IIOJK rights violations

Military ops and detentions have seen a spurt since 2019, though IIOJK had been witnessing state terrorism for long

Kashmiri Muslims’ human rights are being violated after the Delhi government refused to abide by its promise to the UN, in 1948, to hold a referendum in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, recognised by the UN Security Council as a disputed territory. The Indian government, under international laws, was bound to hold a plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of Kashmiris whether they want to stay with India or not.

After the Delhi government led by Modi ended the semi-autonomous status of the Indian Illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by scrapping Article 370 of the Indian constitution in August 2019, rights violations in IIOJK have seen an unprecedented rise. This year so far, 62 Kashmiri freedom fighters have been martyred by the Indian occupation forces. In 2021, as many as 193 Kashmiris were martyred, and in 2020, this number was as high as 232. Since these are official figures, the actual number of killings in the occupied territory is understood to be much higher. Scores of Kashmiris have disappeared, women too have been kidnapped by Indian security forces as well as shot dead on the slightest pretext of protesting against the Indian occupation of their land. Many men, including boys, have lost their eyesight due to the use of pellet guns on them.

Military operations and detentions too have seen a spurt since 2019, though IIOJK had been witnessing state terrorism for long. Draconian censorship laws have been in place after the abrogation of Article 370. Many journalists have been arrested since. The UN, its Security Council, EU, OIC, British House of Commons, US congressmen and congresswomen and many other countries and organisations have taken serious notice of the continued rights violation in IIOJK, but they have failed to put a brake on the reign of terror unleashed by the Indian occupation forces on the innocent Kashmiris. Besides the large-scale killing of Kashmiris, the occupied region is full of markers of Indian tyranny.