N. P. Upadhyaya, Kathmandu: The India occupied Kashmir is once again in the international news as the recent meet of the human rights body of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) wants an immediate halt to Kashmir exploitation by the Indian military forces.
It has also demanded that India be compelled to “halt rights violations” in Jammu and Kashmir.
But who will compel this declared South Asian bully-which India is? The Saudis? Certainly not if one recalls the country’s polished-warm attachment with the Hindu supremacists Indian government led by the most ever revolting Prime Minister Modi.
The United Arab Emirates also falls in the same class as these two Muslim nations believe in honoring Hindu fundamentalist Prime Minister Modi with their highest civilian awards.
But yet for some mysterious reasons, the UAE Princess Hend this time expressed her heartfelt pain that India, her preferred and most loved country in South Asia that she claims to please the Indian rouge state, should not encourage its nationals living either inside India or working abroad to make comments that could be taken as Islamophobic.
In fact “troubled” Princess Hend even extradited some Indian nationals from her country for having made Muslim hatred comments from their Twitter accounts.
Saudi Arabia has not so far made any serious comments against the Islamophobic Indian nationals. Prince MBS too has intimate ties with Muslim hater PM Modi. MBS must admit this fact.
His (MBS) special attachment to Modi must have some meaning underneath.
A fresh report on Kashmir reveals that “More than 30 women were RAPED by the Indian Army in a single night in the Kashmir village of Kunan Poshpura in the recent days. But the world never stood for justice and humanity”, so wrote the soft speaking Alia Nazki who is associated with the BBC Urdu service recently.
This gives some glimpse as to how the detained Kashmiri population, more so the women folks, have been living a hellish life in the India occupied Kashmir since August 5/2019.
The Kashmiris in fact have been “Systematically Exterminated” is what the internationally acclaimed media veterans, for example, “The London Times”, have had written as early as in 1948-very close to the days of Indian annexation of Kshmir and the torture associated with the barbaric subjugation of the Kashmiri population since then continues even as of today.
As per the London Times dated October 10/1948, about 237 thousand Muslims in Jammu were exterminated by the Hindu logo holder Rastriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (The RSS) terrorists. Around half a million Muslims were forced to take Refuge in Azad Kashmir.
The London Times of the above mentioned date also writes that “this happened in October, 1947-five days before the Pathan invasion and nine days before the Maharaja’s accession to India”.
The tragedy with the destitute Muslims inside the Kashmir valley still persists with full force or else why the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) would have “urged the OIC to compel India to halt its gross and systematic human rights violations; refrain from altering the geographic and demographic status of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir; provide access to UN/OIC fact-finding missions and let Kashmiris exercise their legitimate right to self-determination.”
The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held a virtual emergency meeting at the Foreign Ministers Level on 22 June 2020.
The online meet had brought together this time the foreign ministers of the Jammu And Kashmir Contact Group member states, Azerbaijan, Niger, Pakistan Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the OIC said in a statement.
The secretary-General, Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen had chaired the meeting.
Mr. Othaimeen is a Saudi Arabian politician and a PhD holder in Political Sociology from the American University in Washington DC (1986).
Kashmir, practically a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.
A small area of Kashmir is also held by China, it is believed. Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965, and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.
Saudi Arabia which was almost siding with India on previous occasions for all the practical commercial relations/compulsions with India that didn’t allow primarily the Saudis to make sharp comments against India on the Kashmir issue, however, this time it was not the repetition of the previous stances.
The Saudi’s U turn this time is meaningful both for the Kashmiri people and Pakistan that seriously desires that the entire Muslim countries of the world more so housed in the OIC group should exert tremendous pressure on India to ease the situation in the Occupied Kashmir and allow the Kashmiri population now enslaved to practice their declared and fundamental right to self-determination through a plebiscite, as promised, under the aegis of the United Nations.
In the meanwhile, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia this week discussed the Kashmir issue and the growing Indian aggression.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Al Saud and that matters of mutual interest, including Covid-19 pandemic, enhanced bilateral cooperation and situation in India occupied Kashmir were discussed.
The Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister in response to Qureshi’s perceptions on Kashmir, reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s traditional support for the Kashmir cause, report international media agencies.
Minister Qureshi is yet to be in contact with his counterparts in the SAARC countries. He has so far failed or ignored remains yet a Himalayan mystery. This speaks of Pakistan’s notable diplomatic lax.
The clever Indian foreign minister also had some talks with his Saudi counterpart much ahead of the emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation-OIC.
However, in one of the important European Capital, London, several British members of Parliament the other day termed the Kashmir issue as an international one and called for an immediate international intervention to resolve the dispute, taking into account the considerations and the logical aspirations of the aggrieved Kashmiris.
Addressing an online international conference hosted by UK-based Jammu Kashmir Self-Determination Movement International, Azad Kashmir President Masood Khan sought cross-party action by British lawmakers to address the long-pending Kashmir issue.
“Kashmir is literally burning right now. Young men are losing their lives. Domicile rules would change the very nature and composition of what we call Jammu and Kashmir State… said Khan, urging a debate in Britain’s parliament and intense lobbying by British parliamentarians with the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Riyaz ul Khaliq writes for the A/A news agency “echoing Khan’s concerns, one British MP Andrew Gwynne, who is also chairman of the Labor Friends of Kashmir, said “Kashmir is not a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. Yes, both parties have to be around the politics of it since they administer two parties of Kashmir…But the reality is it [Kashmir] is an international issue as has been recognized by the United Nations Security Council resolutions,” the British MP Andrew Gwynne insisted.
(India has begun issuing controversial “domicile certificates” to thousands of non-Kashmiris. Critics have long warned settling non-locals in disputed Himalayan territory is an attempt to effect the demographic change in the Muslim-Majority region. The development comes almost a year after India stripped the restive region of its semi-autonomy and enforced a total communications blackout- Source TRT world-June 26/2020).
Swedish professor Ashok Swain takes this Indian move as, in his own words, “Modi has started the most dangerous game in Kashmir–Changing of demography.
As was expected, the Indian establishment on Thursday hit out at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, over one of its contact groups discussing Kashmir, asserting that the grouping has no locus standi on matters strictly internal to the country.
Pakistan had the other day urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to “step up its efforts” to resolve the Kashmir issue.
India says that the OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Young Kashmiri nationals pronounce that “Kashmir has become the world’s largest sub-jail with more than 8 million people caged for the last seven decades by 1 million plus India’s ruthless army. It has turned Kashmir into a Syria and Yemen by the Indian rowdy forces. Yet everyone is turning blind eye towards the continued plight of the Kashmiri population”.
This statement somewhat resembles as to what Alia Nazki of the BBC world service claims in her report mentioned in the opening paragraphs.
Perhaps the BBC media woman Alia Nazki and the Kashmiri youth(s) wish to hint at the nonchalance/detachment or for that matter the servile reluctance of the United nations Secretary General who on some comfortable “occasions” only speaks about Kashmiri issue. Is Antonio Guterras country biased? Not perhaps. But yet the UN’s stoic silence on the Kashmir issue for the conduct of the promised plebiscite forces one to conclude that something is fishy in the entire affair which is definitely being noted by the countries who have been voicing for the plebiscite to be held so that the Kashmiris determine their ultimate fate.
Having said this then the question “is the UN secretary general really sensitive towards the predicament of the Kashmiris who have been kept in imprisonment by the Indian establishment since August 2019?
He is perhaps not.
Or else the UNSG must exhibit his prompt concerns and feelings towards the restrained Kashmiri population. Will the honorable UN Secretary General give it a try?
A reminder to the UN Secretary General that there are 20 plus UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir that include seeking a plebiscite in the disputed region to decide its political fate/future. He has to take the necessary steps in this regard. Earlier the better.
In the meanwhile, a central Asian Muslim majority country, Azerbaijan, has come forth as a responsible member of the international community, to support the peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the norms and principles of international law and the relevant UNSC resolutions, as well as with full respect to the international humanitarian law”.
The foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov made these remarks, June 22/2020 at an online meeting on the Jammu and Kashmir issue of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group.
The Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar while addressing the OIC meet also added that “There was an obvious need to continue efforts that finally leads to the sustainable solution of the (Kashmir) issue and that peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues related to the Jammu and Kashmir issue, was of particular importance also in terms of ensuring peace and security in the wider South Asian region”, reports prominent media agencies in Baku dated June 22/2020.
One encouraging news for the India imprisoned Kashmiris has emanated from Turkey which claims that the “Kashmiri diaspora in the US has congratulated a Turkish top official on being elected president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, saying that they trust him who would later promote justice for Kashmiris during his tenure, writes Riyaz ul Khaliq for the Turkish new agency AA dated June 18/2020.
Media reports say that Volkan Bozkir is the first Turkish national to head the General Assembly. He will take office in September and hold the post for a year.
The Kashmiri diaspora in the United States believe that the President elect Bozkir would put his entire efforts in bringing “immense influence to bear on initiating a peace process, which will lead to a speedy, just, and honorable settlement of the dispute and restore their inalienable rights to the people of Jammu & Kashmir.”
Remarkably, among the crowd of the Muslim countries in the world, the most vocal for the genuine rights of the Kashmiri people, it is Turkey under President Erdogan which has all along been talking on finding the desired solutions to the Kashmiri plights.
President Erdogan, to recall, even forcefully raised the Kashmir issue in the UN general assembly.
The Pakistani people and the government have found in President Erdogan a true friend who appears committed to enhance the Pakistan-Turkey friendship. His pointed comments on Kashmir is commendable which needs to be read and understood by other countries following the same faith.
And due to Turkey’s soft corner for Pakistan and for the Kashmir issue, India’s ties with Turkey are not that good as it used to be in the past. President Erdogan ignores the Indian rough comments.
Given India’s poking nose on Nepal’s Terai/Madhesi affairs once again these days as regards the “Citizenship” issue, the Nepali media men- indeed not in regular pay roll-should now think of initiating regular debates and discussions on the plight of the Indian Muslims more so in the Kashmir valley. In doing so, the Nepali media will have done justice to the trapped Muslims in Kashmir which also have some message to the Indian establishment that Nepal too can raise some issues that punctures the Indian regime.
Will the Nepali media unite for this cause for the prevalence of peace and stability in the entire South Asian region? The proven fact is that Kashmir is surely a flash point in South Asia.
To conclude: The Pakistan Prime Minister in his fresh tweet has said that, “Today on International Day in support of victims of torture, I call on the International community to hold India accountable for its human rights abuses in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir where women, men and children have faced pellet guns, sexual assault, electrocution and physical and mental torture”. PM Khan further writes, “These atrocities by the Indian occupation forces on orders of the Hindutva Supremacist Occupation Modi government are well documented by the UN, Human Rights organisations, and International media. A continuing silence in the face of such blatant abuse is against international human rights and humanitarian laws and must be unacceptable”. That’s all.