Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Human Rights Violation in Kashmir

The entire world is observing World Human Rights Day on December 10 at a time when 64 years have passed and neither the Palestinians have got their right of liberation and nor the United Nations has granted the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris in accordance with resolutions adopted by the same. Women, children, and men are plunged into darkness in both parts of the Islamic world. The world is enjoying a sound sleep by depriving them the oppressed of comfort and ease, or observes World Human Rights Day once a year to cover up their long-forgotten duty and then again go into a deep slumber.
Horrendous Facts and Figures
When we analyze Kashmir from the point of view of human rights violations, such horrendous facts and figures emerge that they move our hearts. These are the latest figures and it can be guessed that how horrific atrocities the Indian forces are perpetrating on oppressed and wronged Kashmiris. These facts and figures are of the period from 1989 to 30 November.
Hold your heart and have a look at them. Killed (men) 90,178; killed (women) 4,255; missing (men) 8,979; missing (women) 1,335; injured (men) 554,937; injured women (24,011); detained (men) 222,300; detained (women) 4,149; incidents of molestation of women, 9,908; widowed women, more than 25,000; orphan children more than 60,000; graves of unknown people, 2,700; killed people's graveyards more than 5,500; and 1,04,801 ruined homes.
Withdrawal of Indian Forces
The general situation in Occupied Kashmir (India-Administered Kashmir) is such that 800,000 Indian troops have been given open license to massacre unarmed Kashmiris, rape women, and destroy properties under the protection of savage and black laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA), Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), and PSA.
The entire state has been turned into a military camp and all the cities, towns, villages, and streets appear to be under curfew, baton charge, reckless use of teargas, and echoes of bullets. Gatherings of hundreds of thousands of people appear to be demanding the full withdrawal of the Indian forces from Kashmir, and an end to coercive occupation.
Even some conscientious Indian intellectuals like Arundhati Roy, Gotam Naulakha, Justice Sachar, and the Indian negotiators, who came to Kashmir, have expressed their final opinion that the Kashmiris do not want to live with India at any cost, now. During his recent visit to India, US President Barack Obama termed Kashmir disputed and a resolvable issue, contrary to the Indian desire. Linking mediation with the willingness of the two countries, the United States urged the immediate resolution to the issue through bilateral talks. The decisive power of South Asia: China, has also termed Kashmir disputed territory and has refused to grant visa to Kashmiris on the Indian passport. Even, it refused to grant visa to the Indian General Jaswal on the ground that he assumed command in disputed Kashmir. The supreme head of Iran, Ayatullah Ali Khamene'i termed Kashmir and Palestine resolvable issues and urged for the support of Islamic world. Former Libyan President Qadhafi urged the resolution to the Kashmir issue from the UN forum. The EU and its parliament has time and again stressed on honorable resolution to the Kashmir issue. Thus, international pressure is mounting on India for an immediate solution of the Kashmir issue, but the human rights violations see no decrease.
On one hand, India tries to crush the peaceful struggle of the Kashmiri people in the backdrop of international pressure, and on the other, it is expanding its military occupation and plundering Kashmir's resources. Approximately 800,000 troops are stationing on 2800,000 Kanal of land, whereas gardens, picnic spots, and forests are being forcibly taken into custody for more land. Only in Shopian District, 5,200 Kanal of forest land was occupied and 300,000 to 400,000 trees were cut. The local people are not allowed to install wood cutting or grazing machines while the troops are busy in getting furniture prepared from precious timber and are sending it to their native homes. Timber worth billions of rupees has been sent to interior India to date and the process continues.
Struggle of Kashmiri People
Similarly, power worth billions of rupees is being generated through power projects on water resources of Kashmir and 88 percent of it is being sold to Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Delhi whereas only 12 percent is being provided to the people of the state. India is also pursuing a strategy under a preconceived plan to change the Muslim majority of the state by a full scale cultural invasion along with political and military domination. The forces have set up a network of schools in the name of "Sadhwana" where an attempt is being made to mold innocent students and girl students into the Indian color through the Hindu education system and training.
Jammu Province of the state, where Muslims and Hindus are living in mixed population, the local administration and police force are playing a shameful and gruesome role to harass and terrify Muslims in collaboration with local sectarian organizations like the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevek Sangh), Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal, and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), and they are practically being forced to migrate while attempt is being made to settle Sharnartheon (as published) in their place to change the Muslim majority identity of the state. Such demographic changes can have adverse effect on possible plebiscite. However, the international community is also mum on this.
We believe that being the main party to the issue, Pakistani Government should stand firm in its 64-year-old principled stand and should provide all its support to the liberation struggle of Kashmiri people. The historic struggle of Kashmiri people should be highlighted through full-scale diplomatic campaign and by activating media besides exposing the Indian atrocities and highhandedness on every forum of the world. How horrible is that the United Nations did not make any reference to Kashmir in the list of disputed territories its published this year because this issue has not cropped up for discussion for three years in a row, i.e., from January 2007 to 2010. It is a grave criminal negligence by Pakistan on diplomatic-level. We believe that the Kashmir issue should be the nucleus of Pakistan-India relationship like in the past. Talks should not be held with India until it gives up its traditional obstinacy and unrealistic approach and accepts the disputed and central status and tripartite status of the Kashmir issue. More than 150 rounds of talks have been held during the past 64 years, but these remained futile. Whenever the talks are held, then these should be Kashmir-centric and tripartite. This is not a border dispute that can be resolved through talks between the two countries. It is the issue of political future of 135 million Kashmiris and they are the prime and the most important party to this issue. Their direct participation in talks is inevitable.
Demand of Situation
The people of state have made this reality clear time and again that nothing, except full independence, is acceptable to them. Internal autonomy, division of state, or cross-border trade of potatoes or onions is not the resolution to the issue. The Kashmiris do not want any thing except full independence and this is the cause for which 125,000 sons of the soil have laid down their lives so far.
This should be noted that Kashmiris are not willing to budge an inch from their stance. They appeal to the entire world today, on the occasion of World Human Rights Day, to play its role in stopping the human rights violations in Kashmir and exert pressure on India for the resolution to the issue. If not, the international community should stop observing Human Rights Day because such violations are not stopped by seminars and walks but by something practical will have to be done for this. The world is negligent of its role to a great extent.

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