Kashmir Dispatch September 2022

WKA News Round Up – September 2022

The month of September brings the opening of the U.N. General Assembly. Most of the world’s leaders attended to discuss and give speeches about the most critical issues facing the world’s population. While the eyes of the world are still focused on the Russo-Ukrainian War, we were there to remind the world’s leaders of the atrocities committed by India and the continual suffering of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir.

This month we feature coverage of our rally at the United Nations and highlight the most important stories of September.

Diaspora calls out the abuses of occupying forces.

Dozens of Kashmiri diaspora from around the United States rallied in front of the United Nations headquarters to draw attention to the ongoing atrocities in Kashmir and for the body to honor its 1948 resolution to hold a plebiscite for the region.

Among those present was the President of Azad Kashmir, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, who addressed the crowd about India’s ongoing neo-colonial efforts and their efforts to change the demographic character of the region. He also spoke about the solidarity of the Islamic world, including Pakistan, appealed to people not to lose hope, and affirmed their cumulative efforts will enable Kashmiris to realize the dream of achieving freedom.

Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University Medical, focused his speech on the wanton abuses of the occupying forces and detailed the daily crackdown and abuses of the 900,000 occupying powers that routinely target civilians and youth.

You can read the other speakers who participated in the rally by clicking here.

A call for the U.N. to fulfill its promise

The leadership of the Kashmiri diaspora in America has urged the United Nations Secretary-General to invoke Article 99 of the United Nations Charter and bring the Governments of India and Pakistan to the negotiating table along with the genuine leadership of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to settle the conflict once and for all.

The memorandum reads: “For over 75 years, the people of Jammu & Kashmir have been peacefully struggling for their right to self-determination through a fair and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the U.N., while India has been systematically enacting laws, like the Domicile Law to integrate Kashmir into India. These laws are designed to change the demography of Kashmir, which violates 18 substantive United Nations resolutions adopted by the Security Council on Kashmir. India’s refusal to implement these resolutions calling for such a plebiscite is at the heart of the problem. She has chosen the path of indiscriminate murder and intimidation instead of negotiations and peaceful resolution to the conflict.”

You can read more about the memorandum here.

While U.N. waits, Kashmir bleeds.

With each day that passes, more Indian troops arrive in Kashmir. The nation’s character is fundamentally different, with Hindu radicals pouring in from all over India.
Yet, the occupation shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, the situation remains a potential powder keg.

Freedom of the press is now a distant memory, with journalists being targeted by direct intimidation or harassment or by being detained so that only propaganda from New Delhi is allowed to be shown. Since 2019 at least 60 journalists have been arrested or detained by the ruling authorities.

Kashmiris, particularly young men, are detained indefinitely in poorly run prisons. Elected legislative members such as Farooq Abdulla, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, who were at least nominally representing Kashmiris, were dismissed and replaced with Modi loyalists appointed from New Delhi. They were imprisoned during the August 5, 2019, late-night political massacre of Kashmir by stripping J&K of its nominal autonomy.
Kashmiris see their businesses appropriated to Hindu transplants, and even the apple orchards, the lifeblood of many, are being destroyed. Thousands of apples lay to rot in trucks on the roads instead of being allowed to reach markets around India abroad.

You can read more about the strangulation of the region by clicking here.

Unlawful killings skyrocket as the occupation continues

An analysis by the government of India shows that the number of civilians killed in armed encounters has increased by over 20 percent since the occupation began in 2019.

Jammu and Kashmir unsurprisingly have the highest number of deaths in encounters with the police. However, due to the special immunity delegated to armed and police forces, the number of those dead remains unknown.

The situation has grown dire enough to warrant calls from Amnesty International to hold India accountable for its crimes against humanity and the United Nations to facilitate an independent investigation.

You can read more about these abuses here.

Crimes against women rise and often go unpunished.

Over 7,000 people have been charged with crimes against women since 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the number of people convicted for these crimes is much lower. Only ninety-five people were convicted, including five women. Police disposed of the overwhelming number of cases, 1,056 defendants were discharged, and the courts acquitted 1,175.

The most common crime is an assault on women violating their modesty, with 1,851 cases. Incidents of attempted rape were the second highest crime, with 1,414 incidents.

Given the difficulty in successfully prosecuting cases of violence, it is likely that the number of women who have experienced violence is far higher.

You can read more about this case by clicking here.

Final thoughts

The Kashmiri Diaspora is united in its love for our homeland, and we will use our voices to speak up and speak out until the world hears us and demands a resolution to this crisis and holds the perpetrators to account. We will not sit idly by while the Indian government tries to erase our culture and heritage, and we will give voices to the silenced and oppressed.

Tyrannical and authoritarian regimes come, and they go, but our love for our homeland and its people is eternal. We thank readers who read and share these stories and news each month. You give us more strength than you know.