HUMAN Rights Day was observed by the international community on 10 December 2023 as per the yearly routine. It commemorates the day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To celebrate the Day, a seminar titled: “Indian illegal occupation on Kashmir and international law “was organized at Kashmir House Islamabad on 10th December 2023 by the Kashmir Policy Research Institute and Kashmir Liberation Commission. It was a mix gathering of civil society, intellectuals, media persons and with Prime Minister AJK Chaudhary Anwar-Ul-Haq as the chief guest. The distinguished guest speakers highlighted the human rights violations in Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K), with facts & figures and with grave concerns.
It was indeed a marvelous effort of Policy research forum and worthy team of Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Commission to bring all important segments of society on board for deliberations on Kashmir case and highlight human rights violations in IIOJ&K. The session continued for over 2 hours where in-depth discussion/suggestions for ‘way forward’ were debated. Director Policy Research Institute Mr.Altaf Hussian Wani suggested AJK Prime Minister to bring revolutionary reforms in the universities of the State in which Kashmir issue be given preference in syllabus. The good students should be sent abroad for higher studies who will play great role in promoting Kashmir cause while interacting with their foreign colleagues and that will matter as these foreign students will be the future policy makers of their countries who surely will think about Kashmir which is being ignored at the moment.
Now let’s examine whether Bharat is complying with human rights as per the set-forth principles of UN/International Law or otherwise. In the juxtaposed environments of IIOJ&K, the ruthless and brutal Bharti Government has severely violated the human rights of the helpless innocent Kashmiris. In this regard, Bharat has virtually deprived the Kashmiris of the Basic Human Rights with clear discrimination. The Kashmir Valley has been turned into fortified garrison wherein indiscriminate killing and genocide is no secret. Those who are, by chance, left to lead a miserable life are without any virtual liberty to exercise their options of daily chores of life. By fortified garrison looking Kashmir valley occupied by around 07 Division of military and para military force hardly allow any freedom of movement, leading life and instead has further subjected the Kashmiris to constant physical mental and psychological torture.
Rapes of women folk of every age is a long lasting scars on their personalities. Freedom of opinion & expression is denied to the Kashmiris. They are not allowed to express their feelings, the right to choose their own legislators or to exchange their views and show the true Bharti face to the rest of the world by way of censorship and blockade of social media. Nothing is allowed to be published, telecast or broadcast through any means. Still the stories of atrocities unleashed by Bharat keep reaching the world through some means. Not only the Kashmiris are prohibited to flourish their business inside the valley but they are forcefully evicted for other parts of Bharat to carry on any work however minor and menial it may be. They are subjected to the worst financial boycott and not permitted any access to earn their livelihood. Their own business, the agricultural fields, fruit orchards and saffron farms are destroyed by cutting the trees and ruining the fields to the extent of destruction and extinction.
Education brings awareness and purpose to the youth to equip themselves with the skills needed for earning sustenance but here the constant, perpetual and everlasting curfews, blockades and harassment of people prevent the school and college going children for attending the educational institutions let alone allowing them the opportunity to compete with the rest of the world. A few unlucky students, who are allowed to go to other parts of Bharat for higher education or professional degrees, are subjected to the worst ever ruthlessness, coercion. Intimidation and harassment that forces them to either react violently and be sent to jail or quit the study and go back to the Valley. Bharat, by evil design, has changed the demographic character thorough changes made in their constitution wherein over 4 million Non- State citizens have been given domiciles to settle in Kashmir, thereby diluting the culture of Kashmir which is serious human rights violations.
In concluding remarks of the seminar speech, PM AJK assured the audience that the situation may change and good days will come of the liberation of Kashmir. With a reference to Bharti threats to attack Azad Kashmir, the PM apprised the audience that Azad Kashmir is not Palestine as we are not alone and have Nuclear Pakistan and its world renowned strong army on our back. Bharat should not forget the day of 27th February 2019 once a befitting response was given when our daring PAF pilots went across the LoC in broad daylight, shooting down their aircrafts and capturing their pilot wherein Bharat suffered humiliation world-wide and is still licking the wound.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in AJK.
Email: chinar12@gmail.com
views expressed are writer’s own.
