Afia Ambreen
Indian troops, in their fresh act of state terrorism in Indian occupied Kashmir martyred one more Kashmiri youth in Bandipora district raising the number of killed in fake encounters in the territory to ten. The troops martyred youth during a military operation in Gurez area of Bandipora and Uri area of Baramulla districts. Meanwhile, the occupational troops launched a siege and search operation in Vessu area of Islamabad district following an attack on the convoy of Indian paramilitary force. Indian Army personnel went berserk and damaged several residential houses at Narpora in Shopian after some youth pelted stone on their vehicles. It is important to mention here that Indian army have so far martyred thousands of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and during custody in the territory.
According to a report issued by Kashmir Media Service, the Indian police and army personnel arrest innocent youth from different parts of the territory; bring them to border areas near the Line of Control and kill them in fake encounters. The report says that over 7,063 people have been killed in custody since 1989. Some major fake encounters have been Machil, Sailan-Surankot, Pathirbal and Chattergam. Many such encounters have been documented by international human rights groups. The Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement said that under the garb of Uri episode euphoria of war like situation was being created by Indian media and politicians with the aim of putting the Kashmir dispute in cold storage. Syed Ali Gilani said that Indian media and politicians were raising hue and cry over Uri attack, but keeping criminal silence over the genocide of Kashmiri people in the territory.
However, Indian print and electronic media is running a propaganda campaign in which they have claimed killing 13 militants in a period of 4 days in Machil, Uri and Poonch sectors in counter infiltration. There have been graphic details provided by the Indian army, which in its usual display of jingoism claims in a statement: “The sinister designs of Pakistan Army to push in multiple groups of armed intruders across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir continue to be defeated by pro-active operations being carried out on the LoC” There appears to be a method in the madness because the announcement came at a time when relations between Pakistan and India have nosedived following repeated ceasefire violations by India and the unrest in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). India accuses Pakistan of fomenting trouble in the strife torn Valley, although the freedom movement is home grown and has become worse with the brutal assassination of young Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani last year on July 8. Since then, protests have snowballed in a massive movement.
To suppress the Kashmiri youth, Indian forces have resorted to the use of pellet guns, which have martyred over 200 while more than 3,500 have been blinded by the cruel Indian military forces. Indian army even took the extreme measure of tying up an innocent Kashmiri, Farooq Dar to the bonnet of a jeep and paraded the streets of Srinagar, using the hapless Kashmiri as a human shield. To rub salt in the wound, despite the protests of human rights activists, the perpetrator of the heinous deed, Major Nitin Gogol was praised and awarded by the Indian Army Chief and cited for gallantry. In order to divert world opinion from its own atrocities, India is using numerous reprehensible tactics. Besides shelling across the LOC in an unprovoked manner, Indian forces are causing casualties of innocent civilians but when Pakistani forces retaliate in counter shelling, Indian government claims that Pakistan initiated the ceasefire violation.
Ironically, on the one hand, the rulers in New Delhi extend offer of talks to Pakistan and the Kashmiri Hurriyet leadership to find a resolution for the dispute, while on the other, they repeat the mantra of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India. This duplicity has been the basic impediment in the way of resolution of the Kashmir dispute. It is a reality that Pakistan has always advocated resolution of the conflict over Kashmir through giving the Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination as promised by India and the world community. India cannot suppress the Kashmir liberation movement through state terrorism. Kashmiris will soon enjoy complete freedom of their motherland. People of occupied Kashmir show love and commitment with Pakistan by raising Pakistani flags despite presence of massive Indian forces. In these circumstances, New Delhi should resolve the longstanding issue of Kashmir in light of UN resolutions by holing a plebiscite. International community should also take notice of Indian atrocities for converting majority of Kashmiri people into minority to accomplish its vested agenda.
