23rd September 2020 | Hunain MahmoodOnce again the Human Rights Council, the third most powerful body of the United Nations, has raised the issue of the human rights abuses, zero space for political dissidents and constant internet shutdown in the Indian-held-Kashmir during the 42nd session.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Council Michelle Bachelet has urged New Delhi to ease the current lockdowns and curfews in Kashmir.
| While speaking to the session she stated, "I am deeply concerned about the impact of recent actions by the Government of India on the human rights of Kashmiris, including restrictions on internet communications and peaceful assembly, and the detention of local political leaders and activists". |
Bachelet had "appealed particularly to India to ease the current lockdowns or curfews; to ensure people's access to basic services; and that all due process rights are respected for those who have been detained." She also stressed the need to include the people of Kashmir in "any decision-making processes that have an impact on their future".
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2052916/un-human-rights-chief-urges-new-delhi-ease-iok-lockdown This criticism has shattered the image that New Delhi was trying to portray, claiming that Kashmir is peaceful and that the citizens are happy with its policies. On 5th August 2019, the Indian government revoked article 370 and 35 A. These articles allowed the State a certain amount of autonomy like having its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Jammu and Kashmir could make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and his Bhartia Janta Party, have always been against these articles, revoking them ultimately as in the party's 2019 manifesto.
However, these steps did not go down well and people of the Indian-held-Kashmir rejected them vehemently. Neither any political party nor the civil society of Kashmir has approved or endorsed these measures. Rubbing salt in the wounds, India allowed its citizens to obtain the Kashmiri domicile, aimed at rapid demographic change. It has been reported in a Srinagar based newspaper
https://kashmirobserver.net/2020/09/15/jk-govt-issues-1-7-million-domicile-certificates-so-far/, that the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued 16.79 lakh domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris. Now, the people from outside Kashmir will be able to buy property and obtain jobs in the region which were previously meant for the local people only. The change of law generated a constant feeling of animosity between the people of Kashmir and the authorities.
410 days have passed since the Kashmiris are in lockdown and are suffering unprecedented miseries. Additionally, the Indian government tried to silence the people of Kashmir by cutting-off all sorts of their communication with their leaders and opinion-makers. Many prominent leaders were detained including the former Chief Ministers. Additionally, the military had intensified its operations. AFP news agency reports that in the first half of the 2020, 229 people were killed during military operations, including 32 civilians while in 2019, 283 people were killed which had remained the highest toll for a decade. Due to these devastating measures, having peace and stability seems to be a far-fetched dream in the Kashmir region.
The international community does not reconcile with the current Indian approach to suppress the Kashmiri voices. Therefore, the Human Rights Council is not the only one raising voice for the people of Kashmir but the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also urged the UN Human Rights Council to effectively address the “systematic” human rights violations of the people suffering from long-running disputes in Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Myanmar and Nagorno-Karabakh, saying its global rights agenda would remain elusive without dealing with those issues. This statement was made on September 15. The Kashmir issue had been debated in the United Nations Security Council thrice last year while UN Secretary General, António Guterres mentioned Kashmir about a dozen times. Violating human rights is a huge abuse to the nation. Kashmir has now become an international issue and cannot be disregarded anymore.
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Hunain Mahmood
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The writer is a student of Public Administration and Governance at NUML University, Islamabad. She can be reached at: hunainmehmud101@gmail.com
