Unifying Kashmiris

Cutting across political divides, the people of Kashmir vehemently condemned the recent tragic attack in Pahalgam, a popular scenic town in Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.

Local Kashmiris played a significant role in rescuing the injured, using ponies and makeshift stretchers to evacuate victims from inaccessible areas. However, instead of appreciating the Kashmiris' empathy and humanity, Kashmiri students studying across India have faced harassment and hooliganism under the watchful eye of India's security establishment.

A wave of war hysteria has gripped India, with even traditionally moderate voices calling for retribution against Pakistan and Kashmir. The reaction of the Indian government, media, and political leadership – losing all sense of proportion and fanning the flames of conflict – suggests a dangerous consensus in India: to sever all remaining ties with Pakistan.

As the situation unfolds, it is increasingly clear that the people of Kashmir will bear the major brunt of renewed India-Pakistan hostilities. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, Indian security forces demolished many Kashmiri homes and detained more than 1,500 individuals in a sweeping crackdown based on suspicions and baseless allegations. To terrorise the population further, Indian forces reportedly killed the brother of a jailed militant in a staged encounter. Dozens of homes were raided, and families – many of whom have had relatives imprisoned since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 – were harassed and intimidated.

Meanwhile, a fresh redeployment of forces is underway. Additional financial and human resources have been allocated to expand the already massive security grid in the heavily militarised region. Skirmishes along the Line of Control (LoC) have resumed, so far limited in scale but with the ominous potential to escalate at any moment.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Held Kashmir has remained largely silent. Yet it was evident that this artificially imposed peace, achieved by detaining thousands of political workers, jailing prominent human rights activists like Khurram Parvez, and placing unprecedented curbs on local media, was fragile and unsustainable. Fearless journalists were silenced, dissent was criminalised, and a suffocating atmosphere prevailed.

While the people of Indian-held Kashmir have endured immense suffering for decades, it now appears that the worst may still be ahead. In light of the growing challenges, it is imperative to bring together all pro-azadi (pro-freedom) and resistance voices onto a single platform, setting aside ideological, political, and personal differences. The harsh reality is that, under the unprecedented military control that grips every sphere of life in Kashmir, no major political voice can openly challenge India's actions.

The post-August 2019 constitutional, administrative, political and social developments are widely perceived as an existential threat to the indigenous people of Kashmir. Over the past six years, India has skillfully disempowered Kashmiris – particularly Kashmiri Muslims – through systematic changes. Quietly, it has implemented measures reminiscent of the model used by a genocidal state in the Mid-East, further entrenching control and eroding local identity.

As a consequence of the conflict and escalating repression, educated and financially stable Kashmiri youth are emigrating in large numbers to the Middle East and Western countries, seeking safety and opportunity abroad.

In this scenario, the Kashmiri diaspora living in Europe, the UK, the US and Canada has the potential to keep the spirit of azadi (freedom) alive and thriving. Although currently divided along political lines, the existential threat now facing Kashmiris could serve as a unifying force. In my view, the diaspora must rally around a simple, yet powerful principle: the future of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir must be decided solely by the people of Kashmir, and whatever the majority chooses should be respected by all. No alteration to the geographical integrity of Jammu and Kashmir must be accepted, and the pursuit of a peaceful solution must remain the guiding objective.

If Kashmiris – especially those living in Azad Kashmir and in the Western world – fail to act wisely, to unite their voices and efforts, the suffering of the people of Indian-held Kashmir will only deepen. Moreover, India’s growing ambitions to forcibly annex Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan present a looming threat that cannot be ignored.

The time to act is now. Flexing political and intellectual muscles is essential by organising conferences, seminars and global media campaigns. India's record of human rights violations in Kashmir is well-documented. It has been caught red-handed sponsoring transnational terrorism in countries like Canada, the US and Pakistan. A plethora of academic research and reports published by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other respected organisations have consistently shown that minorities in India face discrimination and persecution based on race, religion, and political opinion.

These reports and this research provide ample ammunition to counter Indian propaganda. They also serve as powerful tools to expose India’s intentions to launch aggression against Azad Kashmir and its ongoing involvement in sponsoring terrorist activities within Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance contributor. He tweets @ErshadMahmud and can be reached at: ershad.mahmud@gmail.com