Major Clampdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir

Istanbul, Turkey Dec. 17, A major clampdown was launched by Indian soldiers and police on a public march called by pro-independence leaders in Indian occupied Kashmir on Monday, two days after seven civilians and three local rebels were gunned down by Indian forces.

People are observing a complete shutdown is being observed in Kashmir - which is situated in north of India - against the massacre of innocent civilians which included 14-year-old school going child. Schools, offices, business establishments are closed while transport is off the roads.

The public march was called by popular resistance leadership led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik towards the largest base of Indian army in Kashmir Valley. Mirwaiz and Malik were arrested while they tried to take out the march while 90-year-old Geelani has been detained in his house since 2010. Geelani, with numerous ailments, is not allowed to move out by Indian government.

Indian occupied Kashmir is witnessing a popular resistance movement calling for right to self determination to decide its future which was promised by United Nations, Pakistan, India and international community in 1947 when Pakistan was born and Indian forced occupied nearly 40% of the total Kashmir territory.

On Saturday, the Indian forces killed three local rebels in an encounter in Southern Pulwama district while tens of hundreds of local villagers came to help of the rebels to flee the military operation. However, three rebels were killed by Indian forces.

The roads leading to Indian Army's base in Srinagar - called Chinar Corps at Badambagh - were blocked by Indian forces and no one was allowed to use the route. The local government run by governor appointed by India snapped internet services in parts of Kashmir while train services were suspended and Universities were shutdown.

The local media reported that soon after three rebels were killed, the Indian soldiers turned their guns towards the civilian population killing seven and injuring nearly 50 others, some of whom are critical. The killings invited sharp criticism of policy of Indian government in Kashmir with Pakistan calling it a "killing spree".

2018 has turned out to be deadliest as 500 casualties have been reported, so far - of whom 144 were civilians and 237 were Kashmir rebels.

In a significant development this year, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) released a detailed report on Kashmir revealing grave human rights violations going-on in Kashmir. Although the report was prepared remotely as both India and Pakistani government disallowed a team of UNHRC to visit divided Kashmir.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, reiterated his call for referendum in Kashmir and said that Pakistan will take up the issue of massacre of Kashmiris with the United Nations. His Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, addressed a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday wherein he appealed international community to come to rescue of Kashmiris "who are facing genocide at the hands of Indian forces".

Condemning the killing of 14 Kashmiris by Indian forces in Pulwama on Saturday, Qureshi said, "it appears Indian forces are on killing spree. The forces are not resorting to aerial firing to quell protests and disperse crowds. The yesterday’s events show that their aim is to kill."

Responding to call of Pakistan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the killing of Kashmiris by Indian forces.

The OIC in a statement called the actions by Indian forces in Kashmir as "terrorist act" and called upon the international community to play its role in order to reach a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Kashmir, in accordance with the relevant international resolutions adopted by the OIC and the UN Security Council, and fulfill the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

OIC has a contact group on Kashmir which meets annually.

"The (OIC) General Secretariat expressed condolences to the families of the innocent victims who lost their lives as a result of this wicked terrorist act and wished the wounded prompt recovery," said the statement posted on the website of the OIC.

A statement issued by Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (OIC-IPHRC) strongly condemned the “deplorable extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in Pulwama district of Kashmir by the Indian security forces.”

“The excessive and arbitrary use of force by Indian forces against innocent civilians, peacefully protesting for their legitimate rights, is deplorable and a blatant violation of their human rights including the right to life, right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful protests and assembly and other fundamental human rights,” the statement said.

It said the commission notes that the modern history of Kashmir has become synonymous with “insidious systematic and systemic ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Kashmiris where all possible means of violence including mass blinding through pellet guns, rape and molestation against women, enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings of youth are used to quell their legitimate and well recognized demand for self-determination.”

The Commission also urges the Government of India to abide by its international human rights obligations by bringing an end to the gross human rights violations and allow the international human rights community including the UN and OIC to visit Kashmir to objectively and independently report on the human rights situation, it said.

The OIC-IPHRC statement also urged the UN, the OIC and the international community to exert pressure on the Indian Government to immediately stop the ‘heavy handedness of its security forces’, guarantee protection of human rights of innocent Kashmiris and accede to UN mandated plebiscite for durable peace in the region.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan since 1947 while United Nations passed nearly 18 resolutions calling for popular referendum to be held under neutral observers in Kashmir giving a chance to people of Kashmir to decide their political future.

Since late 1980s, Kashmiris took up arms against the Indian rule and the anti-armed India rebellion is still going. Rights groups said that nearly 70000 people have been killed since then.

The number of rebels, according to Indian army establishment bin Kashmir, is around 250 while as Kashmir has been turned world's most militarised zone with deployment of nearly 700, 000 Indian soldiers in Kashmir to fight the rebels.

Riyaz ul Khaliq is a Journalist based in Istanbul where he is currently associated with Centre for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.