India: Torturing Regime of the Bloody Century

By Tariq Rizwan

Year 2014 completes a century of cruelty and torture since the start of World War I which surpasses all the previous centuries on account of killing and torture. The death toll of the past 100 years has been more than that of any other century and our region, for one, continues to be mired in violence. What was supposed to be the war to end all wars turned out to be one of the many bloody conflicts since then. The dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is a shining star in the whole galaxy of world disputes, coloured with the blood of innocent Kashmiri Muslims.

September 11 and the wars that it spawned are some of the biggest and bloodiest stories of our times. The Middle East and South Asia were the troubled regions. People of Jammu and Kashmir also continue to suffer under Indian occupation. Third Degree tactics, torture and cruel treatment in the interrogation cells were the plight of Kashmiris under Indian Army custody. Pakistan came into existence amidst bloodshed, remained victim of Indian expansionist policies through proxy and exploiting our internal divisions; the case of East Pakistan and Baluchistan.

India, despite apparent posture of peace, secularism and democratic mode, actively engaged and exploited US presence in Afghanistan to her advantage.  Indian goals of destabilizing Pakistan’s Western Belt through use of Afghan soil and enmity especially Afghan Northern Alliance. India is making all possible efforts to create long standing rift between the two friendly neighbours; Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Indian mindset has never accepted Pakistan as independent state and is bent upon depriving it of the right of existence; the issue of asset of distribution and the right of self-determination for the Kashmiri Muslims who are overwhelmingly in favour of Pakistan due to common religion and common cultural bondages are pending since 1947.

 

Hindu extremists have killed and tortured hundreds of thousands of Muslim migrants in 1947. Babri Mosque and attacks on Pakistan cricket team are clear examples of Hindu bania. Kashmiris are living under extreme pressure due to presence of seven hundred thousand troops in the valley. More than 75,000 Kashmiri families are in black list of Passport Office while women are giving birth to Childs on road due to security barricades across the valley.

Though few in number, but these extremists are not ready to go back an inch from their stance on Jammu and Kashmir; not giving right of self-determination to the Kashmiris and, rather using terror tactics against the Muslims living both in India and Pakistan.

Prashant Bhushan, leader of India’s emerging political force Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has exactly reflected the mind of common Indian by demanding referendum on the Indian Army presence in the Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), Indian media reported on Monday.

In an interview with a news channel, Bhushan called for a referendum in occupied valley to decide whether or not the Indian Army should be deployed in the IHK. "People should be asked whether they want the army to handle the internal security of Kashmir. Any decision which does not have the backing of the people is undemocratic. If people feel that the army is violating human rights and they say they don't want the army to be deployed for their security then the army should be withdrawn from the hinterland," he said.

Caps off to Indian Aam Aadmi Party and Prashant Bhushan who nuanced his views, adding, "The government can decide if the army needs to be deployed to deal with external threats along the border. The government can also decide if the army needs to be kept to help protect the minorities in the valley. But “there should be a referendum on whether people want AFSPA to continue in the valley or not."

When pressed on what would happen if the referendum suggested that the people of Kashmir wanted to break away from India, Bhushan said, "Secession from India is unconstitutional. We have to find solutions within the purview of the constitution. We have to win the hearts of people in the valley who have moved away from the mainstream since they feel that they army has been deployed in Kashmir against their wishes and is violating their human rights."

Bhushan had stirred a hornet's nest in September 2011 when he had called for a plebiscite in Kashmir at a press conference in Varanasi and had said that Kashmir should be allowed to break away from India if Kashmiris did not want to stay as part of India. Bhushan is an Indian and not a Pakistani who no longer supports serving Kashmir from India and backs the idea of a referendum on the army deployment. The Hindu extremism have no third prism to look at Bhushan if he is not a Pakistan and Hindu extremist.

His ideal comments come on a day the Aam Aadmi Party announced ambitious plans to contest the general elections of 2014 and the party's views on national issues are now being put under intense scrutiny.

It is question mark for the champions of human rights and opponents of capital punishment; European Union, US, how to ignore the UN Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and the demand of Prashant Bhushan. It is ripe time for all the democratic states and human rights’ champions to free the Kashmiris from the clutches of ruthless Indians and give them the right of self-determination.