Kashmiris facing existential crisis owing to rising tide of intolerance in India: Wani

Geneva: Highlighting the plight of Kashmiris veteran rights activist and leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Altaf Hussain Wani has said that Kashmiri Muslims were facing existential crisis owing to the politics of invasion, militarization, suppression, choking of spaces, killings, blinding, maiming, and excesses of all kinds by Indian occupation forces.

Wani, who is heading 9-member Kashmiri delegation, said this while taking part in discussions held under agenda item 9 on the sidelines of 36th session of United Nations Human Rights Council Geneva here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion Wani said, “We are concerned on the rising tide of intolerance, hate crimes, desecration of the places of worship, assaults and forced conversion in India”.

Referring to the rising tide of intolerance across India he said, “In the first six months of 2017, 20 cow-terror attacks were reported–more than 75 per cent of the 2016 figure, which was the worst year for such violence since 2010. The attacks include mob lynching, attacks by vigilantes, murder and attempt to murder, harassment, assault and gang-rape. In two attacks, the victims/survivors were chained, stripped and beaten, while in two others, the victims were hanged.”

Terming it as culture of impunity constructed under RSS-BJP regime, the APHC leader noted that the culture of impunity has led to the sudden flourishing of such communal sentiment and associated mob violence.
“It is not only about the rights of minority, Indian Muslims, Dalits and other marginalized sections anymore, it is about those normal Indians seculars and liberals included, who passionately believed in concepts of equality, justice, freedom and human rights”, he added.

The right wing Hindu extremist elements Wani said were hell bent to make India a Hindu state. “All those elements involved in hate speech have to incite violence against religious minorities are now ruling the country”, he maintained.

Speaking on behalf of World Muslim Congress, he said, “This organization calls upon government of India to end its policy of exclusion and marginalization of religious and ethnic minorities and also end its designs to change demography of Indian occupied Kashmir”.