Daily Times

Kashmir issue continues to be on the UN agenda for more than seven decades as an unresolved dispute. Kashmir is a source of long standing dispute between India and Pakistan which had originated way back in 1947 when the people of Jammu and Kashmir were denied their birth right of self-determination.

When India and Pakistan became independent in August 1947, it was generally assumed that Kashmir as a contagious state with a predominantly Muslim population would accede to Pakistan.

But this had not happened like that. Maharaja Hari Singh, last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir valley, on October 27, 1947 acceded to India through a so-called Instrument of Accession though he had lost support of the people who had established an independent state. On the same day, India had airlifted its security forces to Srinagar and occupied the valley.

In view of persistent resistance and protests from the Kashmiri people against India’s forced occupation, India took the matter to the United Nations and its Security Council in early period of 1948 adopted Resolutions No 39 and 47 calling for ceasefire and holding of fair and independent plebiscite in the disputed territory under the auspices of the UN.

India initially agreed to that but afterwards started refraining from that and is still occupying the disputed territory at gun point against the wishes and sacrifices of the Kashmiris who are indigenously struggling and suffering at the hands of more than a million strong occupying Indian security forces.

Kashmiris have all along been observing October 27 every year as the darkest day of their history and reiterating their demand for right of self-determination in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

While the Kashmiris continued their unarmed struggle, with political, moral and diplomatic support from the people and the government Pakistan, Indian Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a surprise and shocking move on August 5, 2019 revoked Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, doing away with the especial status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and making it as an integral part of the Indian Union.

On top of that, the Indian government also imposed complete curfew putting the entire more than 8 million people of the disputed territory under siege in an unprecedented manner. The curfew so imposed continues till now and has completed one year on August 5, 2020 which the Kashmiris all over the world and people and civil and military leadership of Pakistan are observing as “Youm-e-Kashmir Istehsal” to awaken the sleeping conscious of the international community and to remind the world body, UN Security Council, to implement its own resolutions lingering in the cold storage for over seven decades.

This goes to the credit of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep the entire populated of occupied Kashmir under complete curfew for one year. This is the second but the longest curfew which he has imposed on the struggling Kashmiris while adamantly denying them their assured and promised right of self-determination.

The same Indian PM had also earlier put the whole valley of occupied Kashmir under curfew in July 2016 when massive protests and agitation had erupted following killing of Kashmiri freedom fighter Burhan Muzaffar Wani in a shoot out with occupied Indian security forces. The curfew so imposed only lifted on August 31, 2016 after 53 days.

He is the same person who had as the Chief Minister of Gujarat got hundreds of Muslims killed under his nose and patronage at the hands of Hindu extremists. As a founder member of Hindu extremists organization Rashtriya Sewak Singh (RSS) and follower of Hindutva policy, Narenda Modi is firm believer in Muslims genocide and does not spare any opportunity from resorting to his anti-Muslim policy any time, everywhere.

Because of his Muslims massacre in Gujarat, Narendra Mod was barred from entering the United States and United Kingdom for about ten years.

The same Indian PM has now earned the “distinction” of putting the entire population of occupied Kashmir under curfew in an unending manner denying them the right of self-determination, access to the rest of the world and banning all means of communication while the Indian security forces continue unleashing all sort of atrocities, oppression and suppression o the Kashmiri men,women, youth on one pretext or the other.

While reign of terror continues in occupied Kashmir, human rights organizations and international media representatives are persistently denied visits to the IOK under siege , the India government has the cheeks to keep telling the world at large everything is normal in occupied Kashmir.

And while Indian Government is playing its dirty game in occupied IOK, the role of the international community also leaves much to be desired.

Following activation of the Kashmir issue through the concerted efforts of Pakistani civil and military leadership, Kashmir issue has been debated and discussed in the UN General Assembly/ Security at least twice during last two years though it was lying as unresolved dispute in the cold storage for 55 long years.

The international community by and large support Kashmiris right of self-determination, condemn the human rights flagrant violations and atrocities being committed by the Indian security forces. But this is all. They do not move beyond that. Do not speak openly. They keep looking the other way while Kashmiris blood continues to bleed. It is bitter and regrettable fact that the international community gives preference to their economic and other interests with a big country like India and refrain from pressurizing India to implement the UN Security Council resolutions and let the Kashmiris exercise their right of self-determination to decide their future themselves.

This is not all. The international community, as many as 186 countries of the world had recently voted in favour of India and got it elected for two years as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the same organization whose passed resolutions are not being implemented for more than seven decades by India brushing aside the sufferings of Kashmiris .

What is going on in occupied Kashmir may lead to massive deaths and fulfill Modi’s long cherished desire to change demographic position in occupied Kashmir turning Muslims majority into minority without resorting to Muslims genocides at larger scale and continuing with Hindus illegal migration to the disputed territory in thousands.

Cutting long shocking , regrettable and deplorable story short for want of space, this is to ask for creation of some sort of Award for Mass Killing of Humanity and Muslims Genocide. Such an award should either be given to Muslims mass killer Modi or to the international community at large which is not responding to the strong pleas of Kashmiris , whose conscious remains shut despite persistent demands from Kashmiris to help them secure freedom from India shackles by exercising their long being denied right of self-determination and fair and independent plebiscite under UN auspices.

It is for the readers to decide whether such an award should be given to Indian PM Narendra Modi or to the sleeping and ignorant international community at large, please.

The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com