Like every year, Kashmir Day is observed across the world, including Pakistan in a show of solidarity with the oppressed and innocent people of the valley.
The main purpose to mark the day is to expose the worst ever oppression perpetrated by India against Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
Rallies and seminars were held around the world. The Kashmir issue has remained unresolved for the past 73 years and no solution seems to be in sight despite the fragile circumstances.
Kashmir dispute
Kashmir is an ethnically diverse Himalayan region, covering around 86,000 sq miles (138 sq km), and famed for the beauty of its lakes, meadows and snow-capped mountains.
In August 1947, even before India and Pakistan won their independence from Britain the area was hotly contested. Under the partition plan provided by the Indian Independence Act, Kashmir was free to accede to either India or Pakistan.
A war erupted and India approached the United Nations asking it to intervene. The United Nations recommended holding a plebiscite to settle the question of whether the state would join India or Pakistan. However, India could not agree to a deal to demilitarise the region.
In July 1949, India and Pakistan signed an agreement to establish a ceasefire line as recommended by the UN and the region became divided. A second war followed in 1965. Then in 1999, India fought a brief but bitter conflict with Pakistani-backed forces.
India converted Illegally Occupied Kashmir into the largest human cage of the world, violating of all existing HR treaties and bindings. Political leadership of IIOJK is in detention or house arrest and is being forcibly sidelined.
Indian atrocities
The prevailing situation has led to barbaric killings of thousands of people in the valley, including women and children, by the Indian armed forces.
According to a report, since January 1989 till today 2021, Indian troops more than 100,000 Kashmiris, 22,920 women were widowed, more than 1, 07,802 children were orphaned and 11,219 women were degraded. The forces molested or gang-raped 11,319 Kashmiri women.
Over 9,000 innocent youth have been subjected to disappearance in custody and their whereabouts remain untraced. Many of those are feared to be buried in thousands of unmarked graves discovered in the territory after being killed.
More than 440 youths have lost their one or both eyes to pellet injuries while over 1,070 are on the verge of losing their eyesight.
However, despite unabated Indian atrocities, New Delhi is unable to break the will of the brave people of Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, who are struggling for their right to self-determination.
India annexed IoJ&K
On August 5, 2019, India took further illegal and unilateral steps to change the internationally recognized disputed status of the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and alter its demographic structure.
Fascist Narendra Modi’s presidential decree has revoked article 370 of the Indian constitution which guaranteed some autonomy to the state. This revocation means Indians can now buy territory and settle in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
On this day, India converted Illegally Occupied Kashmir into the largest human cage of the world, violating of all existing HR treaties and bindings. Political leadership of IIOJK is in detention or house arrest and is being forcibly sidelined.
Never an integral part of India
Indian barbarism has been going on for more than 73 years in Kashmir and everyday killings are a testimony of this barbarity in the territory.
Seven decades had passed and the dispute of Kashmir remained unresolved, ruthless killings, pellet injuries to children and infants, rapes and torture; Indian atrocities in area continued unabated.
People of the region had conveyed a clear message across the globe that Kashmir was never an integral part of India.
Kashmiris pay for UN’s criminal silence
The international community has turned a blind eye to the consistent violations of human rights of Kashmiris at the hands of Indian forces.
Every year, despite making tall and lofty claims of ensuring the supremacy of human rights of all people, the promises prove empty. The world community’s lack of concern over Indian oppression in Kashmir shows that it does not believe in saving future generations from the scourge of wars.
India needs to know that armed resistance of Kashmiris does not constitute terrorism under international law. It is about time that the international community breaks its criminal silence over Kashmir.
The Kashmir Solidarity Day is also a reminder to the world of their silence in the face of injustice and a promise to the oppressed Kashmiris that they are not alone.
