Afia Ambreen
Recently, thousands of Pakistanis, Sikhs and members of human rights organisations staged a protest rally in Houston, Texas to condemn the Modi led government’s human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) which escalate after New Delhi’s move on Kashmir. The Indian government has imposed draconian measures including use of brutal force and a communications blackout after revoking the disputed valley’s semi autonomous in a rushed presidential decree on August 5. On 22 September, the Indian diaspora in the United States organised a gathering called ‘Howdy, Modi!’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a football stadium in Houston and US President Donald Trump also shared the stage with the Indian premier. According to ABC news, Justice for All, an interfaith human rights group, and its allies have organised the massive protest demonstration outside the venue with protesters chanting “Go back Modi” and “Modi is a terrorist”.
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a stage and showered each other with praise at a “Howdy, Modi!” rally in Houston, while protesters gathered outside to raise their voice for residents of occupied Kashmir who have been under a lockdown for 49 days. The Pakistani diaspora in the United States has responded to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call with unprecedented zeal and fervor. Pakistanis and Kashmiris across New York City, Houston, and other US states have mobilized to stage a mammoth protest to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in occupied Kashmir and put Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shame for his unlawful and barbaric actions. Twitter and other social media platforms are rife with calls to protest in New York, and more enthusiastically in Houston, where Indian Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold a joint rally with US President Donald Trump. Publicized as the “Howdy Modi” rally, it is said to be the largest, most expensive rally organized for the Indian diaspora in the US. The Sikh community has joined hands with Pakistanis to protest against New Delhi’s barbaric treatment of Kashmiris in IOK.
US Senator and Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders in an opinion piece in Houston Chronicle has said that the Narendra Modi-Donald Trump rally is happening at a time when Kashmir remains under lockdown. Bernie Sanders said when President Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, we will hear much about the friendship between the American and Indian peoples but there will be a deafening silence when it comes to a human rights crisis unfolding right before our eyes and that is unacceptable.
On the other hand, Sabah Hamid resigned from the foundation after realizing it was willing to award Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite his increasing authoritarian grip on power, infliction of state violence and communication shutdown in Kashmir. A staff member at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says she has resigned in protest at a decision to honour India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is despite widespread allegations of human rights violations in India Occupied Kashmir where an ongoing lockdown and communications blackout continues to cripple normal life on its 51st day. Modi is to receive an award on September 24 for his government’s efforts to control open defecation in India, on the sidelines of his visit to the UN General Assembly. Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, with much fanfare soon after he took office in 2014. The initiative aimed to build millions of toilets for India’s poor.
For decades, the Himalayan valley of Jammu & Kashmir, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, has been regarded as the flashpoint of a nuclear confrontation in South Asia. After 70 long years of Indian draconian laws and barbarism, the valley continues to bleed and suffer the brunt of the free-hand given to the Indian security forces. The advent of the BJP-RSS government and its Saffron agenda further intensified the political situation and human rights violations across the valley, while the Congress has always supported a moderate grip on the disputed territory, all the while maintaining the existing structure, as mandated by the UNSC resolution.
The Hindu nationalist government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a political off-shoot of the Hindu extremist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) came into power with a mandate of religious support, and the dream of carving out Mother India into a Hindu majority state. Given the powerful influence of the RSS, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exhibited an irrational and unconstitutional agenda towards religious minorities and Pakistan. Pakistan has reiterated its support to stand by the suppressed people of Kashmir in their mandated and justified struggle for freedom. Pakistan has assured its diplomatic, political and moral support, and the civil and military leadership of the country have also vowed to stand by the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
In a nutshell, the forceful abolition of Kashmir’s constitutional status did not consult any Kashmiri leader or politician, and stands as a vivid reminder that India is but an occupation force, clamping down on the rights of the Kashmiri people.
