Daily Times

Thursday, November 14, 2019, was a historic day for the Kashmir struggle when Kashmiris was chanting “Free Kashmir” inside the US Congress building. It was the second hearing, in less than a month, at the US Capitol for human rights violations in Indian administered Kashmir. This time, Kashmiri Americans brought India on its knees.

“Jammu and Kashmir in Context”, a bipartition hearing held by congressman Tom Lantos, co-hosted by congressman Christopher H Smith, was focused primarily on human rights violations at the valley. First time in the history of America, US congressional members were looking into the possibilities of plebiscite in Indian administered Kashmir. Congressman James McGovern, who was also chair of the panel, expressed his grave concern about Kashmir saying, “We can never give up on standing for the principle that people have a right to their self-determination”.

The witnesses, who came forward with strong statements, were distinguished lawyers and human rights advocates who testified the horrible experiences of their families and loved ones in Jammu and Kashmir. “I’m from a family where the last three generations before me, anyone who’s a political activist was detained or tortured,” said the Dallas, Texas-based human rights lawyer SehlaAshai. “I’m here because I hope that the current pattern and cycle of human rights abuses can be ended for once and for all,” said the Sehla who was among the seven members who appeared at the hearing as a witness.

In an intense two and half hours long hearing, the world also witnessed the testimonies of Commissioner Anurima Bhargava of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Haley Duschinski from Ohio University and John Sifton of Human Rights Watch. When an Indian-American columnist, SunandaVashist took side with Modi’s decisions of suspension of article 370, the audience booed her so bad that she threatened to walk out from the hearing. In extreme frustration, she said “Good luck to this Congress getting China vacating Kashmir. If you can do that. So, the plebiscite is off the table. It’s not going to happen ever. To everyone who is booing: Good luck getting Pakistan, and good luck getting China to vacate.”

As there was not much room for Prime Minister Modi support, SunandaVashist was interrupted multiple times by congressional leaders. “Ms. Vashist, we [the people of America] can never give up on standing for the principle that people have a right to their self-determination,” said Congressman James McGovern. The Congress­woman Sheila Jackson Lee, who is the chair of Pakistani Caucus but also a part of Indian Caucus, took it even further by addressing Sunanda’s accusations of cross border terrorism saying, “to label an entire country with the acts of those whom no one agrees with is a dangerous phenomenon.”

Congressional leaders collectively showed their concerns for human rights violations across the valley. Congressman David Trone, from Maryland, kept it simple saying “Ensuring security can mean ensuring the protection of human rights at the same time, and they’re not mutually exclusive”

Congressional leaders collectively showed their concerns for human rights violations across the valley. Congressman David Trone, from Maryland, kept it simple saying “Ensuring security can mean ensuring the protection of human rights at the same time, and they’re not mutually exclusive”. Congressman David also tweeted earlier in October about Kashmir stating “I have many humanitarian concerns about what is happening in Kashmir. As one of our most important democratic partners, India should practice transparency and religious tolerance. It is absolutely unacceptable to deny entry a United States Senator.” Congressman David N. Cicilline linked Modi’s action with suppression and segregation of religious monitories in India. He stressed the urgency of a US response to the “gross human rights violations” in Kashmir and also questioned the “democratic values” of India in the face of jailing dissidents and shutting down the free press. Congressman McGovern also contributed to Vashist’s remarks on terrorism and said: “the charges of terrorism could not be used to trample on basic freedoms of an entire people and we got to figure out how to get out of this (mess)”. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman in the U.S. Congress, told the panel that she is deeply concerned with reports of religious intolerance, communications blockades, and indefinite detention in Kashmir.

Similarly, an Indian descent witness Anurnima Bhargava, commissioner from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also expressed his concern about the treatment of religious monitories in India saying, “Religious minorities in India are under a state of fear and active persecution and violence”. She

contributed the fact that there is growing persecution of religious minorities especially Muslims in India manifested in the form of anti-conversion legislation, Ayodhya verdict, National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, mob lynching and revocation of Article 370 which
eventually led to the growing sense of fear among the Indian minorities.

“It was truly a Kashmir day”, said Kashmiri activist TashfeenQayoom who worked day and night to bring congressional leaders to this hearing. “My team across America had a one-line agenda – help suppressed Kashmiris to get their ‘right of self-determination’ and expose the Indian government’s atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir. We don’t have a central leadership for this effort, it is individual’s effort on personal capacities.” said Tashfeen while others around him were shaking their heads in acceptance. “Two other major developments regarding Kashmir are coming soon, we will not rest here, we will keep it pushing as much we can, and Inshallah (God’s willing), we will get Kashmiris what they really want ‘plebiscite – a right of self-determination’, said Tashfeen in voice full of emotions and excitement.

The writer is a technology expert who is working with US government based in Washington DC