India's Ill-treatment of Kashmiris

A Sovereign Kashmir: Random Thoughts-137

-DR. ABDUL RUFF

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There seems to be no end to Indian drive towards deriving sadistic pleasure in murdering and torturing Kashmiris in their own nation under Indian brute occupation. There is nothing new or wrong when a Kashmiri in Kashmir feels suffocated by the occupying Indian terror forces and says Kashmir is a large jail, controlled by paid Indian agents both in military and civil uniforms. Murders, arrests and protests are a routine matter in occupied JK just as the  curfews being clamped by the Indian invaders. On  08 January protest demonstrations, marked by complete shutdown, continued in Tral for the second consecutive day, today, against the arrest of an innocent girl by the police. Hundreds of people took to the streets raising anti-India and pro-liberation slogans. They demanded immediate release of the girl. and also booking of five Kashmiris under the draconian PSA.

Kashmir remains a flash point between the majority Hindu religion country of India and Pakistan.Their armies face each other across the state's mountainous and isolated terrain. Both countries periodically blame the other for harboring anti-government insurgents on their side of the border. The area was split between Pakistan and India when the countries were created upon the withdrawal of British colonial forces in 1947. The valley's population of 4 million is mainly Muslim. Freedom demonstrations have meant police and the military adopting wide-ranging powers of search and arrest under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, a cause of much resentment among the state's population.

A free movement of people and trade across LOC will serve as a potential confidence building measure and facilitate people to people contacts as well as education tours, pilgrimages and cultural exchanges. Better understanding of each other’s culture will help to remove misconceptions and misgivings. The Indian Home Secretary’s announcement of reducing the strength of security forces by 25% during the next 12 months is a positive step. The head of the army was quick to react saying terror India will maintain troop levels in the troubled state of Jammu Kashmir, although paramilitary forces may be reduced.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, leader of the hard-line Hurriyat Conference Independence group, called the reduction in security forces "inconsequential" and reiterated his demand made earlier this month that all Indian troops leave the state.Geelani said the government "perpetrated the worst form of state terrorism, killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands.Addressing a press conference at his residence in Srinagar where he remains under perpetual house arrest by Indian puppet r government in JK, the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference and the President of Tahreek e Hurriyat (TeH), S. Shah Geelani said that India has imposed military rule in the occupied Jammu Kashmir and is grossly involved in the massacre of Kashmiri people.

Geelani reminded India that occupied JK is a disputed territory and it needs a resolution at the earliest. He pointed out that the Hurriyat detainees were being subjected to inhuman treatment in jails. The APHC Chairman said that Indian judiciary is working under the political influence and has failed in providing justice to the victims of human rights violations by Indian troops. The Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement, a constituent of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference has denounced the continued illegal detentions, raids and frisking of Kashmiris by Indian police in the territory. The spokesman expressed concern over the subjecting of Kashmiri detainees to physical and psychological torture by the jail authorities. He condemned an advisory issued by Mumbai police to scrutinize the Kashmiris.

Geelani expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of illegally detained Kashmiris and appealed to the world human rights organizations to help in their release. He urged India to revoke the draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and rejected the announcement of the Indian Government that it would ease travel restrictions and give multiple-entry permits valid for six months to the Kashmiris living in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to visit their families in the territory. In fact, there is no need of travel permits for Kashmiris to visit their relatives across the Line of Control (LoC), after all they are not going to Pakistan. Geelani, who is also the President of Tahreek e Hurriyat (TeH) Jammu & Kashmir said that Jammu & Kashmir is also a humanitarian dispute that has separated a brother from brother, wife from husband, and son from father.

Complete peace in South Asia is impossible without settling the dispute over Kashmir unless India vacates JK. Illegally detained APHC leader and the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM), Zafar Akbar Butt, has urged India to settle the Kashmir dispute for establishing permanent peace and stability in the South Asian region. Hurriyat leaders have expressed serious concern over plight of the Kashmiri detainees. The jail authorities are subjecting even the relatives of detained Kashmiris visiting them  to maltreatment.

Communist Party of India (CPI) JK State unit today asked India to cut terror troops in JK saying that substantial withdrawal of forces will have positive bearing on creating conducive environment.  There would be a decline in militancy related incidents and reduction in infiltration necessitates befitting response in the shape of reducing presence of forces to restore confidence of people. The state terror reduction should be done without any further delay as it was within the competence of the State government and in sync with the 8- point package announced by the Centre few months back. The banking facilities and communication links need to be put in place to give boost to the quantum of trade. Cross LOC trade if nurtured properly will help to grow economies of the divided State significantly. Public Safety Act of the State needs to be amended to strip off its harsh provisions is in contradiction with civilized norms and democratic principles. Succession of arrests taking place under the PSA in the present form is violation of the rules itself.

India conducts a smear campaign against Pakistan saying it wants to merge JK with Pakistan which is an utter lie. Pakistan has freed a pert of JK in a war and established an independent state. India is also unhappy over Pakistan’s continued support for Kashmiri sovereignty. The people and government of Pakistan feel indebted to Pakistanis for their moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiris and highlighting the Kashmir dispute at all forums. Indian armed terror forces that actually rule JK  keep arresting more and more innocent persons in Srinagar and Doda areas. Geelani reiterated that the Kashmiris would continue their just struggle till the presence of single trooper in the territory. Senior leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Shabbir Ahmad Shah has said that the blood of Kashmiri martyrs will not be allowed to go waste and their sacrifices will bring positives results soon.

India has converted a heaven into a large cantonment cum grave yard for which Asian nations have deputed India to the notorious UNSC. This is another international shame equivalent to GST occupation of other Muslim nations by NATO terror syndicates led by USA-UK terror twins. However, all illegal murders and arrests and the use of brute force by India could not prevent the people of Jammu Kashmir from continuing the just struggle for securing their right of Self-Determination. International community should come forward to help stop forcible division of Kashmiri people by the invaders from New Delhi.