August 5 marks the third anniversary of the day when India scraped Article 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution that granted special autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. By unilaterally taking action on the fate of Kashmir, India wrote a new history of its atrocious acts in the valley by suppressing voices against it. Pakistan observes the day as the Youm-e-Istehsal (Kashmiris’ oppression day).
India’s handling of the uprising in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has always been condemned by neutral forces as it bears testament to the hollowness of Indian claims to being a liberal democracy. A region that India considers its integral part but with the rhetoric limited only to the area and not the people, Kashmir through its resistance has passed the verdict on its treatment by India: settle for nothing short of Azadi (freedom). This freedom is an expression of Kashmiri’s calls for dignity and rights, which they have been deprived of by India. New Delhi is viewed by the Kashmiris as a tyrannical centre and all those that partner with New Delhi as accomplices who perpetuate that status quo. In its pursuit of suppressing the Kashmiri uprising, the Indian government is using force to suppress protesting Kashmiris. The situation has been tense in IIOJK for the last seven decades and hundreds of Kashmiris have been killed and 200 injured during fierce clashes between protesters and government forces. Indian forces are crossing all the limits of cruelty in Jammu & Kashmir. This abuse of rights in IIOJK has not only affected the locals but also endangered regional peace. So the aggravated situation calls for instant intervention by the international community. Why is the UN not doing anything for Kashmiris and not asking the Indian government to stop its army’s cruelty? For how many years do Kashmiris have had to face this oppression?
The situation is bleak and requires a serious policy review on part of the Indian government. Instead of using brutal weapons, the government of India needs to make efforts for resolving the Kashmir conflict through a political settlement. Utter violence against civilians is totally uncalled for and inhuman.
Since 1948, the Indian government has been running the political affairs of Jammu and Kashmir through massive military deployment. This has become a permanent reality. Certain lobbies in both Pakistan and India help to further escalate the situation. In the unlikely case that peace breaks out, both Pakistan and India could save considerable military expenditure and ultimately bring relief to the citizens of IIOJK. Kashmir has long been a festering wound. A historic compromise is needed among all stakeholders, Pakistan, India and the people of Kashmir. Permanent peace in the region requires certain measures from both sides, which may include but are not limited to the demilitarization of the area, trade and economic cooperation, resolution of all issues through meaningful dialogue and an internal political settlement between the Indian government and the people of Kashmir. So far, the vision and strong political will needed for such a desirable outcome are missing. Unless the governments of Pakistan and India accept the intractable ground realities and give peace a chance, the people of Pakistan, India and Kashmir will continue to pay the prohibitive costs of one of the oldest conflicts on the globe. Pakistan and India have so far been incapable of even coming to the negotiating table to resolve the Kashmir dispute. In the meantime, Kashmiris should not have to live in their present state of anger, fear and pain. Let Kashmiris – pro-freedom, pro-India, pro-Pakistan — talk to one another to find a way to resolve their issues to bring peace to their beautiful valley.
