By: Sajjad
Shaukat
Since 1989,
Indian army, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies have been using
various tactics of state terrorism in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) to
crush the war of liberation. These tactics have intensified after the young
Kashmir leader Burhan Wani was martyred by these forces on July 8, 2016. In the
aftermath of this extrajudicial killing, protests have continued by the
Kashmiris in wake of sieges and prolonged curfews, including arrests and
detentions of the Kashmir leaders. Since July 8, 2016, these ruthless forces
have martyred more than 700 innocent persons. With the acceleration of the
Kashmiri Intifada (Uprising), Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) witnessed a rapid
increase in the brutal tactics, applied by the Indian forces on the innocent
Kashmiri people, which resulted into more extrajudicial Killings. However, IOK
continue to witness bloodshed as Indian occupation-troops indiscriminately and
incessantly hunt the innocent people in the name of so-called search
operations. In a sham move, Indian government had announced to suspend
so-called operations during the holy month of Ramadan, this year. But, on the
second Friday of the Ramadan, heavy shelling was used to disperse the
protesting crowds outside Srinagar Jamia Mosque. Resultantly, many Kashmiri
people were injured and the Jamia Mosque was also filled with blood and empty
shells. Since last four months, Indian security forces have unleashed extreme
terror and killed more than 75 innocent Kashmiri people in fake encounters or
firing incidents on peaceful protestors. It may be recalled that at least 20
Kashmiris were martyred in Kachdoora village, Shopian district of IOK on a gory
day of April only.
In
this regard, recent martyrdom of the prominent Kashmiri journalist Shujaat
Bukhari presents another example of India’s extrajudicial killing. However, a
strong Kashmir voice of brave 50 years old Journalist, editor of “Rising
Kashmir” was forever made silent through shots on June 14, 2018. In this
respect, BBC reported on June 14 and June15, 2018, “A leading newspaper
journalist and editor in Indian-administered Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari, has been
shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Srinagar. Bukhari, a frequent contributor
to the BBC News website, was attacked in his car near the office of the Rising
Kashmir newspaper, which he edited. He was taken to hospital but was later
declared dead…One of his guards was also killed in the attack…No group has
claimed the killing…Bukhari described the threat to Kashmiri journalists in a
2016 article for BBC News. Threats to life, intimidation, assault, arrest and
censorship have been part of the life of a typical local journalist, he wrote.
He was well-known in Kashmir and was previously a correspondent for the Indian
newspaper The Hindu…Apart from running three daily newspapers, including the
English language daily Rising Kashmir, Mr Bukhari lobbied aggressively for
peace by organising conferences and summits in the US, UK and other parts of
the world. He was also a regular presence at secondary diplomatic initiatives
envisioning better relations between India and Pakistan.” As regards the
martyrdom, eyewitness pointed out that four persons wearing helmets and
“shalwar kameez” appeared on two motorcycles outside the office of Rising
Kashmir near Srinagar Lal Chowk and opened fire when just Bukhari boarded his
vehicle.
 |
| SHUJJATE BUKHARI |
It
is notable that Shujaat was martyred on the very day when Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released 49 Page Report
covering human rights abuses in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) for the
period of June 2016–April 2018. Reliable sources and very close friends of the
deceased stated that Shujaat Bukhari always condemned Indian state terrorism
against the innocent Kashmiris, openly and loudly. He used to boldly criticise
extra-judicious killings of innocent people by Indian security agencies,
especially Indian intelligence agency RAW. Notably, Shujaat also played key
role through “Track Two Diplomacy” in paving path to resolve Kashmir issue
between two nuclear states—India and Pakistan. But, unfortunately RAW could not
tolerate his realistic criticism regarding brutal techniques of Indian security
forces, employed on the innocent men, women and children. Therefore, RAW
decided to suppress a loud independent voice of Shujaat through bullets and
assassinated him. It is mentionable that since 1947, in order to maintain its
illegal control, India has continued its repressive regime in the Indian
Occupied Kashmir through various machinations. Nevertheless, various forms of
state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and
paramilitary forces against Muslim Kashmiris, particularly since 1989. It has
been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions,
massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture,
disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and
killing of persons through fake encounters.
According
to a report on human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, since
1989, there have been deaths of 1,00000 innocent Kashmiris, 8,023 custodial
killings, 1,50,771 arrests, 1,40,996 destruction of houses or buildings, 24,776
women widowed, 1,60,466 children orphaned and 20,086 women gang-raped/molested.
Indian brutal securities forces have continued these atrocities. In fact,
Indian forces have employed various draconian laws like the Jammu and Kashmir
Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers
Act and Public Safety Act in killing the Kashmiri people, and for the
arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an indefinite period. Besides Human
Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed
out grave human rights violations in the Indian Controlled Kashmir, indicating,
“The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the
repressive tactics of the security forces.” In its report on July 2, 2015, the
Amnesty International has highlighted extrajudicial killings of the innocent
persons at the hands of Indian security forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.
The report indicated, “Tens of thousands of security forces are deployed in
Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces Special Powers Act allows troops
to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest them without a warrant…not a
single member of the armed forces has been tried in a civilian court for
violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of accountability has in turn
facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred one 100,000 people. More than
8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police.”
In
this respect, European Union has passed a resolution about human rights abuses
committed by Indian forces in the Indian Held Kashmir. It is of particular
attention that in 2008, a rights group reported unmarked graves in 55 villages
across the northern regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. Then researchers and
other groups reported finding thousands of mass graves without markers. In this
connection, in August, 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights
Commission officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed
in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves. Now, more
unmarked graves have been found. In this context, foreign sources and human rights
organisations have revealed that unnamed graves include those innocent persons,
killed by the Indian military and paramilitary troops in the fake encounters
including those who were tortured to death by RAW. Latest reports disclosed
that Indian security forces have also used chemical weapons against the
Kashmiri civilians in violation of international law and Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.
It
is noteworthy that regarding extrajudicial killings in the IOK, on June 28,
2010, BBC reported, “Three men went missing in Indian-administered Kashmir in
April…but their bodies were discovered near the Line of Control…a senior
officer of the Indian army had kidnapped them by offering them jobs as porters.
The troops later informed the police that they had killed three militants.
Kashmir’s law minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar says there have been several proven
cases of fake encounters in the past 20 years…There are hardliners in the
Indian Army and intelligence agencies, who think that by raising the bogey of
infiltration and gun battles near the border they can create terror among
people and also put pressure on Pakistan.” Besides, by manipulating various
false flag operations, especially that one which occurred in a military base in
Uri on September 18, 2016, the BJP-led Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not
only shifted the blame game towards Islamabad, but has also intensified
war-hysteria against Pakistan. Indian forces have continued shelling at the
Line of Control (LoC)-Pakistani side of Azad Kashmir and the Working Boundary
generally targeted the civilian population. And Pakistani troops are giving
matching response to Indian unprovoked firing and are well-prepared for atomic
war, as threatened by Indian army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on January 14, this
year. Since the start of this year, Indian forces have violated 2003 ceasefire
agreement for more than 1,050 times, resulting in killing of 28 civilians and
injuring 117.
The
so called secular India’s face has been exposed to the entire world, the way
Indian forces have locked the mosques and massacred the innocent Kashmiris. Why
UNO is not responding? It is a real question for all Human Rights organizations
as well. According to UN’s charter article 1 & 2, it is clearly mentioned
that “Right to self determination” would be top priority. Even the American
President Roosevelt and UK’s Prime Minister Churchill were of the views that
“Right of self determination is a basic right of any nation”, but at this
critical moment, none of these countries are speaking for the said right for
Kashmiris and they are silent over the Muslim’s bloodshed being spilled by
Indian forces in Kashmir, which continue to employ various brutal tactics of
state terrorism.
