The BJP government led by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has broken all records of human rights violations and respect for human life by unleashing a force of terror and oppression in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
“February 5 was observed all over the world and people who believe in the rights of self-determination, respect for human rights and freedom from the clutches of the oppressors stand in solidarity with the Muslims of the Indian held Kashmir” said Chairman Kashmir Youth Alliance Pakistan, Dr Syed Mujahid Gilani while addressing a press conference in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day at the National Press Club Islamabad.
He was accompanied by Secretary Human Rights Protection, Dr Wahid Rasool and Additional Secretary Information Dr Palusha Dear.
He said, “We strongly condemn India’s atrocities not only against the Muslims of the occupied Kashmir, but also the minorities in India who have been suffering for the last 75 years.”
He shared data on the massive oppression of the Kashmiris by the Indian army, police, and security agencies and highlighted how brutally the occupying forces of the Indian army and other security agencies carried out massacres the of Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.
Not only the Muslims are being subjected to torture, discrimination, and being kept in backwardness and poverty, the lands of Sikhs and Christians in India are also being encroached upon, said Dr Gilani adding human rights have been violated in India for the last 75 years.
He drew the attention of the United Nations (UN), the Human Rights (HR) forums and the world bodies to the gross violations by the Indian government and urged them to raise the matter with the Indian government and recognize the right of the Kashmiri people enshrined in the UN Resolutions.
Since 2014, after the establishment of the BJP government, he said,the situation has deteriorated drastically and lives and properties of the Muslims and other minorities are under constant threat, he said.
Additional Secretary Information Dr Palusha said the children, women and old elderly people are being killed brutally in Kashmir and security agencies are abducting the Kashmiri youth and a few days later, their bodies are found.
Dr Palusha said the BJP government had implemented the CAA Amendment Act, which was used as a licence to murder the dissenting voices particularly the Muslim community. On the other hand, when the perpetrators are arrested and tried in the courts, they are acquitted by the courts of the country, said Dr Palusha.
She was of the view that after 2014, the Modi government divided the country along the communal and religious lines, increasing hatred against the minority communities. Even during COVID-19 pandemic, Muslims and Sikhs faced discrimination in hospitals, and mostly they were not treated properly, she alleged.
Dr. Wahid Rasool, Secretary Human Rights Protection Pakistan said Amnesty International had also demanded an investigation into violence against peaceful citizens and protesters by security agencies in India in 2019 and 2020. So far, no outcome of those demand has been shared with the media or public, he said. In 2022, the extrajudicial and custodial killings of innocent Kashmiri Muslims by the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and police personnel remained at unprecedentedly high, he said.
Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, commented on India’s stance, stating that India seems intent on inciting sectarianism to fuel riots within its borders, he said.
In 2022, the extrajudicial and custodial killings of innocent Kashmiri Muslims by the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and police personnel remained at an unprecedented high.
Besides, in June 2022, curfews were imposed in the districts of Srinagar, Kishtwar, and Bhadrwah following protests by Kashmiri Muslims against derogatory remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma about the Prophet Muhammad. Hundreds of Muslims were tortured.
The Muslims throughout India protested against the controversial statements made by a BJP minister about Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Human Rights Watch also published a report on the violent protests of 2022, stating that the religious freedom, civil liberties, and minority rights had been curtailed in India, said Dr Wahid Rasool.
Regarding the events of June 2022, three special representatives of the United Nations wrote a letter condemning this inhumane behavior of India in very strong terms. India’s abolition of Kashmir’s special status and its integration into India in fact was a grave mistake and the Indian government underestimated the resolve of the Kashmiri Muslims to continue their struggle for freedom. India has not only marginalized Muslims but has also oppressed the Sikh minority population, he said.
“We demand that the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Human Rights Commission file a case against India in the International Court of Justice for violating human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, and civil rights, similar to the case against Israel.
The Kashmir Youth Alliance and the people of Kashmir reiterate their determination on February 5 that the Kashmiri Muslims will succeed one day in their struggle against the Indian atrocities and achieve their right of self-determination.
