KASHMIR UPRISING

Kashmir is one of the oldest outstanding conflicts in the world. The Kashmir uprising
dates back to 1947. October 27, 1947, is remembered as the day when India forcibly
took over the land of Kashmir and unleashed terror. British Prime Minister David
Cameron during his visit to Pakistan said: “Britain is responsible for many of the world’s
historic problems, including the conflict in Kashmir between India and Pakistan.” Thus,
the Kashmiris are victims of the vested interests of foreign players. The Kashmiris
protested at the 10 Downing Street and called on the British Prime Minister Theresa
May to raise the issue of Kashmir’s occupation with India. “We are marking the 69th
anniversary of the Indian invasion of Jammu and Kashmir, which was authorised by
Lord Mountbatten, the Governor General of India to seek attention of the British
government which has a moral obligation towards the people of occupied Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir was invaded by foreign forces in late October 1947 and matter
was taken to the United Nations by the government of India and subsequently United
Nations Resolution of 13th August 1948 stipulated that the people of Jammu and
Kashmir be given the right to self-determination through a free and fair plebiscite.” The
protest was led by Chaudhry Yasin, the Leader of the Opposition in Azad Kashmir’s
Legislative Assembly and Raja Najabit Hussain.

As per the findings of the Amnesty Report (2010) “since 1989, there have been deaths
of 98,274 innocent Kashmiris, 94,180 custodial killings, 117,345 arrests and 106,030
destruction of houses.” Indian leadership and media are trying to project the freedom
struggle as terrorism, and silence the suppressed Kashmiris. Indian External Affairs
Minister, Sushma Swaraj’s statement before the UN General Assembly Session 2016
that Kashmir is an integral part of India is part of this agenda. India’s coercive policy
(under the cover of Armed Forces Special Protection Act-AFSPA) has enslaved the
Kashmiris within their own homeland. The current uprising, following the martyrdom of
young Kashmiri activist Burhan Wani is being led by the youth. The Kashmiri people are
asking for justice but their political aspirations are being deliberately criminalized.

The Kashmir issue, with UN Security Council resolutions in place holds international
standing. But why is this so that the Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination have not
changed the conscience of the world. In the past, the people of Kashmir have been
denied their right to self-determination and have also been betrayed a number of times.
To deny the right of self-determination is like taking the right to live. The practice is in
sharp contrast to democratic principles and in a way has fortified the extremist
elements. The international community’s ignorance to the sufferings and sacrifices of
the Kashmiri people has given a free hand to Sangh Parivar’s strategy in Indian Held
Kashmir (IHK). The Hurriyat leadership has been detained; people are being killed,
pellets are being fired at them, making them blind/and crippled. Doctors and
ambulances are being attacked/targeted. The people have also been socially impaired,
newspapers and the social networking sites are blocked.

Peace is about people encompassing political, economic and social reforms. Human
security and peace building are inter-linked subjects, both initiatives enhance the
security environment. The indigenous character of the Kashmir freedom struggle is a
proof of Indian illegal claim over Kashmir, and the doubtful instrument of accession. The
political aspirations of the Kashmiri people need a just political solution, in accordance
with the UN Security Council resolutions. In this regard, the democracies of world,
international organizations and the civil rights groups need to come forward and stop
the inhumane treatment of the Kashmiri people. However, if the Kashmiris like the past
are left at their own, then it means that the definition of human security differs; and
probably there is no such concept of humanity.
KASHMIR AND US SILENCE

Since ages, the United States (US) has long been supportive of human rights,
democracy, and rule of law around the world. The US has always regarded its values,
i.e. human rights, democracy, and rule of law as beacon of hope for the world’s
marginalized communities. These were the core values, among other things, that
helped the US defeat former Soviet Union and become the sole super power. But it is
very unfortunate to see the US silence over Kashmir carnage and gross human rights
violations by India since last thirty years. The Kashmir issue is not only a political issue
but also a human issue where countless innocent persons have been targeted by pellet
guns. The US silence and that too by the sole super power is meaningful. The Indo-US
honeymoon has brought more complications to the Kashmir issue as people of Kashmir
have started losing hope not only from the sole super power but also from the major
states led or influenced by the US, which claim to be the biggest supporters of
democracy and human rights in the world.

The US has been treading carefully while commenting on Kashmir issue largely owing
to its economic and strategic interests with India lately. There have seldom been any
blueprints of a solution that emerged from the successive US administrations and
almost all administrations tried to play “quiet diplomacy” on the Kashmir. However, the
US does realize the magnitude of the issue between the two nuclear powers. But the
fact is even today we witness the traditional policy of the US on Kashmir being a
problem, which both Pakistan and India need to resolve themselves and the US would
facilitate any such move. This is ambiguous and hazy policy of the US, which never
serves the just cause of the Kashmiris. The recent trends in the US show that it rather
wants to be neutral on Kashmir issue and that too in India’s favour, which is not
expected from the sole super power as being the sole super power it cannot remain
neutral in world affairs, especially where the UN resolutions have already been there.
Also, the US must understand that Kashmir issue has moved from the territorial dispute
to humanitarian issue. The freedom movement of Kashmiris has never fizzled out
completely keeping in view the recent wave of protests against the Indian occupation.
This must be understood by international community.

The international media has been naïve in reporting the Kashmir issue. The term
“militant’s death” and “separatist’s death” triggering violence is unfair as Kashmiris are
fighting for their freedom and should be called freedom fighters instead. The position of
the US in resolving the issues of the world has become limited in recent times. The
traditional partners of the US in Europe are getting frustrated when it could hardly do
anything when it came to issues like Crimean and Ukraine. Moreover, the US unipolarity
has been challenged, if not ended, in Asia. The phenomenal rise of China coupled with
resurgence of Russia has started giving trend that Asia’s issues must be resolved by
Asia’s very own security architecture. If the US is unable to play its role in resolving the
Kashmir issue, the simmering feeling that the US inability has become reality would get
further momentum in Asia.
Now since the sole super power refuses to even speak or comment on the Kashmir
issue during weekly press briefings, the global community must pay heed following
three months of persistent killing and a great many instances of wounds because of the
utilization of inhuman weapons, i.e. pellet guns. There have for long been witnesses of
torment and arbitrary confinement by Indian security forces amid the conflict. In 2010
too, leaked “diplomatic cables” uncovered a presentation by the International Committee
of the Red Cross to US authorities that pointed the gross misuse and abuses of
Kashmiris in confinement cells, which Indian armed forces kept running in addition by
local police and paramilitaries. In 2015 “Amnesty International’s research over a number
of years has repeatedly uncovered patterns of impunity, including unlawful government
orders to the police not to register complaints of human rights violations against the
security forces.”

Also, India has recently rejected the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) request to
visit Kashmir to probe human rights violations by Indian forces. Police in Indian-held
Kashmir (IHK) have detained a prominent human rights activist, Khurram Parvez,
spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), and was
prevented from leaving India to attend the ongoing session of the UNHCR in Geneva.
The UN General Assembly session coincides with human rights violations in IHK and
Pakistan must use this forum to highlight the issue.