Daily Times

Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have martyred 85 Kashmiris so far this year.

According to Kashmir Media Service, of these Kashmiris, 22 were martyred in fake encounters or in custody. The personnel of the Indian army, police and paramilitary and sleuths of the dreaded National Investigation Agency and State Investigation Agency have arrested over 3000 persons during violent cordon and search operations and house raids.

The arrested persons include Hurriyat leaders, activists and journalists. Most of them were booked under black law, Public Safety Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar maintained that the Indian atrocities have failed to subdue the Kashmiris’ resolve for freedom in the past and will meet the same fate in the future as well.

He said the Kashmiri people will continue their struggle till they achieve their UN-recognized right to self-determination. He urged the international community to play its role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations for ensuring durable peace in South Asia.

The right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief, Mohan Bhagwat, at a meeting in Jammu, asked the leaders of the extremist Hindu organization to step up their efforts to further the Hindutva ideology in occupied Kashmir. He directed them to take the ideology of the organization to the grassroots level in the occupied territory. The RSS, the political mentor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has intensified its attempts to impose its Hindutva agenda since the revocation of the special status of occupied Kashmir on August 05, 2019.

On the other hand, the Washington-based Indian American Muslim Council in its latest report said India is witnessing a distressing surge in communal violence, targeted attacks, and hate speeches directed against religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians.

The report said during the third quarter of 2023, Muslims and Christians remained particularly vulnerable to violent incidents, persecution and discrimination.

The report pointed out that in occupied Kashmir human rights violations persisted unchecked and highlighted widespread abuses targeting journalists, political activists, and the local population.