Noman Hassan Khan
Forman Christian College University Lahore.
-------------------------------------------------------
Kashmir: Emerging Dangerous Area of the World.
Thesis Statement:
Because of the UN's continual failures, routine human rights violations, and the repeal of Article 370, Indian-occupied Kashmir has become the most hazardous region in the world.
Kashmir was a princely state of British India. The majority of those residing in Kashmir are Muslims, despite the fact that it was ruled by a Hindu, Maha Raja Hari Singh. After the subcontinent was divided into Pakistan and India, the people of Kashmir were given the freedom to choose whether they wanted to become part of Pakistan or part of India. However, Maha Raja desired to unite with India; as a result, he asked for India's assistance and Indian troops entered the valley. When the United Nations got involved, the war was put to an end with the promise that Kashmiris would receive their right to self-determination, but up until this point, they have not received that portion of their right. Pakistan also sent troops into the valley, and with the help of the people of Kashmir, they helped liberate one-third of Kashmir from India, which is now known as Azad Kashmir. Aznani and Sarwar (2019) state, "Pakistan and India fought three wars, two of which India won and one of which the United Nations declared a cease-fire" (p.46). This study will look at how the United Nations' failure, regular human rights violations in Kashmir, and the delay in granting rights to Kashmiris are making the region more hazardous by the day. Quantitative Research Methodology has been used in this paper.
The United Nations accepted responsibility for granting rights to the people of Kashmir by stating that elections would be held and decisions would be made in accordance with them. In 1948, the United Nations passed the first plebiscite resolution. However, this resolution failed due to divergent opinions and demands from both countries. Das (1950) stated, "General McNaughton made every effort to remove troops from Kashmir after the second resolution in 1949, but India insisted that the region had become a part of its territory as a result of the Indian troops' invasion" (p.280). This was India's unequivocal declaration to the world that they were not going to resolve the Kashmir problem and were instead providing the people of Kashmir the right to a referendum at whatever price. In the Security Council in February 1950, a case about the Indian army's invasion of Kashmir was submitted, and it was argued that it was invalid because the majority of the population was Muslim and desired unification with Pakistan. Das (1950) argues, "It was evident that Pakistan's top priority is to ensure that Kashmir remains independent of India at any cost" (p.281). These efforts go beyond simply resolving the Kashmir conflict. There have been other resolutions made since then, but India is unwilling to resolve this matter through negotiations. Pakistan has advocated for the rights of Kashmiri Muslims in every UN and international venue. However, the United Nations, which is regarded as the most powerful organization in the world, is powerless to exert pressure on India to grant rights to the Kashmiri people. The fact that there have been regular invasions for the past 70 years without a resolution demonstrates the UN's ongoing failure in this area. As stated by Das "The Kashmir problem had not been resolved by the United Nations. We can only hope for a peaceful resolution" (1950, p.282).
Since the Indian military's invasion of Kashmir on the first day, human rights have been violated there. Poor Kashmiris had often protested for their right to self-determination, but each time, merciless Indian troops tortured them and put an end to their demonstrations. In July 2016, Kashmiris protested in large numbers in the valley once more to defend their rights. But instead of relishing freedom, they were forced to endure cruelty. Ather argues, "As a result of several protests by Kashmiris, approximately 11,000 Kashmiris were injured, nearly 100 were killed, and approximately 800 were blinded" (2019). This demonstrates India's brutality toward the people of Kashmir who are simply fighting for their rights and freedom. This is only one example of how Kashmiris have endured a great deal of abuse. Hundreds of women were trapped in the valley by the military. Kashmiri women are thought to be the most vulnerable. Samreen states, "Today, we feel persecuted even more than the men of the valley" (2019, New York Times). During the month of February 1990, a massive military operation was carried out in the two villages of Kapwara district, and 30 women from these two villages were raped by the forces. A voice for justice was raised in the United Nations, but it did not result in justice for these impoverished women. As mentioned by Bhat, "Sexual exploitation and gender-based violence are frequently used as weapons of war" (2019 np). We may readily say that there are thousands of such situations that go unreported by the public and the media, leaving people to suffer alone. Hundreds of such examples have come to light, detailing how troops tortured valley residents with rod sticks, electrical shocks, and being hanged upside down for lengthy periods of time, among other things. A similar incident occurred when soldiers arrived throughout the night and made a point of brutalizing 19 persons. These people were interviewed by the Washington Post in Kashmir's southern villages. Bhat (2019) quotes one of the victim's statements, "Soldiers arrived to take him away during the night, beating him with rods and whips and shocking him with electricity as well. He was then hung upside down for a very long time" (Washington Post). When his family discovered him laying in the front yard the next morning, they took him into the house after they had been beaten up for almost two hours and were dumped beside them. Another victim who had grown weary of the troops' cruelty even remarked, If suicide was permitted in Islam, I would have done it without a doubt.
The revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is the third and most recent key cause that is pushing Kashmir into serious devastation. According to the law known as Article 370, the valley has some rights such as having its own departments and being able to admit students to institutions. The Modi administration revoked this article and imposed a curfew on Kashmir's eight million residents in late August 2019. The world has never experienced a curfew as draconian as this one. And the UN and the rest of the world remain silent on this crucial matter and have never attempted to confront India about its brutality. Pakistan took a strong stance on this matter, and Prime Minister Imran Khan delivered a moving speech at the UN General Assembly to inform the world and the UN about the actions being taken in Kashmir against Muslims. Gladstone and Verilla (2019) argue, Mr. Modi described it as a domestic matter and claimed that this action was taken to improve the valley......Modi was, however, painted by Mr. Khan as being reckless and conceited". Additionally, Mr. Khan claimed that Modi was guiding India down an unreasonable road that would bring the country to its knees. However, it is evident that hardly a single nation in the globe supported Pakistan and the Kashmiri people during this tragic and miserable period. Since India is one of the world's largest markets, not even Muslim nations asked Modi to lift the curfew because everyone has a stake in it. An unrestricted curfew on an eight million-person population is just one of the worst human rights violations. CM of Haryana Khattar said the following words which show their sense of humiliation towards the people of Kashmir, "Now that we can bring girls from the valley, our ratio will improve." If a person ponders these words, he or she will realize that they actually mean that girls will be used as personal escorts.
Finally, the research's result is at hand. According to research, the world and the United Nations will not assist the people of Kashmir during this difficult moment. They won't do anything more than publish reports and approve resolutions that they are capable of doing. Even though research has already shown how they are treated, India is not going to grant rights to the Kashmiri people. Pakistan has a duty as a Muslim nation to speak out on its behalf and take action to improve the lives of Kashmiris. However, Kashmiris were forced to fight this conflict by themselves. The continual abuses of human rights, culminating in the revocation of Kashmir's special status, give the people of Kashmir a sense of vengeance. According to research, Kashmir is turning into a dangerous region of the world. As said by PM Khan of Pakistan, "Both Pakistan and India are nuclear-armed, therefore if war breaks out, its effects would extend beyond their respective borders......The people of Kashmir will not accept the lifting of the curfew, and there might be a bloodbath as a result". These statements by Mr. Khan are based on the reality that whenever the curfew is lifted, Muslims in Kashmir will once more stage a large-scale protest for their rights, which will once more result in the slaughter of helpless Kashmiris. Mr. Clinton once mentioned, "One of the world's most dangerous places is Kashmir". According to research, India won't resolve this issue through diplomatic negotiations, despite Pakistan's repeated offers. As time goes on and the suffering of the valley's residents worsens, aggressiveness grows, and the Indian government is driving this situation toward conflict. According to a recent statement by Mr. Modi, Pakistan should withdraw its troops from Azad Kashmir and turn over its unclaimed territory to India because it has a fully legal claim to Kashmir. They have been severely blinded by the Indian government's conceit. They do not understand the effects that might result from another war between the two nations. This could result in the use of nuclear weapons, which can only cause total catastrophe. India should reflect on its performance because there is a pressing need to address this issue immediately. To prevent the devastation of this region, the world should take it into consideration and exert pressure on India. Both nations are on the point of total collapse. LT DG ISI According to Mr. Gull, if the Kashmir dispute had been resolved through amicable negotiations, it would have been resolved long ago. Finally, it is appropriate to state that the United Nations, as well as all responsible countries around the world, should play a role in resolving this dispute and saving both countries from destruction, because if this issue remains unresolved, it may lead to disaster after some years or a long time.
References:
Aznani, A., Sarwar. (2019), A study on
Kashmir problem and its solution. Scholars
Journal of
Arts
Humanities and Social Sciences, pp46-48. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332550517_A_Study_on_Kashmir_Problem_and_its_Solutio
n
Bhat, A.(2019), Kashmir women are the
biggest victims of the inhumane siege.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/women-biggest-victims-inhumane-siege190820122327902.html
Das, T. (1950) The Kashmir issue and the
united nations. Political Science
Quarterly. 65.
264-282. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2145524?seq=1
Gladstone, R.,
Virella, K. (2019). Imran khan warns of Kashmir ‘Blood Bath’ in emotional U.N.
speech.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/world/asia/khan-modi-united-nations.html
Masih,N.,
Slater, J., & Irfan, S. (2019) The night soldiers came: Allegations of
abuse surface in Kashmir.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/the-night-the-soldiers-came-allegations-ofabuse-surface-in-kashmir
Zia,A. (2019)
Blinding Kashmiris, The right to maim and Indian military occupation in
Kashmir.
International Journal of Postcolonial Studies, 21 773-786. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369801X.2019.1607527
