by Mussawar Safi 26 October 2023
India’s illegitimate occupation and invasion of Kashmir on October 27, 1947, marred the region’s history. Following the partition of India and Pakistan, India sent troops to Jammu and Kashmir, a princely state that had yet to announce its fate. India claimed this consent from Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, who signed an Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947. This deal was reached under duress and without the permission of Jammu and Kashmir’s majority Muslim population, who sought to join Pakistan. The Indian invasion violated the Indian Independence Act and the UN Charter, both of which permitted Jammu and Kashmiris to exercise their right to self-determination. Jammu and Kashmiris resisted Indian dominance and launched an independence movement that is still ongoing today. The Indian army assassinated and displaced thousands of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir. India has rejected three UN Security Council resolutions calling for a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Jammu and Kashmir, together with their sympathizers, observe October 27 as a black day to demand the end of Indian occupation and self-determination.
India’s invasion and occupation of the state violated its independence and territorial integrity. A conflict broke out between Pakistan and India because of this overt act of aggression and intervention, with Pakistan fighting to protect the rights and hopes of Kashmiris who wished to join Pakistan. To resolve the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, India turned to the United Nations Security Council, which eventually issued resolutions demanding an end to hostilities and a referendum on the issue. Kashmiris have been fighting for their independence and self-determination for over seven decades, but India has never respected any of these decisions and has instead continued to persecute and repress them. On October 27, Kashmiris and their allies gathered to protest the Indian occupation and call for freedom and peace.
India has disregarded the resolutions of the UN Security Council on Kashmir, which have demanded a referendum to decide the future of the state by a free and fair vote and has not held a plebiscite as of yet. In contrast, it has implemented ruthless strategies such as repression, state-sponsored terrorism, and demographic manipulation in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to deny the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination. Multiple sources have documented India’s alleged involvement in IIOJK against the Kashmiri people as war crimes, torture, and egregious human rights violations. Indian atrocities compelled young Kashmiris to arm themselves in opposition to their oppressors.
In 1989, Kashmiris grew weary of Indian rule that was unlawful and initiated a local freedom struggle to emancipate the region from such transgressions and injustices. Further violence and repression from India resulted in the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of Kashmiris. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that India unilaterally revoked Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian constitution on August 5, 2019, which granted Kashmir its unique status. India has been unable to contain the repercussions of annulling those articles, which occurred over three years ago. It has violated the fundamental rights of the Kashmiris and caused a humanitarian crisis in IIOJK by imposing military confinement, a communication outage, a media clampdown, and a curfew. The situation in IIOJK has garnered significant attention from the international community, which has issued a forceful appeal to India to uphold international law and human rights. Pakistan has consistently and vocally advocated for the Kashmiri cause, disclosing numerous dossiers that expose Indian atrocities in IIOJK. Pakistan has further advocated for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute, consistent with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the desires of the Kashmiri people.
Kashmir is the most militarized region on earth, with approximately 7 lakh Indian personnel stationed there, along with numerous individuals implicated in criminal activities. Since October 27, 1947, the occupying soldiers have caused the Kashmiri people suffering, which persists to this day, according to the book.
People in Jammu and Kashmir have suffered much as a consequence of the Kashmir conflict, which is more than a political dispute. The Indian occupation of Kashmir is an obvious violation of international law and human rights, depriving the people of their basic freedoms and rights. In their quest for independence and self-determination, Kashmiris have shown remarkable courage and tenacity in the face of Indian oppression and slaughter. The international world has the moral and legal responsibility to support the Kashmiri struggle and hold India accountable for its crimes against humanity in IIOJK. As Nelson Mandela famously said, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the liberation of the Palestinians.” Similarly, our freedom is inadequate in the absence of Kashmiris’ independence. We must support them in their battle for equality and peace.