13 july matyr day:This day reminds us of 21 Kashmris matyred outside Central Jail on 13th July 1931 by Dogra policewhere people had gathered to express solidarity with one Kashmiri youth Abdul Qadeer who was indicted for sedition against Dogra Raj. At the time of Zuhar, one youth started call to prayer (azan), shot dead by Dogra police. The other one started azan from where the first one had ended, but he was also shot dead. Like this 21 Kashmiris fell one by one but they completed azan for Zuhar prayer. This incident gave birth to the movement against Dogra Raj, and it was, indeed, due to this movement that British government had appointed Glancy Commission to investigate into the atrocities committed by the Maharaja. It was also result of this sad episode that Kashmiri leadership realized the need to build up an organization witha view to waging struggle for their freedom. In 1934, State’s first elections were held, and the Muslim Conference won 21 out of 16 seats. After two years in 1936, it succeeded in getting 19 out of 21 seats. Anyhow, Kashmiris have passed through the longest ordeal, and facedrepression, death and destruction even before the partition. Since 1947, Indian atrocities have turned the paradise on earth into hell that wouldstretch Dante’s imagination. When it became unbearable for them, and also inspired by Afghan resistance against Soviet Union, valiant Kashmiris started armed struggle in 1989 and since then more than 93000 Kashmiris have laid down their lives. Yet they are determined to take their struggle to the logical conclusion. After 2004 elections in India, the the Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh in his first policy statement referred to Simla Accord of 1972 as the basis forresolving the Kashmir dispute insteadof abiding by the UN resolutions. The fact of the matter is that 9/11 events drastically changed political landscape of the world, and were a source of setback for Kashmiris, as since then even genuine struggle for freedom is construed as terrorist act. India took advantage of the situation and tried to ruthlessly crush the Kashmiris’ struggle. In June 2008, Kashmiri Muslims had protested against allotment of land toDelhi-based Amarnath Shrine Trust, which was violation of the law, and aneffort to change demography of Jammu and Kashmir. Later, there was strike in Muslims’ areas of Indian Held Kashmir against anti-Muslim riots, vandalism, looting of Muslim properties and economic blockade of the Valley. In fact, international community’s apathy to the sufferings,death and destruction in Kashmir is the reason that Kashmiris have had tolive in the long nightmare with no end in sight. Anyhow, Amnesty International(AI) in a statement issued in London in July 2010 said thatIndian authorities should avoid excessive use of force while dealing with demonstrators in occupied Kashmir. It was in reference to killingsof 11 persons, at least eight of them teenagers in shootings by the Indian paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel stationed across the Kashmir valley. When protestors held demonstrations in Srinagar, Sopore and other towns, thetowns were put under curfew. The AI said harassment, humiliation, acts of cold- blooded murder, mass rapes, arson, and endless human rightsviolations perpetrated upon the hapless Kashmiri people by Indian security forces including army, BSF, CRPF and police continue unabated. It has to be mentioned thatIndia had forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir when people of Kashmir resisted Indian forces with the help ofvolunteers, and it was India that took the matter to the United Nations, which approved demilitarization of the state accepted both by India and Pakistan. On 5th January 1949, United Nationsgave the right to the Kashmiris to join either Pakistan or India in the plebiscite to be held under the aegis of the United Nations. On June 26, 1952, then Indian prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had told on the floor of Lok Sabha - Indian Parliament “if the Kashmiri people decided to join Pakistan they might do so”. But India backtracked on all promises made since the time it had first approached the United Nationsby backtracking on the commitments made in front of international community allowing Kashmir the right to self- determination. But in later years, India amended its constitution to make Kashmir its integral part; and this was beginning of the grave human rightsviolations of the people of Indian Held Kashmir. In case, India continues to balk at resolving the Kashmir dispute either on the basis of the UNSC resolutions or any arrangement, which is acceptable to India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, there can never bea durable peace in the region. The international community has to understand that Tashkent and Simla agreements were signed by Pakistan under duress. However, one should not ignore what Article 103 of Chapter XVI of the UN Charter clearly states: “Inthe event of a conflict between the obligations of the members ..Main..
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 03:32:57 +0000
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