Saving children

Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN Muneer Akram has asked the UN Security Council to play a more direct role in protecting children caught up in conflict, notably those in Occupied Kashmir. The ambassador pointed out that Indian security forces had since 2019, when the status of Jammu and Kashmir was altered, directly targeted children with pellet guns, leaving some with permanent injuries and blinding others. Apart from this, children have also been among the 922 people whose houses have been demolished by the Indian security forces and have been caught up in all kinds of incidents from which there is no effort to protect them. The image which went viral some months ago of a small boy sitting on the body of his grandfather who had been killed comes to mind.

These are major violations of the UN resolutions on children in armed conflict and also on protecting the best interest of the child under the UN Child Rights Convention. There are also other places where children have been caught up in conflict and these too must be addressed. But Kashmir needs to be made into a priority, and brought into the national debate at a higher and more direct level. The constant detention of persons in Kashmir and the involvement of children in the conflict is something that humanity should not tolerate. For too long young people, including teenagers no more than 13 years of age, have been a part of the uprising against Indian security forces. These children need to be protected and given the security of life that they deserve. The conflict in Kashmir has disrupted their education and their daily lives. They need to be given back their childhood and protected from such brutal action by Indian soldiers who have shown no mercy in acting against them in various ways.

The rights of Kashmiri children are, under the UN conventions, like those of children everywhere in the world. The world should no longer ignore what is happening in Kashmir and how its children are being treated. They must be protected, they must be saved, and even if conflict is to continue in Kashmir, there must be no involvement of children either in direct fighting or attacks by Indian security forces which directly harm them. Already 300 women and children have died in the conflict. This is 300 too many.