Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, killings, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, destruction of property and other grave human rights violations have witnessed a surge to an alarming proportion following Hindutva Indian government of Narendra Modi’s illegal move of repealing the special status of the territory on August 05, 2019.
A report on the completion of three years to the puppet regimes illegal and unconstitutional move, today, revealed that Indian troops have martyred 662 Kashmiris including 13 women during the period. It said that senior Hurriyat leader, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, was among dozens of Kashmiris who died in the custody of Indian police. It said that at least 2,278 people were critically injured due to the use of brute force including firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells by Indian troops, paramilitary and police personnel on peaceful demonstrators and mourners in the territory.
The report pointed out that the killings since 05 August 2019 have been higher than those in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019. It said, most of the victims were killed in fake encounters and in custody during violent cordon and search operations in the length and breadth of the territory. It said, many youth were picked up from their houses and then eliminated after being labeled as mujahideen or over ground workers of ongoing struggle of right to self determination and Hurriyat organizations. It added that most of the arrested youth were booked by Indian forces under black laws like Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The report said the killings by the troops since 05 August 2019 till date have rendered 38 women widowed and 91 children orphaned. It said, the troops damaged over 1,093 houses and structures and molested or disgraced 125 women and arrested 17,993 people including aged woman and half a dozen girls during cordon and search operations across the occupied territory in the period.
The report maintained that the life of Kashmiris has been particularly made miserable since India illegally abrogated Article 370 and 35A of its constitution on 05 August 2019. The move, the report added, was aimed at snatching away the identity of the Kashmiris through changing the Muslim-majority status of the occupied territory into a minority.
As the entire occupied Kashmir has been turned into an open-air prison, thousands of Hurriyat leaders and activists, religious and political leaders, businessmen and civil society members and youth were arrested after or before 5 August 2019 and still continue to remain in different jails of India and IIOJK. Prominent among them are;
APHC chairman, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Fehmeeda Sofi, Naheeda Nasreen, Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, Mushtaqul Islam, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Yousuf, Muzafar Ahmad Dar, Ghulam Muhammad Butt, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Muhammad Yusuf Falahi, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Hayat Ahmed Butt, Dr Qasim Fakhtoo, Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Muhammad Shafi (Khan) Shariatee, Showket Hakeem, Mehrajidin Nanda, Waheed Ahmad Gojri, Mehmood Toopewali, Feroz Adil Zargar, Dawood Zargar, Noor Fayaz, Eng Rashid, human rights activists, Khurram Parviaz and Muhammad Ahsan Untoo and journalists Aasif Sultan and Fahad Shah had been languishing in different jails of India and the territory under black law, Public Safety Act and UAPA and were yet to receive justice.
Senior APHC leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continue to remain under house detention in Srinagar while senior resistance leader Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai died during incarceration. At least, 4,500 people have been detained under black laws, Public Safety Act and Unlawful (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The report deplored that press freedom is under a constant threat in IIOJK where journalists are detained and harassed. The new media policy introduced by the Modi regime in IIOJK has further restricted the flow of free information in the territory, it added.
The report pointed out that India is using brutal tactics to achieve its nefarious goals in IIOJK. “Modi regime is engaged in changing the Muslim majority status of the occupied territory. For this purpose, it has granted domicile certificates to thousands of Indians. RSS-inspired BJP leadership wants to obliterate Muslims from IIOJK. RSS-backed Modi regime is furthering its Hindutva ideology in IIOJK. Properties of pro-freedom leaders are being confiscated to pressurize the leadership. India is re-arranging constituencies in IIOJK to give more seats to Hindus,” it deplored.
The report, however, said the worst Indian brutalities and cruelties have failed to subdue the freedom sentiment of the Kashmiri people and they are determined to keep fighting for their rights, including the right to self-determination. It said that New Delhi must realize the fact that it would not be able to silence the Kashmiris. It said the BJP government must be punished for its crimes against humanity in IIOJK. It maintained that the world community must take cognizance of India’s brutal actions in the occupied territory and force it to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations and the relevant UN resolutions.
