Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
19/11/2017
One day every nation would be free from occupation and colonialism would have its natural death as well. Everything included in the world would end. This is what every oppressed people hope for. Kashmiris and Palestinians top that category of people with maximum optimism. When the Modi government, after rejecting the idea of talks with Kashmiris to end the impasse and find a lasting solution, sent interlocutor to Kashmir to talk to all stakeholders, naturally many Kashmiris seeking peace and prosperity as a sovereign nation, believe that the day is not far off when they will live in their nation without fear of military attacks. They even hope India would help them become a UN member and help them economically as well.
However, in reality, India does not have any such big ideas for peace, and it always wanted to solve the Kashmir issue militarily. Indian PM Modi has departed from his previous stand and said the military cannot solve the problem of Kashmir but dialogues would. This could be taken as a turning point of Indian foreign policy.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and both claim entire Kashmir and hence the tensions, crossfires at the LOC, mutual murders. The regular murder of Kashmiri Muslims is the most painful act of Indian state violence against the defenseless Kashmiris. Only recently the Kashmiri youth have found stones as their weapons to fight the Indian aggressors. There is the thirds part of Kashmir now under Chinese occupation. Not only Jammu Kashmir has been invaded and divided among the two plus one nation, but even the Kashmiris are being murdered by India.
Kashmiris have been facing difficulties for past 70 years for demanding the right to self-determination. Their kin and kith have been killed in thousands by Indian forces, their properties destroyed, they are jailed, maimed and blinded but now the Peoples’ Movement against an illegal occupation and genocides of Kashmiris changed the scenario in Kashmir.
The recent visit of an Israeli delegation led by Major General Yakov (Kobi) Barak to an Indian Army base in Udhampur on Tuesday, once again, exposes a deep-rooted anti-Muslim nexus between the Indian idolaters and the Israeli Zionists. The meeting between the Israeli delegation and the Indian army personnel in Udhampur is yet another proof of the anti-Muslim nexus and the policies they against the Muslims
Kashmiris must bear this in mind that they are forcibly ruled by an extremist Hindu right-wing BJP. India led by Hindu fascist forces under Hindutva slogan and their puppets in Kashmir was trying to give an impression to the world that everything is normal and under its control in Jammu and Kashmir. “These attempts are being made to divert the world attention from the Kashmir issue which has witnessed a rejuvenated phase since the martyrdom of Shaheed Burhan Wani
Black Day of Kashmiris
Frankly, each day Kashmiris have passed through after their nation had been invaded in 1947 upon their independence by Indo-Pakistani brothers according to their joint plan encouraged by the then British rulers has been a black day for them, the entire humanity as well. Later China, a veto member also joined the party along with Pakistan and India by taking a part of Kashmir for its use.
That is an international shame, shame on UNSC’s veto members.
India used the deceptive method in coercing the JK king Hari Singh to hurriedly agreeing, without any consent by the people, especially in Kashmir, for making JK a part of India and hence Pakistan fought to take Kashmir.
However, India’s ugly colonization on October 27, 1947, is a cold Black Day of Kashmiris, both Muslims and non-Muslims belonging there. October 27 has been a cruel reminder of subjugation and slavery of Muslims in Jammu Kashmir. That day has forever scarred in the collective minds of the Kashmiri people as their nation is being occupied by neighboring militaries.
Determination for sovereignty
Kashmiris have been waging their historic struggle of the self- determination of independence; their now unified struggle is taking a new phase of a peaceful movement for sovereignty and the needed attention of world community.
People of Kashmir with poise, confidence, and unity are taking their inalienable struggle in a new direction of nonviolence and peaceful agitation.
At long last, the Hurriyet leaders have made a joint forum Joint Resistance to chart their future action.
The Joint Resistance leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Mohammad Yasin Malik has condemned and ridiculed the oppressive and dictatorial ordinance passed by the State Government which calls for imprisonment for those who call and observe shutdown as a form of protest.Joint Resistance Leadership stated that observing shutdown is a universally accepted democratic and peaceful right to protest and resistance and fixing a punishment for it reflects the totalitarian and repressive mindset of the anti-people ruling regime.
PDP aids BJP in its agenda for saffronization of Kashmir
The JR leadership said that tall claims of “healing touch” and “battle of ideas” by Mehbooba Mufti and her party before coming to power, have all come to naught and instead she with her partners BJP have broken all records of committing atrocities and inflicting miseries upon the people of Kashmir. They said that during her regime killing, blinding of people, arrests, imprisonment and detention of masses and leadership, arson, canalization of people’s properties, harassment, propaganda onslaught and other forms of repression had touched a new low.
On the other hand, Mehbooba along with her cadre of opportunists have further eroded whatever was left of the safeguards of the people of the state by eroding the economic autonomy of the state through implementation of GST. As her tenure progresses so make her compromises about the interests of the people of Kashmir who are under assaults from all fronts.
The situation has come to such a pass now that even the basic right to protest through shutdowns against these moves and constant assaults is now being denied and made punishable. JRL said issuing ordinance calling for imprisonment for shutdowns is to instilling fear of retribution and punishment among the resistance leadership and people of Kashmir to discourage them from raising their voice against oppression and for demanding their right to self-determination. But like all such previous repressive measures, it is bound to fail.
The JRL said that shutdown is an accepted and acknowledged way of resisting oppression and injustice across the world and that it should stand clear that resistance leadership will continue with this right no matter how much government would try to choke our voice.
The outreach, which indicates a shift in the central government’s approach to handling the Kashmir issue through the prism of security operations without a matching political outreach, has been welcomed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. “Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward,” she said.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, said he would “keep an open mind and wait to see results of the dialogue process.” Abdullah said the dialogue process started by the center “a resounding defeat of those who could only see the use of force as a solution,” a swipe at BJP leaders seen as powerful advocates of a hardline policy on disturbances in the Kashmir valley.
In the last few months the center has been focusing on cracking down on foreign funding for separatists and in Srinagar, police and army teams have taken out dozens of local commanders of freedom groups active in the Kashmir Valley. Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the move. “Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward,” she said. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, said he would “keep an open mind and wait to see results of the dialogue process.”
India realized that genocides and terrorization of Kashmiris cannot make them “pure Indians” as per the RSS description and appointed a sort of fact-finding committee to talk to various sections of Kashmir to know their minds. Thus a journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, NN Vora, academician Radha Kumar and former Information Commissioner MM Ansari were appointed as India’s interlocutors to Kashmir. But India regime led by Congress party, the cause of all problems Kashmiris face today, refused to implement the recommendations of the commission .
The BJP government of India had been maintaining a tough Kashmir policy and had ruled out talks with separatists in recent months. The Home Minister said after completing the exercise, Sharma, a 1979 batch IPS officer with intimate knowledge of the security situation and Kashmir affairs, will report to the government of India. Sharma was director of IB from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016.
Earlier, he was the joint director of the IB’s “Islamist Terrorism Desk” from 2003 to 2005. He headed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir and was the director of the BSF Academy and additional director and special director of the IB.
Now as a representative of the government of India, interlocutor Sharma has been appointed by the Modi government to initiate a sustained interaction and dialogue to understand legitimate aspirations of the people, especially its youth, in Jammu and Kashmir regions. He meets “elected representatives, political parties, different organizations and individuals he wants to,” Home Minister Rajnath said. “Now what we will do for Jammu and Kashmir will do with clean intention,” he said. Sharma has a mandate to hold a dialogue “with anyone he wants.” The JRL must take the full advantage of the move and talk to him. They will not lose anything in debates but might gain a lot. A positive mindset is required.
The Home Minister made it clear that Sharma would have complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with. Asked about the failure of similar initiatives undertaken earlier, Singh said: “Please take it from me that whatever we do, we will do with saafneeyataurneeti (good intentions and clear policy).”
In a supplementary question on previous reports of interlocutors gathering dust in the Home Ministry, he said: “You cannot pre-judge that this initiative will not be successful. Our announcement shows how serious we are about initiating dialogue.”
When asked whether a police officer was capable of holding talks on such a sensitive issue, Singh shot back: “What’s wrong in that. He is an apolitical person having no political affiliation which is his greatest advantage. Besides he is well aware of the internal security situation of the country.”
The minister said that no time limit could be set whether it is three months or six months or more. Rajnath said that PM Narendra Modi had talked to all political parties as to what could be done to find a solution to Kashmir problems. He recalled the Prime Minister’s August 15 speech saying “neither by a bullet nor by abuses but by embracing the people we can solve the problems in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Asked about the status of the resignation reportedly given by Governor NN Vohra and whether it would be accepted in the new context, Rajnath Singh merely replied that the elected government is there and the Governor is there.
Fate of Kashmiris
In the slaughterhouse of the Kashmir valley, even the grievously injured – with pellet-scarred eyes or broken limbs – have remained defiant. Over two-and-a-half decades of rebellion in Kashmir have hardened the indifference of India’s political and intellectual classes to the human cost of the country’s repressive tactics in the valley. The hostility now appears to be total, unbridgeable, and for those on the receiving end, unbearable.
The puppet government in Kashmir – a collection of local elites comprising career politicians, technocrats, and chancers loyal to bosses in New Delhi – considers pellet guns a “necessary evil,” might make us feel grateful. At least they acknowledge the “evil” part – perhaps to address their guilty consciences.
Kashmiris are languishing in jails across India for the past 20 years. “The youth who are jailed were pursuing degrees and were bright students. Mirza Nisar Hussain, Abdul Lateef Waza. Mohammad Ali Bhat and Abdul Gani Goni are in Rajasthan jails since past 21 years while as Javaid Ahmad Khan and Mahmood Topiwala is in Tihar for the same number of years. Similarly, Bashir Ahmad Baba is in Gujarat jails for the past 13 years, Bilal Ahmad Kota in Bangalore jails since 10 years, Muzaffar Ahmad in Kolkata jail since past 11 years and in Srinagar Central Jail, Feroz Ahmad Bhat, Parvaiz Ahmad Mir and Muhammad Imran Shiekh are few names who are being held for the past 14 years.
It seems that we may have to be ready for bigger challenges and there is an utter need to remain steadfast against the occupation and against the ploys it makes in connivance with the anti-Muslim force.
It is a matter of pride for Kashmiris that despite facing so much hardship, our brothers are standing tall against the oppression and the occupation.
Sovereignty calls keep ringing, but India pretends not hearing that noisy urge of Kashmiris. Indian regime can easily give a 100 to any needy foreign batboys on mutual consent, but surrendering sovereignty after killing so many Kashmiris is a difficult proposition, and hence India hesitates to take the call.
Possibly, New Delhi still thinks it can prolong the occupation at least so long as Israel does that in Palestine. After all, they are now the strategic terror partners, though it knows too well that it cannot silence the Kashmir youth.
State terrorism and unrest
Kashmiris continue to face both Indian attacks and atrocities being inflicted upon them by their own JK government of BJP-PDP. They don surrender themselves before the state terror forces.
India uses Zionist pellets on Kashmiri children. It turns out that there exist different kinds of pellets, and in 2016, some Indian forces were using the jagged variety – which inflict greater damage to flesh and eyes alike, and which doctors say is far more difficult to remove.
The PDP-BJP government in Kashmir had deployed a fleet of brand new ambulances to securely ferry visiting VIPs from New Delhi, Israel and elsewhere to picnic spots in the valley. This was while protesters were being killed, maimed and blinded – and while the ambulances carrying them to hospitals were coming under fire from security forces.
The paramilitaries and the police have been deliberately firing into faces of Kashmir youth and children. Some suffer the limited loss of vision, some will lose one eye, some both, and some will be impaired for life, but the pitiless assault on protesting adolescents’ forces us to ask one question: is the Indian state happy to blind a generation?
It is inconceivable that policymakers in New Delhi or their advisers in Kashmir could be unaware of the destructive power of “non-lethal weapons.” Earlier this year, the International Network of Civil Liberties Organisations and Physicians for Human Rights published a report titled “Lethal in Disguise” at close range. Medics and parents were desperate to save vision in at least one eye for those who had been shot, attempting to extract the jagged and irregular pellets. Indian core media speak calmly of the need for “harsh love” toward civilian protesters to rationalize the state’s ruthless response.
With a hubris derived from its might and military dominion over Kashmir, the state convinces itself that it has the power to inflict blindness. In no time, then, it blinds itself too – to the character of democracy that is its central founding principle. The harsh repression of Kashmiri protests, the Nobel Prize-winning Indian economist Amartya Sen declared in July, is “the biggest blot on India’s democracy.”
It appears that the Indian BJP government, clouded by a newfound chauvinism and a hunger for Hindu votes, is in no mood to listen to the nation’s voices of sanity. In August, only a few days after Indian forces in Srinagar murdered a 21-year-old cash-machine watchman by firing 300 pellets into his body from close range, the Indian prime minister used a speech on Kashmir to taunt Pakistan over its own atrocities against separatists in the province of Balochistan, where the Pakistani army has inflicted forced disappearances and summary executions on the Baloch people.
Indians need to interrogate the circumstances that have led to the deliberate blinding of hundreds of young people at the hands of armed forces in Kashmir before this too is forgotten.
True, Kashmiris had become accustomed to the violence inflicted on them when pellets were first sprayed at protesters in the heated summer of 2010, and most people processed this as nothing more than a new misfortune; just another element of the war in Kashmir. If one were to draw a diagram of the assaults inflicted on Kashmiri bodies over the decades, hardly a single part would remain unmarked: in the 1990s, when the violence was at its worst, the eyes were spared; now they seem to have become a favorite target.
Many Indians have condemned Indian military arrogance in Kashmir. There has been some dissent in India in favor of Kashmiris. Journalists, activists, even some politicians, have written elegiac columns and essays on the savage response to the rebellion in Kashmir. They have implored their government to cease the brutality, to be kind, and to talk to Kashmiris. But it appears that the Indian government, clouded by a newfound chauvinism and a hunger for votes, is in no mood to listen to the nation’s voices of sanity.
A new generation of freedom-seekers grows up into blinded, maimed, adulthood, and they will carry our guilt-ridden consciences for the world.
How sad that India has become a criminal state at par with Zionist Israel! How is it all right for a constitutionally democratic and secular, modern nation to blind scores of civilians in a region it controls?
India officially is not an authoritarian state, not a crackpot dictatorship, not a rogue nation or democracy or warlord outside of legal and ethical commitments to international statutes, but a known outside as a democratic country, a member of the comity of nations. How are India’s leaders, thinkers and its thundering televised custodians of public and private morality, all untroubled by the sight of a child whose heart has been penetrated by metal pellets?
This is the kind of cruelty we expect from Assad’s Syria, not the world’s largest democracy.
Observation: Kashmiris must not miss the bus!
To recap, over 1000,000 people have been killed by Indian occupation forces during the last two decades alone in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.
India maintains a huge chunk of indefinite thousands of soldiers in the JK territory, and the military bosses enjoy immunity or all its crimes against humanity in Kashmir.
State murders and terrorization fueled anti-India sentiment in Kashmir that runs deep among Kashmir’s mostly Muslim population and most support rebels against Indian rule despite a decades-long military crackdown to fight the armed rebellion.
Kashmiris hate Indian forces so much that they in protest against continued aggression and oppressive measures to silence Kashmiris unfurl Pakistani flags and shout pro-Islamabad slogans. India’s core Hindu media lords harp on this aspect to threaten the lives of Kashmiris. They want the military forces to kill every Kashmiri Muslims if possible with Zionist guns.
As usual, to not accept the reality of popular non-violent uprising for sovereignty, India has accused Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, allegations that Pakistan denies. Now is clear that Pakistan has no role in the popular unrest which is a natural response to Indian military yoke.
Now India knows that even if Pakistan asks them to stop agitations, they are not going to stop it unless India agrees to free Jammu Kashmir from its constitution.
That is their struggle which is obviously supported by many countries mainly Pakistan. Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian security forces in recent years, killing them as if they are birds, and public opposition to Indian rule is now principally expressed through street protests.
Indo-Zionist terror goods are not matched by stones of Kashmiris.
Notwithstanding the “exploiters and opportunists” who work as Indian agents and informers, the integrity and tremendous resilience of Kashmiri people that despite being no match for India regarding population and resources, are giving such a stiff resistance to achieve the fundamental political rights.
Kashmiris should get back their nation: Jammu Kashmir. Only a peaceful solution could be reliable. For any peaceful solution dialogs and talks are a must. It is only through talks Palestinians could get their nation back as Indian state violence through Isreali terror goods, cannot be defeated by Kashmiri stones. No regional peace can be achieved and even if some stop-gap arrangement is made by a truce, etc., achieved it won’t be stable.
Hurriyat leaders particularly Syed Geelani must seize the opportunity made available by New Delhi by debuting an interlocutor with a Cabinet Secretary rank and Z category personal protection shield, the Modi government seems to have shown interest, if not determination, to find a durable solution to the explosive situation in Kashmir like unrest and sovereignty question.
Obviously, India would offer to return sovereignty to Kashmiris or let Kashmir be a part of Pakistan which now has been destabilized and economically ruined. Currently what India wants is to create an atmosphere for Kashmir to return to ‘normalcy.’ India seeks to end the unrest and agitations for whatever cause and resume occupational crimes in Kashmir and let the UN know that everything is quite normal in Kashmir. Thus India would get their legitimacy to misgovern Kashmir as before.
But the freedom groups must put forward their views and demands very clearly to the interlocutor who perhaps has been chosen to find a permanent solution. They should not insist on joining weak Pakistan but instead must argue for a sovereign Kashmir. Pakistan cold is put forward only as an alternative option but in a mild manner. India should take confidence that once it becomes a free nation, Kashmir would maintain good neighborly relations with India as well Pakistan and would pursue a neutral foreign policy without any confrontation with India or Pakistan.
By refusing to talk to Indian interlocutor, the Hurriyat leaders only lose the opportunity to be heard officially. Kashmiris have lost buses before, but this bus is extraordinary one and missing it for whatever reason would not be in the genuine interests of Kashmiris. Geelani and friends must give up their petrified mindset molded due to Indian military arrogance and genocides in Kashmir valley, and talk to official Indian representatives and find a genuine resolution.
At long last, the Human Rights Commission has gathered the courage to order India for a probe into one of the world’s strangest crimes – secret graveyards of Kashmir. Hopefully, the probe would bring out the truth about secret graveyards and Indian agenda for Kashmir.
Human rights abuses in Jammu Kashmir by occupation forces from India are too high that even UN had to condemn that. The military and governments have terrorized Kashmiris so much that they don’t want to be a part of India.
Today, the situation in unrest Kashmir is so explosive and complicated that India has just two options- one positive and sensible: grant sovereignty to Kashmir for a peaceful and settled life or two, kill every Kashmiri and confiscate their lands as the criminal Jews are doing in Palestine as part of their expansionist agenda in West Asia, and now they are trying to get a piece of land from Syria as well as a selfish leader Assad is determined to get the nation of Sunni Syrians divided.
Yes, Indian options are strictly limited, and whether it wants to be a genuine secular democracy or a criminal state like Israel, the Modi government must decide, quickly.
India and Pakistan have better things to do than fighting over an illegal entity called Jammu Kashmir.