By Sajjad Shaukat
Every year when India
celebrates Independence Day on August 15, Kashmiris on both sides of the Line
of Control and the world over observe it as Black Day to convey the message to
the international community that India continues to usurp their inalienable
right to self- determination. This very day is being marked by complete
shutdown, as deserted streets, closed businesses and security patrolling the
streets could be seen in the Indian-held Kashmir. Noting intensity in the war
of liberation and hoisting of Pakistani flags by the Kashmiri protesters, this
time, Indian occupation authorities have imposed stringent restrictions in
Srinagar and other towns, and deployed heavy contingents of police and troops
to prevent people from holding anti-India onstrations. However, during the
partition of the Sub-continent in 1947, the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir
(J&K) which comprised Muslim majority decided to join Pakistan according to
the British-led formula. But, Dogra Raja, Sir Hari Singh, a Hindu who was
ruling over the J&K, in connivance with the Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor General Lord Mountbatten joined India.
The Radcliffe Boundary Award
gave the Gurdaspur District—a majority Muslim area to India to provide a land
route to the Indian armed forces to move into Kashmir. There was a rebellion in
the state forces, which revolted against the Maharaja and were joined by Pathan
tribesmen. Lord Mountbatten ordered armed forces to land in Srinagar. Indian
forces invaded Srinagar on October 27, 1947 and forcibly occupied Jammu and
Kashmir in utter violation of the partition plan and against the wishes of the
Kashmiri people. When Pakistan responded militarily against the Indian
aggression, on December 31, 1947, India made an appeal to the UN Security
Council to intervene and a ceasefire ultimately came into effect on January 01,
1949, following UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir. On February
5, 1964, India backed out of its promise of holding plebiscite. Instead, in
March 1965, the Indian Parliament passed a bill, declaring Kashmir a province
of India-an integral part of the Indian union.
Kashmiris organized
themselves against the injustices of India and launched a war of liberation which
New Delhi tried to suppress through various forms of state terrorism. Passing
through various phases, the struggle of Kashmiris which has become an interaction
between New Delhi’s state terrorism led by the Indian security forces and war
of liberation by the freedom fighters keeps on going unabated. It is notable
that since 1947, in order to maintain its illegal control, India has continued
its repressive regime in the occupied Kashmir through various machinations. Nevertheless,
various forms of state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the
Indian army and paramilitary forces against Muslim Kashmiris, especially since
1989. It has been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews,
illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses,
torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women
and killing of persons through fake encounters. According to a report on human
rights violations in the Indian-occupied Kashmir, since 1989, there have been
deaths of 1,00000 innocent Kashmiris, 7,023 custodial killings, 1,22,771
arrests, 1,05,996 destruction of houses or buildings, 22,776 women widowed,
1,07,466 children orphaned and 10,086 women gang-raped/molested. Indian brutal
securities forces have continue these atrocities.
In fact, Indian forces have employed various
draconian laws like the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed
Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act in killing
the Kashmiri people, and for the arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an
indefinite period. Besides Human Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty
International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the
Indian-controlled Kashmir, indicating, “The Muslim majority population in the
Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces. In
its report on July 2, 2015, the Amnesty International has highlighted
extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons at the hands of Indian security
forces in the Indian-held Kashmir. The report points out, “Tens of thousands of
security forces are deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act allows troops to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest
them without a warrant…not a single member of the armed forces has been tried
in a civilian court for violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of
accountability has in turn facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred
100,000 people. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and
state police.”
In this respect, European
Union has passed a resolution about human rights abuses committed by Indian
forces in the Indian held Kashmir. It is of particular attention that in 2008,
a rights group reported unmarked graves in 55 villages across the northern
regions of the Indian-occupied Kashmir. Then researchers and other groups reported
finding thousands of mass graves without markers. In this regard, in August,
2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission officially
acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade
conflict have been buried in unmarked graves. Notably, foreign sources and
human rights organisations have revealed that unnamed graves include those
innocent persons, killed by the Indian military and paramilitary troops in the
fake encounters including those who were tortured to death by the Indian secret
agency RAW.
As a matter of fact, Indian
authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds.
New Delhi reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing
with Kashmiris who are demanding their right of self-determination.
Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics
of the freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule.
Nonetheless, August 15 which
is the Independence Day for India, is Black Day for the Kashmiris and their brethren in Pakistan
including those living all over the world, as they re-affirm their commitment
to continue their struggle against Indian illicit occupation, and till the attainment
of their liberation.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible
Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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