-Raies Mir
The Indian BJP government and its military and police establishment are using every brutal tactic to muzzle the peaceful and freedom voice of the people in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Kashmiris are determined to defeat every Indian Hindutva anti-Kashmir design and carry on their true demand of Azaadi (freedom) against all odds.
The Indian BJP regime, while propagating the notion that Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is now peaceful and stable following the revocation of its special status, is contrary to the reality on the ground. The Kashmiris term this campaign as just a facade. The Indian forces have intensified restrictions, cordon and search operations, and raids in the occupied territory in the name of security during the fraudulent Indian parliament elections in April-May this year.
The BJP regime, during the Indian parliamentary election in IIOJK, enhanced surveillance and closely monitored public movement by drones, which openly makes the territory look like a war zone. The Indian army troops, paramilitary, and the Special Operations Group dominating sensitive locations continued their search operations, area domination patrols, and route marches in various areas of the districts.
“If there is normalcy in J&K, what makes you create this huge amount of Indian forces personnel to deploy drones in the territory?” said a businessman and political activist in Srinagar.
The local report said that others at the market and elsewhere quietly complained of harassment from Indian forces and their agencies after the Indian parliament election dates were announced. “People are oppressed. We can’t speak openly when India is holding an election in the territory,” one shoe vendor cried out in anger, while others nodded in agreement.
Despite witnessing participating people in the recent election, over 46 percent of voters in Jammu and Kashmir have abstained from voting due to disillusionment with the unfulfilled promises of politicians and feels it meaningless. Most others come out from houses against BJP’s anti-Kashmir policies.
Residents expressed their disenchantment with the electoral process, citing unfulfilled promises of politicians and the lack of employment opportunities. They demanded the restoration of Article 370 and 35A, jobs, and that the land of J&K must be kept for J&K residents only who have a state subject, which was issued in Dogra rule.
The ongoing military operations and continuous crimes against humanity in Jammu and Kashmir have further compounded the plight of its people. Indian BJP, military, and police authorities have intensified their efforts to subjugate the Kashmiri population, resorting to wanton snatching of services, property, arbitrary land confiscations, and depletion of resources, thereby undermining the Kashmiri people’s identity and their right to determine their political future.
India, which claims itself a democratic country, is denying basic rights to the people in IIOJK and, in order to intimidate them into submission, its army and other forces’ personnel have intensified cordon and search operations, raids, and arrests in the occupied territory.
At present, the re-engineering of Kashmir’s religious and cultural landscape is a transition in Kashmir to a settler colony project under the aegis of Hindutva RSS forces. However, Modi and his henchmen must remember that popular movements like the one plebiscite demand going on in IIOJK can’t be defeated by military oppression.
India must also know that by staging elections and events and arranging guided tours to IIOJK, it can neither hide the reality nor make the Kashmiris relent in their pursuit for freedom. The Kashmiri people are well aware that such moves are just a farce and aimed at spreading mere propaganda.
India can’t stop the IIOJK people’s march for their righteous demand by gagging their voices of dissent and resorting to nefarious tactics as they are united to defeat every Hindutva design in the occupied territory. They are demanding their right to self-determination as guaranteed by the UN resolutions, and the day is not far off when they will get their birthright and break the shackles of Indian slavery.
At the same time, the world community, including the UN and big powers, must not remain unresponsive to what is happening in IIOJK as they are duty-bound to stop India’s brazen violations of international laws in Kashmir and use their clout to let Kashmiris speak what they want.
