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
demonstrations.
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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