The issue of Kashmir dates back to the partition. At the time of the partition, 80 percent of the area’s population was Muslim, and the people were willing to join Pakistan. However, against the population’s wishes, the Hindu ruler of Kashmir acceded the valley to India. Since then the Kashmiri people are fighting for their rights. Over the years, Kashmiris have suffered and sacrificed a great deal. Indian troops deployed in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) are in violation of the international law. As per Article 370 of the Indian constitution, Kashmir has a special status, thus prohibiting India to deploy force, or to make any demographic changes in the territory, or to allow any third party to acquire land in it. Despite the killings and sufferings, the people of Kashmir have not given up their right of self-determination. Indian coercive approach has failed against the determination of Kashmiris. Recently, Burhan Wani, a young Kashmiri militant was killed by the Indian army; Wani through social media became the face of Kashmir’s armed freedom struggle. The use of force against unarmed civilians is inhumane. So far, nearly 65 people, mainly the youth, have been killed and over 3,000 injured, many with incapacitating injuries. The firing of pellets is a violation of international humanitarian laws (reference: Fourth Geneva Convention). More than 100 young men and children have lost their vision permanently as the Indian paramilitary forces fire pellet guns directly aiming at their faces to cause maximum damage.
Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh accused Pakistan of being responsible for the all the trouble in Kashmir, stating in Rajya Sabha that the neighbouring country was responsible for what was happening in Jammu and Kashmir. The projection of Kashmiri freedom struggle as a terrorist drive (atankwad) is part of a campaign to justify killings in the IHK by the Indian security forces.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, “Pakistan is perpetrating terror activities through Jamaat-ud-Dawa founder Hafiz Saeed and other terrorists in an area that is an integral part of India.” The struggle in Kashmir is not a separatist/secessionist movement; rather, it is an indigenous struggle. The unrest in the aftermath of Wani’s killing speaks of the valour of the Kashmiri youth against the forceful occupation of India. Kashmir is once again telling India to leave. The anti-India sentiment has reinforced. It is the strongest now. To curb the freedom struggle, India has adopted a coercive posture. The blatant use of state force against the protestors including youth, children and women, jamming the Internet, social media, cell phones and putting restraints on reporting portrays the aggressiveness of India’s posture.
Kashmiris living in Pakistan, Europe and other parts of the world can feel the pain of their brethren. In the prevalent era of IT, through media and social networking sites people can convey their opinion to a large audience. Wani is being viewed as an icon of Kashmir struggle, and a number of young Kashmiris settled abroad have changed their Facebook profile picture to Wani’s photo. The international community cannot sit idle and watch the Kashmiri people suffer. It appears that human rights have taken a backseat to political and economic concerns, and there are only a few countries that are willing to speak up on behalf of the long-suffering Kashmiris.
Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory under the UN Security Council resolutions. Kashmir, one of the loveliest places on earth, is being destroyed by ruthless extremes of Indian security forces. The Kashmiri people need to be empowered so that their victimisation at the hands of India comes to an end. The international community must call on the Indian government to honour its human rights obligations and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. To counter India’s moves on the Kashmir issue, there is a need for a meaningful and enhanced advocacy effort for the cause of Kashmir in the international arena. The right of self-determination under the UN auspices is the right of the Kashmiri people. The plebiscite option as defined under the UN Security Council resolutions needs to be enforced.
The writer is a researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute