The Desperate Indian Efforts to Hold Kashmir

By

Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan

The crucial all parties meeting held under chairmanship of Indian Premier Dr. Manmohan Singh on September 15, 2010, ended in New Delhi without making any headway to lessen the fury of Kashmiri protestors. Indeed, Dr. Singh already knew the severity of the situation and had the feedback from various political parties, religious groups, and state machinery. Over and above, he had the authentic feedback of its powerful Indian Army, whose presence with absolute power in the disputed state is the root-cause of all problems.

 Few months earlier, he himself visited the state and had detailed meeting with the key pro-India Kashmiri figures, either ruling the state or forming part of the opposition. What all Dr. Singh lacked was his failure to meet the people of Kashmir or their true representatives. In Srinagar, his presence was marked by a complete shutdown of the city and other towns in the form of a general strike, called by All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on June 7-8, 2010.

Dr. Singh was expected to address two important aspects during his visit. Firstly; beginning of talks with Hurriyat and other pro-independence parties on resolution of the Kashmir issue and secondly; announcement of Kashmir specific development assistance package and projects to redress the Kashmiri grievances. However, nothing of the sort was even talked of by Indian Prime Minister, during this visit. Rather, Dr. Singh’s June visit was followed by a massive and incessant demonstrations and protests all over the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK), continuing even today.

As an immediate fall-out, Indian security forces killed Mr Tufail Ahmed Matoo, a 17 years old boy at Rajouri Kadal on June 11, 2010, during a peaceful protest for the Kashmiri’s right of self-determination. His skull was broken and brain splattered all over the place causing an instant death. Since this death, Indian security forces have killed over 150 innocent people in this Valley of mist. In over eighty percent cases, Indian forces have targeted the Kashmiri youth.

Indeed, the youth, mostly born after the 1990, uprisings have witnessed the Indian repression and brutalities with their own eyes right from their birth. Therefore, they developed a dogmatic hate against India and its occupying security forces. Indian leadership, its Military and pro-India Kashmiri groups are also aware of this reality.  It is therefore, through a consensus of all these parties that Kashmiri youth, stringently allergic to Indian presence over their soil are being targeted. 

India leadership is well aware of the fact that Kashmir is sleeping out of its hands. They cannot befool the Kashmiris anymore. The only weapon India has is the brutal use of its security forces for the genocide of Kashmiri people. India has already killed over 90,000 Kashmiris in   the decade of 1990s. The current phase is last-ditch effort to save the Kashmir from slipping out of its hands. Nevertheless, this may not be possible for the Indian occupation forces, as they were given sufficient time to resolve the issue peacefully from 2002 to 2008. 

Instead of abolishing the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), an absolute authority given to Indian Army and paramilitary forces, ‘to catch and kill’ any Kashmiri, the All Parties Meeting decided to send an all-party delegation to, “meet all sections of people and gather all shades of opinions”. LK Advani, the leader of the Hindu nationalist party, BJP, vehemently opposed the withdrawal of the AFSPA. However, the Congress led UPA Government also did not support its removal or abolishing it altogether. This means that both major political parties of India have consensus on the continuation of this arrangement i.e. the ‘Military Rule’ in Kashmir for an indefinite period. With this power in the hands of Indian Armed Forces, the basic fundamental rights of Kashmiris would remain suspended for a foreseeable future.

As a cosmetic measure, the meeting decided that, “The feedback received from the all-party delegation will form an important input to the government evolving response to various issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir.” Indian Premier, however, was clear that, “dialogue was the way forward in Kashmir” and for the meaningful dialogue, establishment of peace is mandatory. This is height of being ridiculous, that Indian leadership is asking whom to establish peace. Do not they know that who is incapacitating the peace in Kashmir?

 It is the Indian Army and its paramilitary forces, busy in killing, raping, torturing, burning, and looting in Kashmir with absolute power under AFSPA. How can you expect peace with these acts of Indian security forces? Under this special power act, Indian forces can arrest any body and keep him or her under detention for an indefinite period. It was the result of this authoritative act that Indian Army men have been widely arresting Kashmiri women, raped, and ultimately killed them in many cases.

 After this much ruthless brutalities, Indian Government and Kashmiri leaders like Farooq Abdullah desires that Kashmiri should not even raise their peaceful voice as a protest. And if at all they do that, they have to face the bullets of Indian Army personnel. Maximum weapon Kashmiris have is the pelting the stones. This indeed is not a modus-operandi of dealing with the people by its own Government. Though India claims that Kashmir is its integral part, but in the hearts of their heats Indian leadership is absolutely clear that Kashmir is not its part and Kashmiris are not the legal Indian citizens. Thus, India is resorting to make use of the force as the eventual weapon to strengthen its grip on Kashmir.

Sending the delegation of all parties for feedback once situation in Kashmir is absolutely clear, is nothing else, except a delaying tactics by Indian Government. This is amounting to give more time to its security forces for the genocide of Kashmiri people. Had wisdom prevailed, Indian leadership could have seen Kashmir as a humanitarian issue or the issue of human rights and could have made sincere efforts to resolve it.

It should be clear to India that it cannot hold Jammu and Kashmir for a long. This is final round of the struggle of the people of Kashmir to get rid of Indian yoke.  This time Kashmiri youth has decided to lead the struggle for their right of self-determination. They are all out for the freedom from India, and even do not care for their lives. With this much dedication, no power on earth would be able to stop Kashmiris from attaining their final objective, i.e. freedom from Indian rule.

UNO and international community is morally duty bound to engage India for ending the human rights violations in Kashmir and giving Kashmiris their right of self-determination in the light of UN resolutions. The Government of Pakistan should also reach out to international community, UNO, OIC, EU and other organizations of Human Rights to present a true picture of Indian atrocities on Kashmiris.  

The writer is an analyst of international relation. Email: drmk_edu@yahoomail.com