A Cry for Freedom and Justice

Raies Mir

February 24, 2025Last Updated: February 25, 2025

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As the struggle for political justice continues, the fate of occupied Kashmir remains uncertain, painful, and sorrowful since 1947, when Indian forces suppressed the wishes of defenseless Kashmiris and forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The people of this disputed region have long been caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tensions, military interventions, Hindutva-driven RSS/BJP communal agendas, and so-called strategic interests.

The aspirations for a better political and economic future—one free from occupation, oppression, and marginalization—deserve to be acknowledged and supported by the international community and the United Nations in accordance with its resolutions.

Jammu and Kashmir remains a region of significant geopolitical importance and longstanding turmoil, suppressed under the heavy presence of Indian military forces empowered by draconian laws such as AFSPA.

While much of the global discourse on Kashmir focuses on the dispute between India and Pakistan, the realities of life in IIOJK, including political repression, economic deprivation, and suppression of freedoms, remain obscured.

The Kashmir Valley, Jammu region, Muslim-majority districts, towns, villages, and Line of Control areas have witnessed decades of political repression, economic stagnation, and human rights violations by Indian forces, as well as communal policing by RSS, BJP, VHP, and Jansang-backed bureaucracies.
The untold story of IIOJK from 1947 to 2019, and beyond, is one of relentless struggle, suppression, injustice, and atrocities, including economic crises, property seizures, terminations of Kashmiri Muslim employees from government services, and frequent blockades of the Jammu-Srinagar highway by Hindutva groups, adding to the suffering of the people.

Kashmiris’ demands for plebiscite, dignity, and justice against Indian occupation remain active globally.

Since its occupation in 1947, IIOJK has been subjected to systematic control by New Delhi, initially under limited powers granted by Articles 370 and 35A, which were later revoked on August 5, 2019, by the BJP government through force, military siege, and curfews. While India propagates its support for Kashmiris, its illegal and draconian actions in IIOJK reveal a starkly different reality.

Following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in October–November 2024, the so-called state government under the Union Territory framework remains powerless, controlled directly by New Delhi through an appointed Lieutenant Governor.

Despite demands for Kashmir’s resolution, local political parties, leaders, and activists advocating for greater autonomy (pre-1953) face arrests, intimidation, and censorship.

The Indian army, police establishment, and intelligence agencies maintain a stronghold over the region, ensuring that dissenting political voices are silenced. The prolonged detention of political leaders and activists and the absence of basic democratic rights have led to widespread frustration, fear, and anxiety among the local population.
The imposition of new laws post-2019 and the exploitation of local resources have worsened the situation, deepening economic hardship for Kashmiris.

Despite being rich in natural resources, hydropower potential, and tourism, the region suffers from neglect and underdevelopment. While India exploits these resources, little investment is made in infrastructure, healthcare, or education for the local population.

Under the newly imposed domicile law, hundreds of thousands of resident certificates have been granted to non-Kashmiris, violating the state subject law of Jammu and Kashmir.

Narendra Modi claims that Kashmir has undergone development since he became India’s Prime Minister, blaming its supposed neglect on the Gandhis, Abdullahs, and Muftis. However, his so-called ‘Naya Kashmir’ is mere propaganda aimed at appeasing the Indian masses through TV channels and threats to local media.

Every visit by Modi to Kashmir turns into misery for its residents—roads are blocked, frisking and checking intensify, activists are detained, government employees are forced to attend official events, and schoolchildren are lined up for photo-ops. Contrary to claims, Modi has made no significant development announcements in Kashmir. Projects like the Srinagar Smart City, Semi Ring Road, and Railway Line Construction are routine infrastructure projects implemented across India, not special initiatives for Kashmir.

What has changed under Modi’s rule is the increasing influx of non-Kashmiris into the region. They are being facilitated with opportunities to set up businesses while local Kashmiris face restrictions. In areas like Lal Chowk near Ghanta Ghar, Kashmiris are barred from setting up stalls, whereas non-Kashmiris operate freely under police and CRPF protection. Journalists are forbidden from reporting there, and heavy security presence has deterred Kashmiris from visiting the area unless necessary.

Furthermore, most contracts for major infrastructure projects, including roads, buildings, and mining, have been outsourced to non-Kashmiris, causing skyrocketing prices for local resources.

More temples are being reopened, Kashmiri Pandits are returning, and non-Muslim Indians are allowed to conduct yatras and processions under heavy security. Meanwhile, Kashmir’s Muslim-majority population faces restrictions on religious gatherings. The historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar is frequently closed for Friday and Eid prayers, and mosque sermons are monitored and censored.

A select few individuals benefiting from BJP’s policies in IIOJK have become facilitators of the Hindutva agenda, prioritizing personal gain over the collective rights of Kashmiris. Such opportunists have historically shifted loyalties based on power dynamics, once aligning with the resistance and now with the BJP regime.

India’s BJP-led policy in IIOJK is dictated by Hindutva-RSS ideology rather than the welfare of Kashmiris or conflict resolution.
The US-India strategic alliance and increasing militarization have further worsened the situation. Large tracts of land have been handed over to the Indian army and BJP-linked defense companies, raising concerns about demographic changes and environmental destruction.

Local voices protesting these anti-Kashmir policies and infrastructure projects have been ruthlessly suppressed, as New Delhi prioritizes its Hindutva-RSS agenda over the legitimate grievances of Kashmiris.
Hindutva groups like RSS, BJP, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal, and Dogra extremists, often backed by Indian security forces, have destabilized the region, threatening its religious, political, and economic landscape.

In addition to economic marginalization, the people of Kashmir have endured severe human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of political activism.

Journalists and human rights defenders face intimidation, detention under black laws like the PSA and UAPA, and severe restrictions on free speech.

Indian forces have systematically used sexual violence as a weapon of war. The mass rape in Kunan and Poshpora on February 23, 1991, remains a haunting reminder of India’s brutality, where around 100 women, aged between eight and eighty, were gang-raped during a military operation. Despite 34 years, justice remains elusive, and perpetrators remain shielded. Since January 1989, Indian troops have molested and raped over 11,265 women in IIOJK, with at least 688 women martyred since 2001. Additionally, 22,981 women have been widowed due to India’s state terrorism.

The international community remains largely silent on the plight of IIOJK, focusing instead on the broader Kashmir dispute while ignoring India’s systematic oppression of its occupied territory.

India continues to propagate lies and deflect attention from the Kashmir issue while suppressing the truth about its brutal occupation.

Despite imposition of black laws, media censorship and a lack of global intervention, awareness about Kashmir’s reality is growing, with increasing calls for accountability and recognition of Kashmiris’ rights.

The struggle of IIOJK is not just about territorial disputes but also about political justice, self-determination, and the resilience of its people in their fight for a free and prosperous future.

– Writer is a journalist/human rights activist from Occupied Kashmir