Kashmir: The Valley Of Massacres

 The Indian occupational forces have been systematically using aggression force in Indian-occupied Kashmir since it occupied Kashmir in 1947.

The policy of Indian government is to repress and subjugate the civilian population in the occupied territory, to break down the resistance against the illegal occupation. However, it has miserably failed and will fail again, and again.

A week from April 10 reminds us one of the devastating incidents which happened in Lal Chowk, heart of capital Srinagar, where Indian occupational forces including her paramilitary troopers carried out arson and burned the whole area which is Kashmir’s main business hub.

In this incident caused by the Indian occupational forces, 125 innocent Kashmiris were killed. 59 houses, 190 shops, 53 go-downs, 2 office complexes, 2 schools and a shrine were completely destroyed.

Many people tried to douse the flames so that inhabitants and properties would be saved. Some people rowed their boats sailing from across the Jhelum river which flows on western side of Lal Chowk.

On the river bank side from where flames were blazing, Indian occupational forces opened fire on the boats carrying rescuers with machine guns. The sailors, who were on way to rescue the victims of fire, jumped into the river to escape the firing by Indian military but they drowned.

The gunfire continued for at least 30 minutes. 16 innocents were killed while in waters.

Indian occupational first caused the destruction and then also stopped any aid to help the victims.

The brutal act constitutes grave breaches of Geneva Conventions of 1948. Under these conventions, they constitute as war crimes and warrant institution of criminal proceedings against the Indian military and Indian state.

The actions by Indian military representing Indian state in Kashmir committed highest form of violations against international law and judicial norms.

This day is just not one incident but is an everyday story from Indian-occupied Kashmir. India is punishing Kashmiris for seeking their inalienable right to self-determination to decide their political fate as promised by United Nations and its Security Council.

In the garb of fighting Kashmiri rebel forces, including those from Hizbul Mujahideen, the Indian occupational forces continue to punish civilian population in occupied territory by destroying their properties including houses, cow sheds and business houses.

During civilian uprisings of 2008, 2010 and 2016, Indian forces deliberately stopped vehicles carrying injured Kashmiris towards hospitals. Many died because of loss of blood through wounds inflicted by Indian bullets and lack of time as Indian occupational forces caused delay in their journey to hospital.

But, India, due its arrogance being world’s third largest military has been subjugating any voice of Kashmiri raised against its occupation has been dilly-delaying to implement the UN resolutions.

The war crimes of India in occupied territories of Kashmir demand that the so-called world’s largest democracy be held accountable according to norms set by the same democratic world order.

If Myanmar can be held accountable and taken to International Court of Justice, India must be taken to task and questioned for her illegal and unwarranted actions against innocent Kashmiri civilians.

Wearing the farce of secularism, India has suppressed the voices coming from Kashmir because the majority population is Muslim. It is Myanmar which followed the India’s example in Kashmir that a million Rohingya were uprooted and forced out of their native homeland in Rakhine.

Time has come when genuine voices which believe in upholding human rights and law that India be called for her war crimes in Kashmir and held accountable for turning Kashmir in to an open-air prison by deploying over a million of her troops in the region turning it in to highest militarized zone anywhere in the world.

India must be brought to book and international laws applied on her and a referendum held in Kashmir so that people of the region live in peace to enjoy full human rights.

No Kashmiri can get his/her human rights until India does not end her illegal, military occupation of Kashmir.