India tramples int’l laws to suppress Kashmiris’ freedom struggle: Muzammil Ayub Thakur
Islamabad: Renowned Kashmiri activist Muzammil Ayub Thakur has strongly condemned India for violating international laws and silencing the voices of Kashmiris who demand their right to freedom and self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking at a debate on Kashmir held at Oxford University, London, Thakur emphasized that the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have been deprived of their fundamental rights for decades. While the debate took place in November last year, its footage was released recently.
Describing IIOJK as the most militarized region globally, Thakur highlighted the widespread human rights violations resulting from the deployment of hundreds of thousands of Indian troops. He pointed to the martyrdom of countless Kashmiris and the horrific sexual violence inflicted on Kashmiri women, exacerbated by the dehumanizing rhetoric of Indian political leaders. Thakur criticized BJP figures who openly call for the brutalization of Kashmiris, urging Indians to marry Kashmiri women and advocating for harsh punishment of the Kashmiri people, with Indain army officers on news channels calling for rape.
He shared numerous heartbreaking cases of brutality, including the blinding of 18-month-old Hiba Nisar, the gang-rape of pregnant women by the Indian army, jailing of journalists for doing their job and widespread civilian torture. Thakur also described the gruesome practices in torture centers like Cargo and Papa 2, where pliers and electrocution were used to inflict unimaginable suffering. He stressed that thousands of unmarked graves stand as grim testimony to the atrocities committed by Indian forces’ personnel. Thakur underscored that these sacrifices demand immediate international attention to uphold the Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination, long denied by India’s oppressive policies.
He drew parallels between India’s freedom struggle against British colonial rule and the Kashmiri struggle, calling out India’s hypocrisy in delegitimizing Kashmir’s fight for freedom. “Every Indian celebrates their struggle against colonialism, yet the same people brand the Kashmiri freedom movement as illegal. This double standard is deeply regrettable,” he remarked. He also criticized India for undermining the United Nations, which has recognized the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through multiple resolutions. India’s continued suppression of Kashmiris, he said, is a blatant disregard for international law and a dishonor to the global body.
Thakur reiterated that the struggle for freedom is a legal and moral right of the Kashmiri people, enshrined in the UN Charter. He concluded by asserting that resisting injustice and fighting for one’s rights is not only lawful but also a fundamental duty of the oppressed.
