The Silent Genocide in India Illegally Occupied Kashmir: Why the International Community Must Wake up
Kashmir, the valley with captivating beauty, the land once known for its heavenly features, has now transformed into a hub for human slaughters and a vicious cycle of violence and brutality. With the Indian illegal occupation of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, this flood of victimization and war crimes broke out in the region with an increasing phase in frequency and strength day by day. The conflict is not just rising concerns about human rights violations, but is always serving as a stage of relentlessness for both the nuclear neighbors, India and Pakistan.
The 76-year-long era of militarized violence and exploitation has caused the death of about 100,000 Kashmiris of IIOJK, about 8000 forced disappearances, 8652 unmarked graves, and more than 7150 extrajudicial killings; resulting in the psychological stress of about 48% (1.8M) of the whole population. The continuous increase in military troops and the intense violation of human rights is drafting blue blueprint of the ongoing genocide by India (especially against Muslims) in the IIOJK region. The heavy use of Indian forces in the valley and their regular usage against the unarmed civilians further inflames the case, calling for international attention and a final solution.
The Indian drastic “anti-encroachment policy” has resulted in the displacement of millions of Kashmiris, driven out in about 20 districts of IIOJK. This Israeli-inspired model of systematic settler colonialism, as proposed by the Indian home ministry in 2023, has successfully played its role by intended dislodging of the native Kashmiris from their homes, properties, and further belongings. This design has completely altered the demography of the region by transforming a Muslim majority area into a minority, entertaining the plebiscite, if it is held shortly.
The brutal policies of India are not just confined to the demographic changes but practical steps in the form of “Domicile law” are being taken that grants the non-Kashmiris-living in the area for 8years -the right of property and ownership along with identity documents i.e. domicile categorizing them with same identity as that of the locals. The native people of IIOJK are forced not just to leave their properties, rights, but also have to give up on their unique identity while sharing it with the outsiders from India.
Additionally, with the changes to the demography and the identity database of the region, India has further intensified its extremist policies by bringing in more transformation to the political landscape and uplifting Article 370 and Section 3535Af the Indian constitution. The uplifting of Article 360 obliterated any last set of rights that the Kashmiris enjoyed as a Semi-autonomous people in the Indian Union. But with this elimination, the Kashmiris of IIOJK lost their special status by incorporating Kashmiri people, extinguishing their title to land, and claiming their land as a federal territory. Likewise, the abrogation of 35a in 2019 has resulted in the virtual withdrawal of the special status of IIOJK, bringing in more changes to the equity of ownership and property rights within the region.
The unilateral moves and India’s interest-centric policies are bringing in more unrest and opposition among the locals of IIOJK. Strikes and protests are being carried out regularly for every personalized step of India, which are actively silenced with forces and the use of bombs, shelling, and arms. The silencing movements are carried out in all parts of the region without any media coverage or campaigns. A blind fold presenting this opposition and freedom fight to the world and the major powers as a war against terror seals the international help and attention coming towards the region. Different international counter terrorism campaigns are being used as an instrument of suppression and torture of locals.
Several restrictions, in the face of curfews, internet shutdowns, and restrictions on freedom of movement, have hindered access to basic facilities and hampered regional development. Apart from it, colonial war measures including Armed forces Special power Act, public safety act, and martial laws have given Indian troops complete impunity,y entertaining the ongoing genocide at the mass root level. All measures are taken by the Indian government to deafen the voices of Kashmiris from reaching the international community, but Pakistan will never let them be silenced. All efforts are to be taken in carrying these voices to the international community, as India’s hostility isn’t giving much hope for peace and is legitimizing its illegitimate occupation in IIOJK, which can lead to more violence in the region and fuel tensions between them.
Indian government, in most cases, argues it to be a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, but with the mass killings, grave violation of human rights, and brutal war crimes, the criterion changes as it now needs international involvement and missions for resolution. A part of the international community, specifically that of Amnesty International- human rights delegation- has been actively absorbed to be involved with further needs of attention from others. The silent genocide isn’t just a failure of India as a democracy, but also highlights the loss of the UN in fulfilling its duty to not permit any genocide in the future. In one way or the other, most of the human rights watchers have raised red flags and provided caution about the seriousness of the issue in IIOJK. But still, most of the powers are silent. This deafening silence over the atrocities is highly disturbing and criminal.
IIOJK is one of the most militarized regions of the world, with more than half a million troops being deployed in its area, facing suppression under colonial occupation, silencing their right to practice for sovereignty through self-government and self-determination; it needs an international positive response and an ideal solution for their cause. Unless and until the international community is silent, the genocide will be perpetrated in IIOJK with its consequences far beyond the borders of the two nuclear states of South Asia, i.e., India and Pakistan.
This article was written by Abna Yaqub, an intern at YFK and a student in international relations at IIUI.
