The Kashmir Question
By Hamza Hafeez Lawyer
Amid exacerbating diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been aggravated to its worst point ever in the history of Kashmir conflict. Both countries have faced almost nine war and near-war situations in their short history of seven decades on the contentious issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
The most recent uprising in the occupied valley has been effectuated by the martyrdom of a young freedom fighter, Burhan Wani , at the hands of occupying Indian forces. More than 140 civilians have been killed by the Indian army in the aftermath of Burhan’s martyrdom. Several thousand Kashmiri people have been injured including a few Indian army personnel.
The most intolerable and heartrending aspect of this state-led terrorism is the use of pellet guns by Indian army. Hardly can we find any example of such a ruthless use of pellet guns at unarmed protesters in the modern history of the world. During the past four months, metal pellets have caused injuries to at least 1178 eyes. Vision loss is almost certain in every case (although the degree might vary) but at least 300 people will never be able to see with their eyes. Doctors at SMHS hospital Srinagar have confirmed that over 50% of the injured are those who have yet to reach 20 years of age. Even children as young as four and nine years old have been hit by pellets in eyes, destroying their vision. In addition, the longest curfew in the history of curfews in Kashmir has badly destroyed the social life of the whole population of Kashmir.
Whatever is going on in Jammu and Kashmir is the most monstrous, heinous and barbarous form of state terrorism the world has witnessed thus far. The silence of the international community over the killings and genocide in Jammu and Kashmir reflects the relation of morality and humanity with international affairs.
A nation which claims to be the biggest democracy of the world, is systematically, viciously and willfully mass massacring innocent and unarmed children, women and youth of an illegally occupied territory. What is their crime? Their only “crime” is that they are demanding to exercise their fundamental political right to decide their own future, to exercise their right to self determination, which is embodied in the charter of the United Nations, of which India is a member. A right which is recognized by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which too India is a party. People of Jammu and Kashmir have been subjected to brutal aggression merely because they desire to decide their own future just as the people of Algeria and East Timor did, merely because they do not allow power to prevail over principle and merely because the world is silent over the war crimes committed by the Indian army… otherwise the situation in occupied valley might have been much different today.
The detection of Indian submarine in Pakistani waters and shooting down of an Indian drone in Pakistani territory shows the offensive stance of India to achieve its hegemonic designs in the region and also the defensive position of Pakistan to protect its national frontiers.
Apart from this is the repeated violation of the Line of Control (LoC) by Indian forces. LoC is the disputed border between the two countries which separates Kashmir into two parts administered by India and Pakistan. Due to the breach of ceasefire agreement by India, a threat of war is constantly hanging over the head of the nuclearized subcontinent. Now that both the countries have nuclear weapons, a war between them would mean utter disaster.
When we look at the map of Asia, India is a much bigger country than Pakistan, almost four times larger in terms of area, but when we look at the war crimes committed by India in Jammu and Kashmir, we come to know that she has a much smaller heart than Pakistan.
Today the world is silently watching Indian aggression, sacrifices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan’s attempts to maintain peace in the region, but I fear the day when the world will regret its silence and when there will be nothing but destruction and ashes. But before that day, there is an opportunity for the international community to intervene and bring an end to the wanton aggression of India. (The writer is a social worker and human rights activist)
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