Listen to Kashmiris

Kashmiris were heard as the Amnesty International has pin-pointedly made it clear that they are under repression, and their rights compromised. Expressing grave concern over the plight of more than 10 million souls under the Indian yoke, the rights group noted that harassment and torture is the order of the day in the occupied state, and New Delhi is indulging in grave violations merely to subjugate a community that is demanding its birth right of life and self-determination. The fact that the premier rights group focused on the last three years is meaningful, as they pertain to the curtailment of Kashmiris constitutional rights through a biased abrogation of laws by the BJP regime.

The annulment of Article 370 and 35A by New Delhi is tantamount to treason. Also, it is ultra vires of international law, as Kashmir is a recognised dispute at the UN, and no attempt can be made unilaterally to change the ground realities. But New Delhi intoxicated under the Hindutva fervour believes it can go on discriminating Kashmiris at the behest of its crude majority.

This is why the report titled, “‘We are being punished by the law’: Three years since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir” is no less than a factsheet of crimes committed by India in the held valley. The watchdog rightly observed that in recent years, civil society members, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders were penalised and interrogated in an attempt to subdue their spirits, and slapped with incarceration and travel bans. The closure of the Internet for 18 consecutive months since August 2019, and even now tail-teasing and harassing the community goes unabated. Forced disappearances, altering the demography and tampering with the ballot are other tools of coercion. It pointed out that such a harassed fervour is counterproductive and comes as a threat to regional peace.

Kashmiris under the guard of a million-man strong Indian Army are in need of being rescued, and their civil liberties restored. The international community must spare some time to, at least, read the Amnesty report and reflect and react in their selfless conscience.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2022.

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