On August 5, 2019, new hardships, restrictions, and problems arose for Kashmiris, who have long lived under the shadow of guns. On this dark day, the Modi government revoked Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, stripping the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir Valley of its special status and making it a territory under Indian administration. These articles had given Kashmiris hope and legal rights, such as buying property, obtaining government jobs and stipends, voting for the state assembly, and other privileges. With their suspension, Kashmiris lost these rights.
To stop the resistance of Kashmiris, curfews and various restrictions were imposed in the occupied valley, which are still in place, and the entire Kashmir Valley has been under siege. The jobs and businesses of Kashmiris have been taken away, it has become impossible for children to go to educational institutions, and it has become impossible to take patients to hospitals and even buy medicines for them. Kashmiris were forced to bury the bodies of their dead loved ones in the courtyards of their homes. Recently, the Kashmiri delegation at the 56th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva protested against ongoing atrocities by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir. Many Pakistani and Kashmiri migrants joined the protest on the International Day in Support of Victims. Leaders like Altaf Hussain Wani and others addressed the crowd, highlighting that India has imprisoned thousands of innocent Kashmiris.
Narendra Modi claims a new era of development has begun in Kashmir, but the reality is starkly different. Economic collapse, poverty, hunger, and unemployment expose the flaws in his agenda. A survey by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry reveals that 500,000 Kashmiris have lost their jobs, and the region is likened to a prison under Indian oppression. Targeted killings of Kashmiri youth, mass incarcerations, and the disappearance of thousands of women since 2019 highlight ongoing violence. Media outlets exposing these atrocities have been shut down, and strict censorship prevents the truth from being broadcast or published.
Non-Kashmiri Hindus are given free rein to loot state resources. For example, 70 percent of mining, quarrying, and mineral contracts are awarded to non-Kashmiris. In Kashmir, the unemployment rate has increased to 23.1% in 2023. Millions of educated youth, including MPhil and PhD scholars, are forced to apply for menial jobs. The fruit industry, which provides livelihood to about 60 to 70 percent of the local population, is on the brink of collapse due to apathy and mistrust. Barricades are being deliberately created for trucks loaded with fruits to go out of the valley.There is a need for practical measures by the international community to stop Indian atrocities and to permanently block India’s expansionist ambitions. Otherwise, the dream of regional and global peace and stability will never be fulfilled.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Rawalpindi.
