the need of the time.
India may be ‘the largest democracy’ but its policy towards Kashmir has been uniformly brutal and deceitful. The impartial and neutral agencies of the world testify that when it comes to Kashmir, India is nothing but an occupier. Huffington Post wrote on August 5, 2019. ‘As Kashmir Is Erased, Indian Democracy Dies In Silence.’
“The United Nations has the opportunity to affect a positive resolution to the conflict and resulting humanitarian situation by promoting the conditions of the original mandate. It is only through international recognition and inclusive representations that a genuine and lasting peace can ensue. The risks of maintaining the status quo – for Kashmir, South Asia and the world – are too great to ignore,” Fai added.
Abdul Rashid Turabi, Member, Azad Kashmir Assembly said, the self-determination of the people of Kashmir and international peace and security are inter-related. The denial of this right has brought both nuclear countries of India and Pakistan to the brink of nuclear catastrophe. It is in the interest of world peace that India and Pakistan need to resolve the Kashmir dispute to the satisfaction of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Turabi cited the example of the widespread human rights violations by the Indian military and para-military forces in the disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir. He reiterated that since, 1990, the Indian forces have been engaged in a sustained campaign of slaughter, rape, arson and destruction. This state terrorism has resulted in more than 100,000 deaths.
Ms. Julie Ward, a British parliamentarian said that people of Kashmir deserve to be granted the right of self-determination. She said that she was convinced that the people of Jammu and Kashmir constitute the principle stakeholders and should be an integral component of any future peace process along with India and Pakistan. She suggested that labor party head cannot change the party policy on Kashmir. Our policy has to be that world powers must intervene and bring peace to the region of South Asia and help resolve the conflict over Kashmir which is pending for the last 72 years.
Mr. Sikandar Siddique, Member of Danish Parliament said, the knowledge of the average European regarding Kashmir is insignificant. The sentiments and aspirations of the people of Kashmir are overshadowed by the commercial interests and business deals of the world powers. We must educate the European populations and must do that in their own languages.
The community of nations must seize this opportunity to promote an initiative towards bringing about conditions necessary for settlement of the Kashmir dispute., Mr. Siddique added.
Mr. Mejbel Alshrika, Director, The Center for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law at Kuwait Bar Association said that nothing better can be said about human rights in Kashmir. Every human rights group that has examined the convulsed scene in Kashmir has reported harrowing human rights violations. The vandalism is used to terrorize Kashmiris. Mobs of soldiers routinely go through neighborhoods breaking windows with large stones, upending autos and motorcycles, setting fire to trucks, and anything else left vulnerable to their attack.
