Modi’s election charade in IIOJK: A bid to legitimize illegal occupation
#ElectionsInIIOJKASmokescreen
Srinagar: The BJP led Hindutva government’s decision to hold parliamentary election in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is seen as a desperate attempt by New Delhi to legitimize its illegal occupation of the disputed territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Srinagar-based political analysts and activists, speaking to media on condition of remaining anonymous for fear of reprisals, have denounced the elections as a sham and a propaganda tool aimed at distorting the reality of the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle.
“The Indian government wants to give a false impression to the world that everything is normal in Kashmir, but the reality is far from it,” said an analyst. “The Kashmiri people are being subjected to brutal oppression, and their voices are being silenced through military might”, he added.
“The Kashmiri people have long demanded the right to self-determination, as guaranteed by the United Nations. However, India has consistently refused to grant them this basic right, instead imposing its own rule through military force” an activist said, adding, “The elections are seen as a further attempt to undermine the Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom and self-determination”.
“The elections are a mere drama, aimed at misleading the international community into believing that Kashmiris are participating in the Indian democratic process,” they said. “But the reality is that the so-called elections in occupied Jammu and Kashmir mean nothing for the oppressed and subjugated Kashmiris.”
They said, “Election dramas in internationally-recognized disputed territory of Kashmir is tantamount to undermining credibility of the United Nations, which has reiterated its position that the Kashmir dispute must be resolved through a free and fair plebiscite, in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people”.
The experts and activists see the Indian parliamentary elections in IIOJK as a key component of New Delhi’s strategy to normalize its illegal occupation of the territory and give legitimacy to its 5 August 2019 illegal actions. However, they maintained, the Kashmiri people remain resolute in their demand for freedom and self-determination, and have vowed to resist India’s attempts to suppress their voices.
