The Kashmiri people in general and women in particular under the draconian laws of Modi’s supremacist government in Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have been faced with worse nightmare of terror and trauma due to frequent cases of human rights violations against the innocent Kashmiris.
The deployment of more than 700,000 forces makes the valley one of the highest militarized zones bringing havoc to the lives of the common people. The Indian occupation forces have unleashed horrific acts of violence while blatantly violating human rights in the valley.
Since 1947, the bodies of innocent Kashmiri women have been turned into battlegrounds in the heavily militarized area of the disputed territory by the Indian forces. After the horrific episode of mass rape of Kashmiri women in Kunan, Poshpura villages on February 23, 1991, rape was systematically and frequently used by the security forces to terrorize the entire population of the disputed valley.
After the abrogation of Article 370, an increasing trend of rape was recorded in remote and poor villages of the occupied territory by the Human Rights Watch.
The ongoing situation of abuses in the valley is a sheer violation of the international humanitarian and human rights laws and UN Security Council’s resolutions.
The horrific acts of violence, mental torture, aggression and ruthless brutalities against women had turned life into a worse nightmare in the valley.
According to local human rights watch group known as the Committee of Concerned Scientists, the IIOJK is one of the most policed and militarized areas. The group underlined the two main scenarios during which the Kashmiri women were subjected to rape by the Indian forces, either during search operations or during reprisal attacks after military ambushes.
The act of rape is deplorable while its trauma destroys the soul of victims forever. Therefore, the world must take immediate notice of the barbaric actions of the Indian security forces to safeguard the dignity of women in the disputed territory.
Talking to APP, DrAwaisBiniWasi, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, Rippah International University Islamabad said that the Kashmiri women have been marginalized on three levels: “Muslim”, “Kashmiri” and “Women”.
He said if it was possible to declare the area ‘international arm conflict zone’ through law-fare then it would not be possible for India to change the status of Kashmir.
Dr Maria Sultan, President and Chairperson, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) University told the news agency that along the rights to self-determination, the rights to identity have also been snatched overnight from the Kashmiri people through Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
She said the partition of the Subcontinent was incomplete without resolving the Kashmir dispute as per the UN Security Council’s resolutions and international laws. “The internal strength and unity amongst the Kashmiri people will make their struggle for freedom victorious”, she added.
According to the Human Rights Watch, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) “allows any soldiers or officer to fire upon groups of five or more people or anyone suspected of having weapons, arrest anyone without a warrant, and conduct home invasions.” This act shields the Indian security forces from prosecution from their crimes of sexual violence. The draconian nature of the act has been described as breach of the international human rights law by members of the international community.
Ms Sophia Siddique, an Islamabad-based working journalist while talking to APP said that people of IIOJK have been faced with tough situations since partition of the Subcontinent. But after implementation of Article 370, life has become a worse nightmare in the valley. She said, “People don’t have access to internet, hospital, mobility, and education facility.” Unless the Kashmir dispute is resolved, the dream of peaceful and prosperous South Asia will not be realized, she added. Dr Maria Sultan said that alongside the brutalities against the innocent Kashmiri people, the Modi’sHindutva supremacist government has also unleashed aggression against the Sikh and Muslim minorities in India. She said that through amendments, the people of Kashmir have been deprived from their basic rights to life: national identity, mobility, religion, communication, freedom of expression, transport and property. “Now the same maltreatment was meted out as punishment with the Sikh community of India”, she added.
DrAwaisBiniWasi said that after implementing new Acts and laws, the situation of IIOJK has turned grave with serious repercussions. He said for bringing large scale changes in demographic composition of the valley, firstly the non-state subjects were allowed to buy land and invest in businesses and trade, get employments and education.
Secondly, cultural onslaughts were made against the Kashmiri language (revival of Devanagri script) and traditional dress (ban in Kashmir Secretariat).
Thirdly, he said, the trend of BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) elections in the IIOJK since 2002 has made manifestation of the fact that the Indian state penetration has been increased in the disputed territory.