WASHINGTON
\nOn the completion of three years to the Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government\u2019s illegal and unconstitutional move of repealing the special status of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF), exhibited painful message of human rights violations committed by 900,000 Indian troops in the occupied territory.
\nThese messages were carried on digital advertising trucks in Washington, DC across the federal buildings, foreign embassies, shopping centers and busy intersections. The demand displaced on the digital truck was simple that the United Nations intervention is a must to stop genocide in IIOJK.
\nThe digital trucks carried the messages: \u201cHold India accountable for war crimes\u201d, \u201cKashmir under siege: Knocking at world conscience\u201d, \u201cStop demographic terrorism in Kashmir\u201d, \u201cIndia stop state terrorism in Kashmir\u201d, \u201cIndia criminalizes press freedom in Kashmir\u201d, \u201cEnd Indian colonization in Kashmir\u201d, \u201cImplement UN resolutions on Kashmir\u201d, India \u2013 allow international NGOs in Kashmir\u201d, \u201cIndian army out of Kashmir\u201d.
\nDr Ghulam Nabi Mir, President of WKAF, called upon India to end its annexation of IIOJK, restore civil liberties, and let the Kashmiri people decide their future. \u201cSince, August 5, 2019, the Indian government, in order to crush any resistance to their illegal occupation, has instituted new draconian measures.
\nFirst, they unilaterally removed any relics of initial recognition of their occupation by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, imposed a total military lockdown and complete communication blockade in anticipation of the protest and resistance these measures would inevitably cause.
\nIn a ruthless campaign they imprisoned politicians, journalists, and civil society members, to intimidate and suppress any form of dissent,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe stand in fierce opposition to India\u2019s actions against the people of Kashmir and condemn any restriction of free speech and expression throughout the region, Dr Mir said. World powers must stop the Indian government\u2019s attack on free speech in the region and urge the Indian government to ensure that rights activists, political leaders, and local journalists are allowed to work freely and without harassment. Our thoughts are with all political prisoners and their family during this unlawful arrest,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cRight of free speech and free movement, particularly international travel is limited and, in some cases, completely denied. Kashmir is going through an untenable existential crisis and must be stopped by international intervention. Kashmiri political prisoners must be set free, and the reign of terror must be stopped,\u201d he maintained.
\nDr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of WKAF said that on August 5, 2019, the Government of India laid bare its naked ambition by brutally colonizing the Jammu and Kashmir. On that date, it threw away any pretense of acknowledging the Kashmiri\u2019s right to self-determination as outlined by the United Nations\u2019 Security Council resolutions and agreed to at that time by the Government of India 72 years earlier.
\nDr Fai said that the events of August 5, 2019, are consistent with the ruthless occupation and suppression the people of Kashmir have suffered under the unpopular Indian rule.
\nAs is widely acknowledged and documented internationally, this brutal occupation has led to over 100,000 civilian deaths, more than 8000 individuals missing or disappeared, and thousands of Kashmiri women raped. This does not even begin to account for the tens of thousands tortured, maimed, and permanently injured men, women and children by the Indian forces during their 72-year reign of terror.
\nBut despite this persistent and pernicious tyranny, Fai emphasized, the people of Kashmir never have, nor ever will give up their right to be free. It is based on this internationally recognized, and principled stand the Kashmiri diaspora and its allies worldwide stand in solidarity with the people of Jammu Kashmir.
\nWe stand in support of their unyielding struggle to resist occupation and achieve their right to self-determination. We stand with them in their struggle to stop the Indian government from dehumanizing them and completing their settler-colonial project to remove them culturally, politically, and ethnically from the face of the earth.
\nDr Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University Medical Center, said we are commemorating the third anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 and 35A which revoked the special status of IIOJK.
\nOn this day three years ago, Indian parliament flouted UN resolutions and thumped the nose of world body. About 10,000 young men ranging from 15 to 30 years of age were arrested and additional 100,000 paramilitary personnel which brought the tally to more than 900,000 were deployed in the area.
\nPeaceful protests were countered with brute force and several innocent Kashmiris were martyred. Since then, Indian government has unleashed their nefarious plan to alter the demographic status of the region so that down the road if plebiscite is held the outcome is to their liking.
\nDaily crackdowns are a routine and during this process the civilians are subjected to severe abuse. During the search operations under the pretext to flush militants the civilian residences are looted of their valuables, womenfolk are harassed, and young men are eliminated with impunity.
\nDr Khan reiterated that the leadership of freedom movement has been incarcerated and many of them like Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah have been subjected to solitary confinement and implicated under false charges. Land grab movement by occupation forces is continuing at breakneck speed and thousands of acres of land have been taken over by the occupation forces.
\nKashmiri people are being denied their property and armed Hindu militants are being settled on these properties. There is government sponsored policy to infuse drug culture so that youth get addicted to this menace and are weaned away from the freedom movement. All of these steps are being taken under well planned scheme so that Kashmiris are restricted to ghettos, their employment opportunities are scuttled, and they are deprived of religious freedom.
\n\u201cThe situation in the region is highly explosive. Kashmir is sitting on power keg and slight trigger can catapult the situation to point of no return. With the absence of leaders like Syed Ali Gilani and Yasin Malik it is very likely that youth may be forced to take extreme steps and macabre of violence with no recourse. We appeal the United Nations to take practical measures that will dissuade India to indulge in gross human right abuses against innocent Kashmiri population and sway them to participate in tripartite negotiations involving Pakistan and genuine leadership of Kashmir,\u201d Dr Khan maintained.
\nShoaib Irshad, Joint Secretary, Kashmir American Welfare Association (KAWA), said that since August 5, 2019, Indian government has unleashed a well-designed imperialist plan that seeks to forever change the political nature of the Kashmir dispute through demographic changes, political maneuverings, and administrate machinations.
\nSardar Aftab Roshan Khan said that in the past year, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been locked in their homes, terrorized by the Indian military and paramilitary, and cut off from basic communications with each other and the outside world. These are violations of both human rights and international law.
\nTahseen Hussain said, let us send a clear message to the world community that Kashmiri diaspora and friends of Kashmir stand committed to carry on the struggle till the final righteous settlement of the Kashmir dispute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON On the completion of three years to the Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government\u2019s illegal and unconstitutional move of repealing the special status of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF), exhibited painful message of human rights violations committed by 900,000 Indian troops in the occupied territory. These messages […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-275974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n