Human Rights Day which is observed on 10 December every year commemorates the anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.
The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The main purpose of observance of this day is to promote equality, peace, justice, freedom, and protection of human dignity. Every individual is entitled to rights irrespective of race, color, religion, sex, language, or social status. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is undoubtedly a milestone document in the history of human rights but it loses meaning in India’s illegal Jammu and Kashmir where people have been deprived and robbed of all fundamental rights enshrined In the human rights charter. Imperialist India on the basis of military might has enslaved them and snatched all rights and freedoms which the UN human rights charter guarantees to all human beings. Their lives, honor, and everything is at stake. The only crime of this tiny nation is that they demand their inalienable right to self-determination which has been promised to them by the UN Security Council through over one dozen resolutions.
Kashmir is the oldest unresolved issue on the UN charter. It is as old as the United Nations itself. Unfortunately, the UN did nothing concrete to resolve this long-standing issue which has become a volcano now and its eruption can destroy world peace any movement. Emboldened by UN apathy India India is marrading and brutalizing Kashmir with atrocious vengeance for demanding their birthright of self-determination. It has deployed over one million trigger-happy troops to crush the legitimate freedom movement. Equipped with sweeping powers like armed forces special powers act these sevage forces are committing heinous crimes against hapless kashmiris day in and day out. They are round clock engaged in genocide, torture, abduction, incarceration, arson, analyzation of properties, rape of women, and other crimes in the disputed regions. Since 1989 these occupation forces have martyred over one hundred thousand kashmiris irrespective of age and gender. Thousands of innocent Kashmiris have been maimed through physical and mental torture. Almost the entire Kashmir has been turned into a torture chamber. The torture is used as an official policy and methods of torture used by Indian Savage forces are extremely brutal and horrible.
During the past three decades, India has turned Kashmir into a mourning center and wasteland. In order to cripple Kashmiris economically dark forces have burnt and blasted over 5 hundred thousand houses, shops, and other shelters. These ruthless troops have turned Kashmir into a land of orphans and widows. Since 1989 over 40 thousand women have been widowed and over 5 hundred thousand children orphaned by cannibal forces. Over ten thousand kashmiris, mostly youth, have been abducted and vanished forever. The relatives of these youth are moving from pillar to post but to no avail. The relatives of missing youth believe that their near and dear ones have been killed in fake encounters by Indian forces and buried in unmarked graves. It is worth mentioning here that over 7 thousand unmarked graves have been discovered by human rights groups in far-flung areas of the disputed region. These graves are believed to be of fake encounter billings. Indian devil forces are using the rape of women as a weapon of war to humiliate and intimidate kashmiris. Since 1989 these forces have raped over 13 thousand Kashmiri women irrespective of their age. Pellet terrorism is yet another gory episode of Indian crimes. Indian forces are using chemical and other lethal weapons to cripple Kashmiris.
Over the past three decades these forces have blinded, injured, and paralyzed thousands of children, women, and men through the use of pellet guns, PAVA shells, and tear gas shelling. Indian state terrorism has taken an ugly turn since 2019 when fascist Modi regimes abrogated articles 370 and 35-A. Since then Indian forces killed over one thousand kashmiris, arrested over 25 thousand, and turned Kashmir into a vast jail by deploying additional forces. In order to change the demography of Kashmir and convert kashmiris into a minority millions of Indian Hindus were granted domiciles, granted land and employment in Kashmir, and settled permanently in the disputed region. This colonial policy is aimed to impose Hindutva culture on kashmiris and turn them into a minority. Since 5 August 2019, the houses of many kashmiris have been blasted and the properties of thousands have been confiscated by the Modi regime this land is said to be allotted to Indian Hindus.
This is a deep-rooted conspiracy to deprive Kashmiris of their land and resources. Besides one million troops India is using its dozens of probe and intelligence agencies to victimize Kashmiris. These dreaded agencies on different pretexts are raiding the house, arresting people, and confiscating their properties. In the presence of over one million troops, dozens of probe agencies, Private militias trained, funded, and controlled by the Indian army, the Kashmiris are living a changed life. Indian strict surveillance, chilling atrocities, and exploitation have made their lives miserable. The human rights activists and journalists who exposed Indian crimes are killed, arrested, and penalized for raising their voices.
Today when the world is celebrating human rights day Kashmir continues to bleed, humanity continues to be impaled with bayonets, Eve’s daughter ontinue to be dishonored and raped in broad daylight by men in uniform, villages, and towns continue to find and smolder and Kashmiri youth continue to be tomahawked in torture centers. This is critical when the existence of kashmiris is under threat. Their lives, honor, and social, political, economic, religious, and other rights are at stake in the implementation of the human rights charter in Kashmir in letter and spirit. They also demand strict action and exemplary punishment for those tyrants who trample humanity under their jackboots.
The question is will the human rights champions hear the cries and feel the pain of oppressed kashmiris moaning and groaning under Indian tyranny? The question is how much bloodshed and destruction has to take place in Kashmir before the UN comes to rescue humanity in Kashmir and resolve this longstanding issue.
(Note: The writer is vice chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Insaf Party.)
