IOK: 250 days of lockdown

Just a few weeks under lockdown has people up in arms all over the world. This is despite the fact that they still have working high-speed internet, phones, and in some cases, the ability to keep doing their jobs. Now imagine India-Occupied Kashmir, where the lockdown is now entering its 250^th day. And this is with no internet, no phones, and no jobs. Even essential supplies and medication were in short supply, as trade with India and the rest of the region was highly restricted. Even now, after some communications and internet were restored, heavy restrictions and lowered bandwidth meant that the internet was still largely unusable.

Then the coronavirus happened. Already 170 cases and at least five Covid-19 related deaths have been recorded in the region. The actual number would be significantly higher, given that India’s woefully low rate of testing nationwide is actually higher than the testing rate in the Kashmir region. Even a recent joint statement issued by six leading international human rights groups emphasises, beyond just the Covid-19 pandemic, concerns relating to India’s use of torture, ill-treatment, or arbitrarily depriving people of their liberty. The joint statement also reminded India of its obligation to ensure the physical and mental health and well-being of inmates at a time when it is filling jails with opposition politicians, academics, fruit vendors, and just about anyone else unfortunate enough to be Kashmiri and opposed to Narendra Modi or the BJP’s policies.

But here is where the statement becomes pointless. It goes on to remind India of its international obligations. Modi and company don’t care about international obligations; otherwise, they wouldn’t have annexed Kashmir in the first place. But what to talk of international obligations. India’s current leadership doesn’t even care about the Constitution of India. Subramanian Swamy, a former Harvard professor and one of Modi’s top advisers, recently told a US journalist that Muslims are not equal under the Constitution of India, even though Article 14 literally guarantees equality. Incidentally, Harvard sacked Swamy for being a bigot. He was also shunned by the more moderate Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which makes him the perfect guiding light for the Indian PM.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2020.

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