“No Election, No Selection, UN Resolutions Only Solution” Slogans Raised at the UN

 

New York: Braving thundershowers and inclement weather, a large number of Kashmiri-Americans and friends of Kashmir, including spirited women and children, gathered at the UN demanding freedom from Indian occupation. Holding banners and placards in their hands inscribed with “No Election No Selection: UN Resolutions Only Solution”; “Election in Kashmir Just a Name: Indian Government Has no Shame”; “Indian Democracy Nothing but Fake: Human Rights in Kashmir Are at Stake”; “Kashmir Election Just a Deception: Plebiscite the Only Solution”; “Indian Democracy Hypocritical: Kashmir Election Farcical”; “Wake up, Wake up UN WAKE UP;” “Indian Army Out of Kashmir” “We Demand Human Rights”; “Release, Release: Yasin Malik”; “India: Free Kashmir,” the participants expressed total solidarity with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF), addressing the gathering said, “We are here today specifically to protest the intervention of the Indian delegate. We believe that Dr Jaishankar, the foreign minister of India does not deserve to be speaking at this august forum representing 193 countries of the world. We further believe that the BJP/RSS-led Modi administration is a threat to international peace and security.”

Dr Fai added that yesterday, on September 27, while exercising its Right of Reply during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Indian diplomat Ms Bhavika Mangalanandan pretended that “Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable and integral part of India.” She might need a history lesson on Kashmir. Ms Mangalanandan needs to know that Kashmiris hardly showed themselves as resigned to Indian occupation. Some discontent notwithstanding, Kashmiris never felt themselves to be part of India before 1947 and felt even less so after its forcible seizure by the Indian troops.  

Dr. Fai added that India unilaterally announced that the people of Kashmir through semaphore or necromancy had signaled their craving to become India’s integral part. That unilateralism has never been accepted by the United Nations, including the United States. India has irretrievably lost the hearts and minds of the people in the state of Jammu & Kashmir due to unimaginable atrocities committed by its army on the civilian population.

Dr. Pir Ali Shah Bukhari, Sajjada Naseen Dargah Basahan Sharif, said the presence of an Indian delegate at the United Nations compromises the sanctity of this august body which was created to establish a fair world order. He called on the UN to decisively move towards implementing its resolutions that pledged the right of self-determination to Kashmiris. The nation of Kashmir is at the brink of extinction due to the demographic changes taking place in the State which need world attention.

 Dr Imtiaz Khan, a Kashmiri American scholar, reacted to the statement of Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar he made at the UN about strengthening human dignity across nations. Dr Khan said that the statement is laced with mendacity. It is very unfortunate that his statement about the “menace of terrorism around the world” exhibits the duplicity, deceit, deception, and decadence of moral character in general. Coming from the foreign minister of a country that is indulging in blatant violation of human rights and transgression of UN resolutions (to which India is a signatory) is loathsome and abominable. 

Sardar Sawar Khan, former Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and the Emcee of the rally, said that the people of Kashmir have made it clear that the final solution of the Kashmir disputes is not possible without the participation of the Kashmiri leadership in future negotiations.  

Sardar Taj Khan, Vice Chairman, Kashmir Mission, USA said that the whole Pakistani nation is standing with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir and will keep on exposing Indian atrocities and brutalities. We, the people of Azad Kashmir, will keep standing with the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir till the day of their independence.

Muhammad Asaad, President, Sufi Peace Forum USA, said that world powers have the moral duty to intervene to bring justice and peace to the people of Kashmir who are being systematically brutalized by the Indian fascist regime.

Khalid Awan, President of PPP, USA said that Kashmir is not forgotten. We are not going to let it happen. Why? Because as human beings we cannot afford ignoring the basic right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir for which they have given unprecedented sacrifices.

Other speakers on the occasion included Ms Madina Ambar, Coordinator Sufi Circle New York; Saghir Khan, President, Kashmiri American Alliance; Moulana Malik Sahid, Representative Dargah Basahan Sharif, Long Island NY;  Sardar Imtiaz Khan Garalvi, Secretary General, Kashmir Mission USA; Raja Razzaq, a prominent community leader; Sardar Sajid Sawar, a young Kashmiri American; Sardar Shoaib Irshad, Secretary General, Kashmir American Welfare Association; Altaf Adha of Virginia; Raja Mukhtar, Vice Chairman JKLF, USA; Ms Amna Habib Taj; Sardar Aftab Roshan Khan; Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir; Khalid Mahmood Saifi, Long Island;, Sufi Manzoor Ahmad, NY; Farhan Sadiq, Coordinator Sufi Peace Forum NJ; Choudhary Sohail Ashraf, NY;  Haji Asif Raza, NY; Tariq Nazir Khan; Mohammad Khalid Shaheen; Maqsood Hussain Chugtai; Shorab Khan; Sardar Mohsin Khan; Mushtaq Khan; Rizwan Abbasi; and Zahid Shahbaz of Pak Watan TV.

(Dr Fai is also Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice. - gnfai2003@yahoo.com)