ISLAMABAD, Jul 30 (APP):The Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has been reeling under brutal and inhuman lockdown with restrictions on movement of people and means of communications since August 5 last year. Human rights violations have shown a massive increase, people are feeling a heightened sense of fear and suspicion regarding their identity, cultural issues, religion, customs and language.
Dozens of innocent Kashmiris, including youth, women and kids have been killed by the Indian occupied forces since August 5, 2019 military siege of the valley till June 2020, according to the Kashmir Media Service. Some 13,582 were arrested,1331 tortured and 13 custodial killings were reported during the same period. About 935 houses, shops and other properties of the Kashmiris were also arson, and 77 women were gang-raped and molested by the Indian troops.
The Indian occupation troops, in their continued acts of state terrorism, have martyred over 95,623 Kashmiris, including 7141 in custody, since January 1989. They have subjected over 8,000 Kashmiri youth to custodial disappearance, molested over 11,200 women and destroyed as many as 110,334 houses during the period.
The Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders, including veteran Syed Ali Gillani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and ailing Yasin Malik were either house arrested or detained, and are being meted out an inhuman treatment.
The core sectors of economy in the IIOK have witnessed a steep decline after the abrogation of Article 370 of Indian Constitution last year. After the August 5 military siege, the communications blockade and curfew, a total of 144,500 people have lost their jobs in Kashmir’s tourism and handicrafts sector as estimated by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). The KCCi put the overall commercial losses in the state after August 5, 2019 at over Indian Rupees 15,000 crore ($2.1 billion) and total job losses at 496,000.
According to the Kashmir Media Service, tour operators have suffered unimaginable loss since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status (Article 370) and bifurcation of erstwhile state into two Union territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The lockdown and communications shutdown cost businessmen in billion of rupees. Some 60,000 carpet artisans also suffered in silence and Internet blockade severely affected college and university students in studies, online communications and scholarships.
The Kashmiri leadership in Azad Kashmir and in rest of the world have described August 5 2019, “the Blackest Day” in the history of Kashmir. They have condemned this act of barbarianism calling upon the international community to exert pressure on India to reverse its decision of IIOJK’s annexation.
Senior Kashmiri leader Ghulam Muhammad Safi also described August 5, 2019 as the “Black Day” as it deprived the IIOJK people of their identity of statehood. “Kashmir is not part of India. Its people have to decide their future. India cannot unilaterally change its status from a UN recognized territory to a Union territory.”
“Curfews, lock-down, crack-downs and communications blockade, incarceration of political leadership, and killings and kidnappings were all meant for ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions,” he remarked.
“The people have been saying that human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir are isolated. But, when you are not answerable to anybody, it is not an isolated incident. It is systematic – it is sanctioned by the Government of India and it parliament,” he pleaded.
“India did something unprecedented, in addition to what it has been doing in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, and it is high time for the world to stop India and secure just right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people,” he urged
Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, Executive Member of the United Kingdom-based Organization of Kashmir Coalition (OKC) said August 5 was “the Blackest Day” in the history of Kashmir as on that day last year “India once again assaulted the identity of Occupied Kashmir, fundamental freedom of people and their culture.”
“India did it unilaterally with no justification. It made a suicide attack on its own constitution. The temporary accession, they are pleading, is null and void,” he remarked.
The Kashmiris would continue struggle against the Indian occupation till it vacated Kashmir, he said. “India will have to reverse the decision and let the people of Kashmir to decide their fate. Sacrifices of our people will not go in vain”
He urged the international community to come forward and support the IIOK people in achieving their right to self-determination. “We will observe the day as an international lock-down day to awaken the world community to its pledges made to the Kashmiris.”
