Don’t lose sight of Kashmir

Perhaps the only worthy pursuit in life is to fight for freedom and strive for emancipation. As the coronavirus pandemic ravages on, we need to make sure such pursuits that are being made by our Kashmiri brothers are not undermined. As all eyes have turned towards the Covid-19 virus, many are either unaware of or have chosen to ignore the recent spike in killings in IOK. As many as 102 freedom fighters have been martyred in the valley so far this year. During the last 19 days, 32 have embraced martyrdom, 22 of whom were killed in just the past two weeks; and on Friday 8 fighters lost their lives in two separate operations.

The trajectory of killings gives us an insight into India’s devious scheme — increase pressure as the issue around the world starts to normalise, till the Kashmiris finally succumb. Indian fascists have also used the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to exploit human rights by not only expediting their “settler-colonial ambitions” but also by restricting the flow of essential resources in the disputed region. With “one ventilator for every 71,000 people, and one doctor for every 3,900 people”, the Kashmiris remain ill-prepared to face the deadly virus as cases surge past 5,500.

We must stop these crimes from persisting at all costs. Pakistan’s international plea, however, has not gone unnoticed. Recently, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has spoken up against the atrocities by expressing his disquietude over the use of pellet guns against Kashmiri children. It is evident that Modi does not care much for the UN call for banning the torture and persecution of Kashmiri minors as 68 incidents relating to the detention of children between the ages 9-17 have been reported till date.

It is of paramount importance that international leaders follow in the UN’s footsteps and speak up not only against India’s malfeasance, but against all forms of oppression. The accumulated voices of people around the world in support of Kashmir, and others, will help in globally acknowledging India’s unscrupulous despotism whereby a collective and formal action can take place to ebb the suffering in the valley, and prevent such an incident from happening in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2020.

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