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Plight of the Kashmiri peopleThe POST, Sun, Jun,24, 2007.Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema
While the lip service is regularly paid to the gradually improving conditions in Kashmir particularly by state governments, the real situation has not really improved at all. On the contrary the situation for an ordinary Kashmiri has further deteriorated. Not only the Indian security forces have accelerated their killing machines but have also effectively hoodwinked the international community. Neither the international community nor the central Indian government has undertaken any corrective measures. Former Prime Minister Vajpayee once stated during his own tenure that the people of Kashmir are fed up with the violence and terror and want peace. This assumption appeared to be sound as it is only logical to assume that the ordinary people living anywhere under the conditions that are prevalent in Kashmir would not only abhor violence but would impatiently be longing for early advent of peace. An important question that needs examination is that who is perpetrating violence? In fact there exist three sources that are somewhat regularly contributing their share towards the ongoing violence in Kashmir. Admittedly each of these sources has put forward some form of justifications in order to legitimize their methods, which in turn are producing and contributing violence. India maintains over 700,000 security forces in Kashmir, which are known to be contributing the largest share of violence in the name of security. The brutalities of the Indian security forces have been adequately recorded and documented by the international human rights associations. The activities of the military wing of the Kashmiri freedom struggle are also contributing some share to violence though it is somewhat insignificant and most of their targets are military targets including attacks on the occupying security force. Third share, though again relatively minor, is believed to be emanating from the renegade elements that could be based outside the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK). Since the intensification of the freedom struggle (1989) more than 91,000 Kashmiris have killed, around 106,000 houses and shops have been either burnt or destroyed, over 100,000 children have been orphaned, and close to 10,000 Kashmiri women have been molested by the security forces. Measured by any yardstick these are appalling figures. Admittedly some courageous non-governmental organization along with international human rights watch association have been almost regularly raising the issue but so far they have neither been able to elicit corrective measures from the Indian government nor invoke strong sympathetic reaction from the major powers. Periodically one comes across strong critical assessment by either a regional courageous writer or by western observer. Recently the Sunday Times International, Sri Lanka, (May 20, 2007) published an article entitled “India’s Dirty War’ by Alistair Scrutton depicting the latest situation inside Indian Held Kashmir and the plight of the people. The situation is extremely bad as the soldiers arrest, pick up youth and often molest women at will. ‘We start shivering when we see soldiers’ said a villager. The presence of security forces made the life of ordinary citizen extremely miserable. No respite has been experienced by the Kashmiri people even though there is a talk peace here and there. Indeed the people in Kashmiri villager are far more hard pressed than those living in urban areas. Even those living in urban areas complain the insults and humiliation they regularly experience at the hands of security forces. The above mentioned article mentions the lament of a medical doctor who said ‘We are slaves, the soldiers say stand here, and we stand here. They show you their big sticks. They show us no respect’. To make life extremely difficult for the people of Kashmir and to empower the security forces, the Indian government is still continuing to maintain the black laws which were introduced by successive Indian governments. A series of black laws were passed to facilitate the task of the security forces. Among the long list of black laws the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act, and Prevention of Terrorism Act are relatively more known than the other special powers. It needs to be mentioned that whenever such harsh and controversial acts are presented in the Indian parliament, many opposition parliamentarians have raised hue and cry but invariably they were unable to prevent the passage of acts. These black laws equip the security forces with extraordinary lethal powers which they use rather extensively. The existence of such harsh laws and the demonstrated total disregard for human values by the security forces has made the life of an ordinary Kashmiri extremely miserable. A long list of illegal arrests and unlawful killings by the Indian security forces has already been documented by many concerned regional as well as agencies outside the region. However no change has so far been registered in the attitude and policy pursuits of the Indian government. Many factors account for this negligible success in this regard. The primary factors revolve around Indian government’s obduracy and unwillingness to undertake corrective measures in accordance with the advice and appeals of both human rights groups. Not only the government official have frequently admitted the excesses committed but they seem to enjoy this level in inhumanity, which in turn, enables them to commit reckless and wild acts. Another important factor that has made the Indians officials somewhat insensitive and arrogant is the lack of adequate interest on the part of great powers. It needs to be mentioned that major human rights groups have almost regularly condemned India as one of the most notorious human rights violator in the world. Yet one finds little pressure exerted by the international community to induce India to refrain from such gross and blatant violations. The Indian government invariably justified its policy with a well planned and carefully planned propaganda and attributed its macabre policy as a by-product of South Asian Conflict Cobweb. Finally the lack of sufficient level of interest by the UN has effectively arrested the quest for any betterment of human rights situation in India in general and in the IHK in particular. The recent article ‘India’s dirty war’ is a stark reminder for the UN and the international community to wake up and play the expected role. It is time that India begins to withdraw the harsh laws, stop human rights violations and seriously consider the withdrawal of its massive security force in IHK. Such pursuits would not only improve the environment for the ordinary Kashmiri and elicit sympathetic responses from many quarters but it would also lend strength to the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.
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