Israel monitors, bombs and shells the Gaza strip in occupied Palestine when it pleases the occupying power to do so; it has been dubbed the world densest open-air-jail. Same is being replicated in IIOJK. A Jewish majority is imposed over Palestinians who are Muslims and Christians as part of the occupation of Palestine. Similarly, Muslims are the group most impacted by the demographic change in Indian- occupied Kashmir as well. Kashmir is on the global radar theoretically. However, it is not getting significant attention on a global scale. The world is distracted; United States is consumed with impeachment. The UK is preoccupied with the Queen’s death. Europe is attempting to grapple with its own issues. The true sorrow is that Kashmir is not receiving attention from the governments of major nations that can assist us in moving from awareness-raising to actions to choices.
Since Modi’s win in 2014, several legislative and other acts have been taken, legitimising religious prejudice and encouraging violent Hindu nationalism. Human Rights Watch South Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly stated that the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “not only fails to defend Muslims and other minorities from violence, but also provides political patronage and support for prejudice.”
Human Rights Watch categorically stated that Indian authorities are suppressing free expression, peaceful protest, and other basic rights in Jammu and Kashmir, three years after removing the region’s special autonomous status. The government’s harsh practises, as well as its reluctance to investigate and prosecute reported security force violations, have intensified Kashmiris’ fear. If this wasn’t enough, authorities in India have shut down the internet more frequently than in any other country. The vast majority of these shutdowns have occurred in Indian illegally occupied Kashmir, where they are used to curb protests and restrict access to information.
Despite the fact that political movement of politicians in Kashmir is restricted, and Kashmiris routinely face torture, extrajudicial killings, house arrests, fake encounters, rape of Kashmiri women, and journalist abductions, India is vehemently attempting to persuade the international community that the disputed region is reasonable. India is constantly pushing to modify the region’s demography. Pakistan has condemned such horrific crimes by India thousands of times since its occupation of Kashmir, but the world community pays little to no heed to the Kashmir problem and even maintains a strong connection with India despite violation of human rights.
What should the world do?
This unlawful Indian conduct, which has violated international law, not only made life miserable and difficult for Kashmiris, but also destabilised and agitated the region as a whole. The Indian government’s long history of failing to safeguard the people of Kashmir will continue to feed the never-ending cycle of cruelty and impunity. Facilitating a Kashmir peace treaty provides a chance for the UN to prove that it “means what it says” about democracy and human rights. It would send a message to India and the rest of the world confronted with the growth of authoritarianism about the uniqueness and worth of Western global leadership. Indian acts have been condemned by the world media, civil society, and human rights organisations. Many Western philosophers, correspondents, and political leaders have likewise criticised and criticised India for what it has done. Kashmir is the greatest source of tension between the two nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan. Three wars between the two countries have been fought over Kashmir, which is home to a large Muslim population. Kashmir is seen as a logical extension of Pakistan. Localized fighting persisted throughout 1948, but in January 1949 a ceasefire was declared when the UN intervened. The cease-fire line, also known as the Line of Control, which divided Kashmir between India and Pakistan, was established in July of that year. With around 500,000 Indian troops deployed, Kashmir is currently the most heavily fortified area in the world.
My argument is that now is the time for UN and the global community to step in. When Kashmiris would have been slaughtered, ethnically cleansed, and completely expelled, it would be too late for the United Nations to help. The world needs to intervene, that too, now! Else the world is witnessing Palestine SILENTLY.
