Ignoring Kashmir issue no longer possible

The Indian government has failed to protect its minorities while the situation in the Indian-occupied Kashmir is becoming graver day by day as the current events show. The Kashmiri leaders and ordinary people are vociferous in opposition to the Indian designs; either they are fighting the Indian troops with boots on the ground or are staunchly ideologically opposed to them. The developments in the valley -- including wanton killings of political activists and militants, violent strikes, waving of Pakistani flags, aggressive rallies, etc -- show the simmering hatred towards the brutal Indian rule.

Since August 1947, the Indians have unleashed a reign of terror in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The world knows human rights abuses are routine and range from mass indiscriminate killings, summary executions, forced disappearances and kidnappings, excessive torture, rape as a weapon of war and sexual abuse besides political repression and suppression of freedom of speech. The Indian Army, Special Operations Group (SOG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) have been involved in a systematic killings and torture of Kashmiris. Civilians including women and children have been killed in cold blood in reprisal attacks by Indian security forces and entire villages burnt down and wiped out. International NGOs including Amnesty, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the US State Department, besides the Western media have documented these atrocities.

Meanwhile, the legal protection to the Indian troops in the guise of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) continues. The Act enables Indian Security Forces to detain prisoners without trial for up to two years. This brutal law has allowed the Indian forces to deal with the Kashmiris as they please with little fear of prosecution.

The Modi government is also making efforts to end the special status of the valley and integrate the disputed state into the Indian Union. It is also making attempts to change the demography of the valley by bringing in non Muslim retired army men. This is being carried out in violation of laws that prohibit naturalization of non-indigenous settlers.

As BJP’s efforts to put the Kashmir issue on the backburner and to tighten its grip through other means like administrative reforms, new legislation and demographic changes continue, Prime Minister Modi during his recent visit to the occupied valley announced a $12 billion economic aid package, claiming that he wanted to restore Kashmir to its "former glory" and "build a new Kashmir, a powerful Kashmir."

This was quickly countered by the Kashmiris in general and the Hurriyat leaders in particular. Syed Ali Geelani declared that only providing the promised right to self-determination will change the fate of Kashmir, not mere economic packages. The rejectionist sentiment towards the package was widespread.

As it is, Modi was not welcome to the valley, which was put on a high alert ahead of the visit. An undeclared daytime curfew was imposed in Srinagar with snipers on rooftops, road obstacles, concertina razor wires, armoured vehicles and sniffer dogs while internet was blocked. There were a large number of Indian Army and law enforcement agencies personnel while the common man was missing.

From potentially being one of the most dangerous disputes in the world, the unresolved Kashmir issue remains a ticking time bomb. Given its history, the issue is as serious as the Palestine issue – if not more -- and the world must realise it and help resolve it.