The Latest from Indian Occupied Kashmir

Sunday 8 December 2019

The Latest from Indian Occupied Kashmir

Military siege continues to affect daily life in IOK

Srinagar, December 08 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, unabated military siege and lockdown continue to affect the daily life in the Kashmir Valley and parts of Jammu region on 126th straight day, today.

A sense of fear prevails among the local population due to the imposition of restrictions under Section 144 in the territory. Shops and other business establishments are mostly closed and educational institutions and offices wear a deserted look as mark of people’s disobedience against Indian occupation, particularly anti-Kashmir steps taken by India on August 5.

The suspension of internet, text messaging and prepaid mobile services continues to haunt almost all segments of the society including students, businessmen, doctors and patients.

Senior Congress leader and former Indian Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said that the freedom was being denied to 75 lakh people in the Kashmir valley. P Chidambaram addressing a press conference in Channai after release from Delhi prison dubbed the Indian government “retrograde”.

A bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the US House of Representatives asking India to end the restrictions on communication and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir.

End curbs, allow int’l observers to access IOK, India asked

Washington, December 08 (KMS): A bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the US House of Representatives asking India to end the restrictions on communication and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible.

Resolution number 745 was introduced by Indian-American Democrat lawmaker Pramila Jayapal, along with Republican lawmaker Steve Watkins. It has been more than four months now since political leaders, including three former chief ministers, were detained in Jammu and Kashmir, following the revocation of Article 370 under the Constitution that gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The internet remains cut off for most people. The resolution in the US, which will be put to vote in the house, says: “…Urges the Government of India to lift the remaining restrictions on communication and to restore internet access across all of Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible; swiftly release arbitrarily detained people in Jammu and Kashmir; refrain from conditioning the release of detained people on their willingness to sign bonds prohibiting any political activities and speeches; allow international human rights observers and journalists to access Jammu and Kashmir and operate freely throughout India, without threats, and condemn, at the highest levels, all religiously motivated violence, including that violence which targets against religious minorities.

The US lawmakers said they reject arbitrary detention, use of excessive force against civilians, and suppression of peaceful expression of dissent as proportional responses to security challenges.

“…Urges the Government of India to ensure that any actions taken in pursuit of legitimate security priorities respect the human rights of all people and adhere to international human rights law,” the resolution said.

The US House is Representatives is dominated by Democrats who have been extremely critical of India’s restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. India has been lobbying hard to counter this, and has hired a lobbying firm close to the Democratic Party to get its message across.

There have been two US Congress hearings on Jammu and Kashmir so far.

In October, India said it is regrettable that a few US lawmakers used a Congressional hearing to question measures to protect the lives of people in Jammu and Kashmir. “It is regrettable that a few members of the US Congress used the Congressional hearing on human rights in South Asia to question the measures taken recently to safeguard life, peace and security in Kashmir,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar had said.

Syed Ali Gilani calls for shutdown, Black Day on World HR Day

Srinagar, December 07 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Gilani, has appealed to the people to observe the World Human Rights Day, the 10th December, as Black Day to draw the attention of the international community towards the appalling human rights situation in the territory.

Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar also asked the masses to mark the day with complete shutdown to remind the world that it has an obligation to stop Indian repression against the Kashmiri people and play an effective role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

The APHC Chairman said when the world is observing Human Rights Day, Indian occupational forces have broken all records of committing barbarity and excesses on the Kashmiri people. He said that Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, was a milestone with regard to the rights and freedom for every human being, but despite this universal document, Kashmiri people’s political and human rights were being violated constantly.

Syed Ali Gilani said that the continued denial of right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir was the biggest human rights violation. He maintained that right to self-determination is a universally recognized right and the same was promised to people of Jammu and Kashmir by the United Nations but India was suppressing this right by resorting to the worst human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. “It is unfortunate that the world has remained largely unmindful about these violations and as a result India got encouraged to carry on its brutal repression against peaceful and unarmed Kashmiris,” he added.

The APHC Chairman said that the Kashmiri people were suffering for the past over seven decades due to the non-resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He said that New Delhi’s obduracy had remained a stumbling block in the peaceful settlement of this dispute and noted that New Delhi was denying not only the Kashmiris their fundamental right to self-determination but was continuously violating their civil and political rights at the dint of its military might. He said that human rights violations would continue to occur as long as Indian troops were present in occupied Kashmir. He urged the international community to break its silence on the current human rights situation in Kashmir and held India accountable for its crimes in the territory.

Syed Ali Gilani said that people in occupied Kashmir were striving for their just rights but India was using brutal methods to suppress their genuine aspirations. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have seen and continue to see the worst human rights violations as state repression goes from bad to worse post India’s illegal and unilateral action of stripping Kashmir of its special status on August 5, 2019. He said Jammu and Kashmir, already one of the most militarized zones on earth, has been under inhuman lockdown since then, with a communications blackout, mass arrests, and an intensified military presence.

The APHC Chairman said over 70 years have passed and Kashmiri people continue to suffer immensely at the hands of Indian forces, who are implementing the policy of subjugation of Kashmiris and control over their lives, rights, culture and dignity. He maintained that India will face humiliating defeat in Kashmir one day as history is witness to the fact that freedom struggles can’t be suppressed by dint of force forever. He added that the people’s will to fight for their freedom is stronger than the usurper’s evil machinations.

Syed Ali Gilani said today when Indian rulers are displaying bigotry and have increased repression manifold against the Kashmiri people to defeat their resistance, it is the duty of all Kashmiris to remain steadfast, uphold unity in their ranks and keep the flame of freedom lit. He said that a struggle that is nourished by the sacred blood of martyrs cannot be defeated and as long as a single Kashmiri is alive, this struggle for freedom and right to self-determination will remain alive.