Kashmir Day

The solemn observation of Kashmir Day today comes after another year in which the Kashmiri people attempted to make their voice heard, while the world paid no heed. The year 2016 was a particularly difficult year for the people of Kashmir. The valley erupted in protest after the extrajudicial killing of young Kashmiri freedom fighter Burhan Wani. The uprising was brutally suppressed: dozens were killed and thousands were injured. Hundreds lost their eyesight after the Indian military used pellet guns to disperse protests. Such a tragedy tends to be taken up on a global platform. In a year when even Palestine was able to secure a victory in the UN Security Council by getting a resolution passed against Israeli settlements, global sympathy for the Kashmiri people remained in short supply. Maybe there are too many other conflicts on the world stage – Syria, Iraq, Myanmar, Nigeria – but that is no reason for putting the suffering of the Kashmiri people to the backburner. The reality is that Kashmir has never had a soft spot in the global arena, and has only commanded attention when Pakistan and India reach the brink of war.

The last eight months have been spent with the two countries locked in a continuous war posture. Cross-border shelling has remained an everyday norm as India has continued to blame Pakistan for anything that happens on its territory. The Indian government even claimed to have conducted surgical strikes inside Pakistani territory last year – a claim that Pakistan has disputed. The Indian government this week claimed that it would be open to conducting further surgical strikes in the future if it felt it necessary. As we have noted before, these claims are nothing more than a way of appeasing the rising tide of nationalism in India. The Pakistan military has continued to maintain a dignified response. On Friday, current Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa pointed out that the Pakistani military was ready to respond to aggression. More importantly, he reminded the world that India was attempting to divert attention from its atrocities against Kashmiris. For its part, Pakistan has acted against the Jamaat ud Dawa for its alleged connection to militancy in Kashmir. This is a good move as the Kashmir cause has continued to suffer due to the continuous linking of the Kashmiri independence struggle to militant groups based in Pakistan. Militancy has not worked in Kashmir – nor has the perception that Pakistan is the only backer of the Kashmir cause. However, there will need to be a serious diplomatic effort to get other countries to stand up for the rights of the Kashmiris.