Mocking the UNSC

India has been defying UNSC resolutions for decades by not holding a plebiscite in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which would give the Kashmiris their birthright of self-determination so as to decide their future themselves.

On August 5, 2019, the Modi government went many steps ahead in resorting to mocking the unimplemented UNSC resolutions by revoking Article 370 of the Indian constitution, white-washing the special status of the occupied territory and turning it into an integral part of Indian Union despite the fact it was an internationally, more importantly UNSC, declared disputed territory between Pakistan and India.

The two countries which gained freedom from British rule in 1947 have fought wars over Jammu and Kashmir which somehow remains unresolved as India persists on defying the UNSC resolutions that were passed at its own request.

As a matter of record, the two countries fought their first war over Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48 after India had forcibly occupied a major part of the valley in October 1947 on the pretext of an Instrument of Accession signed by the state’s last maharaja. When the Indian military intervention was countered by the Pakistan Army, India hurriedly moved the Kashmir dispute under the provisions of the UN Charter on January 1,1948.

The UNSC passed Resolution No 39 on January 20, 1948 calling for an urgent investigation into the dispute in order to avert the possibility of its turning into a major war between the two countries. This was to be done by the newly-established UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP).

The UNSC adopted Resolution No 47 on April 21, 1948 calling for ceasefire, and decided that the accession of Jammu and Kashmir either to Pakistan or to India would be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite to which both the countries agreed. The resolution also instructed the UNCIP to visit the Subcontinent and take measures to facilitate India and Pakistan to hold the plebiscite in accordance with Resolution No 47.

India continued to defying the UNSC resolutions on one or the other pretext, fully knowing that in case a free and independent plebiscite were held the predominant Muslim population of the valley would vote to accede to Pakistan.

Greatly disappointed over the failure of all efforts for resolving the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means for years together, the people of the occupied territory intensified their indigenous freedom struggle in 1989 to secure their right of self-determination.

The Kashmiris are continuing their struggle in a determined manner offering sacrifices of men, women, youth, children almost every day in the face of the Indian security forces whose number has crossed more than nine lakhs and they committing human rights violations day and night, like the genocide of the Muslim population in order to change the demographic position of the disputed territory.

Their freedom struggle is continuing despite the fact that India had put the entire occupied territory under complete lockdown after revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir last year.

According to facts available from reliable sources in Kashmir, despite the suspension of all means of communication, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have been brutally martyred by the Indian security forces since 1989, and bloodshed and violence is continuing in an unabated manner. The Indian security forces are targeting the Kashmiri youth particularly and hitting them with pellet gunshots. Indian security men also pick up younger men so-called house to house searches, and afterwards they are sent to jails in unknown Indian areas. Almost all leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) have been taken into custody and put in jails in India.

It is an established fact that the unresolved Kashmir issue has turned into a flashpoint between the neighbouring nuclear states of India and Pakistan, thus endangering the peace and stability in the region.

Through the concerted efforts of Pakistan, the Kashmir issue has recently been taken out of the cold storage after as many as 55 years.

Though more and more countries are voicing their support for peaceful negotiations regarding the burning Kashmir issue in response to Pakistan’s efforts for ensuring peace and stability in the region, it is rather shocking to note that no country is either willing to pressurize the Indian leadership to implement UNSC resolutions or taking any step to threaten India’s trade and economic interests directly or indirectly.

The Indian government has not budged from its unilateral brutal measures in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and continues making a mockery of UNSC resolutions. The complete lockdown in the occupied territory is continuing for almost one year now, all means of communication and internet remain suspended, foreign media continues to be denied visits or access to the occupied territory and the brave, courageous and determined people of Occupied Kashmir are continuing their freedom struggle more vehemently with every passing day so as to somehow awaken the sleeping conscience of the international community.

Kashmiris have been observing October 27 as the darkest day of their history, when their territory was forcibly occupied by India in 1947 against their wishes and aspirations.

Now Kashmiris will also be observing another dark day on August 5 every year to protest against their territory being made part of the Indian Union. They will do this as long as their indigenous peaceful and unarmed freedom struggle meets with success, and they exercise their right of self-determination and decide their future themselves after decades-long sacrifices, bloodshed, violence and brutalities at the hands of the occupying Indian security forces. This is bound to happen sooner or later.

The writer is a retired deputy controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad.

Email: zahidriffat@gmail.com