Daily Times

The Indian security forces have been using ruthless force to suppress the freedom struggle of the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K), which they launched in 1989 after having been frustrated by the Indian intransigence to grant them the right of self-determination. According to reports compiled by human rights organizations and other authentic sources, since then 95,791 Kashmiris have been killed, more than twelve thousand women have been gang-raped and more than one hundred thousand houses have been destroyed.

The history of the freedom struggle is replete with innumerable incidents of bestiality committed by the Indian security forces. However, none of them can be compared to the brutality and callousness exhibited by them on 21st January 1990 when they resorted to indiscriminate firing on the demonstrators in Srinagar–who were protesting the molesting and rape of Kashmiri women at the hands of the Indian security personnel–killing 55 people and injuring dozens of them. The incident revived the memories of the Jalyan Wala Bagh tragedy and justifiably caused severe outrage and resentment in the occupied Kashmir, throughout Pakistan and among the Kashmiri community the world over. A complete strike was observed in Pakistan on the 5th of February 1990 to protest against this dastardly act of the Indian troops. Since then 5th February is observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day in Pakistan and by the Kashmiri diaspora around the world.

The observance of the Solidarity Day with the people of Indian-Occupied Kashmir is purported to reassure them that Pakistan has an abiding and unswerving commitment to support their cause and stand by them under all circumstances. It also aims at reminding the UN and world community of its obligations towards the people of Kashmir and to reiterate the fact that their apathy to their sufferings could have disastrous consequences for regional and world peace. Another objective is to send a clear message to the Indians that no amount of oppression and persecution can keep the people of Kashmir under subjugation for long and prevent the inevitable.

The history of the freedom struggle is replete with innumerable incidents of bestiality committed by the Indian security forces.

The observance of the solidarity day has assumed greater significance in the backdrop of the Indian move to change the special status of the state; its bifurcation into two regions and declaring them part of the Indian union virtually nullifying the UN resolutions; siege of the state and continuation of the killing spree. Reportedly more than 400 Kashmiris have been killed since 5th August 2019 including 22 martyred in January 2022.

India is in the grip of the proponents of the supremacist philosophy of Hindutva headed by Narendra Modi who by revoking the special status of IOJ&K and making it part of the Indian union has created a very dangerous situation posing a grave threat to peace and security in the region. He has not only ended the special status of IOJ &K but has also adopted a belligerent posture towards Pakistan which has brought the two nuclear powers face-to-face with each other. Modi is a cunning and callous enemy who can go to any extent to achieve his nefarious designs premised on the RSS ideology of ‘Hindutva’ The revelations by the Indian Journalist Arnab Goswani that Modi orchestrated the Pulwama incident in which more than fifty Indian soldiers were killed to win elections and finding an excuse to take action against Pakistan, amply exposes his fascism. He did send his planes to hit imaginary terrorist camps at Balakot in February 2019, though that incident ended in a lot of embarrassment for his government which cost it two planes and the capture of a pilot. The situation could have led to a full-fledged war between the two countries but the restraint shown by Pakistan and the intervention of friendly countries defused the situation.

But regrettably, India continues to persist with her belligerent posture towards Pakistan and there are fears that due to the tremendous stress internally, it might execute another false-flag operation against Pakistan; a possibility about which Pakistan has been sounding the world community.

Any such eventuality could have disastrous consequences for the entire region as any miscalculation on either side could easily trigger a nuclear war between the two countries. Pakistan has shown tremendous restraint over Indian provocations notwithstanding the fact that it was fully capable of giving a befitting response to any act of aggression against it as it proved last February.

The continuation of tensions and the possibility of war between Pakistan and India cannot go away until the Kashmir dispute is resolved in consonance with the UN resolutions. The world community, the powers which can help in having those resolutions implemented and pressurizing India to end the persecution of the people of the Indian Occupied Kashmir, must abandon their indifference to the plight of the people of Kashmir who are fighting for their rights of self-determination.

The people of Kashmir undeterred by the Indian atrocities are continuing their struggle for freedom. Their resistance and freedom movement continues notwithstanding the brutalities perpetrated on them by the Indian security forces. Indian machinations have not been able to subdue their urge for independence and they would not relent until they are allowed to decide their fate as per the UN resolutions. India is holding Kashmir against the will of its people and its stance on the issue has no moral or legal basis. History is a witness to the fact that freedom struggles cannot be subdued with the barrel of a gun. Pakistan which is a party to the Kashmir dispute would not allow India to get away with her illegal occupation of IOJ&K and its annexation to the Indian Union in defiance of the UN resolutions.

India which is spilling the blood of Kashmiris and has crossed all limits of persecution must realize that it can neither keep doing it indefinitely. By continuing the persecution of Kashmiris and maintaining a belligerent posture towards Pakistan it is not only endangering peace in the region but also jeopardizing its security and the economic well-being of its people.

The writer is a former diplomat and freelance columnist.