Kashmiris’ heroic struggle for self-determination

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  • Support by all justice loving people

Untold sacrifices rendered by the Kashmiri people specially during the BJP rule have generated a wave of sympathy for them. Even the generally pro-India western media has taken note of the deployment of tens of thousands of special forces in occupied Kashmir, night searches, arrests without warrants, torture, rape and extrajudicial killings and the recourse to pellet guns to disperse unarmed protesters. Several US lawmakers have expressed concern about the way the people’s voice was being silenced. Major US newspapers have highlighted the gross violation of human rights. On Wednesday, The New York Times published PM Imran Khan’s interview highlighting the Kashmir issue.

Mr Khan complained bitterly about repeated rebuffs from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at his offer for talks, both before and after the August 5 crackdown. He maintained that there was no point in talking to the Indian leadership. Mr Khan described the situation as “potentially very explosive”. He called Mr Modi a fascist and Hindu supremacist who intends to reduce Kashmir’s Muslim majority population by settling   hundreds of thousands of Hindus in the Valley. He expressed fears of ethnic cleansing. India could also undertake a false-flag operation, he said, then accuse Pakistan, leading to confrontation between the two nuclear armed countries.

The Kashmiri leadership has given a call for peaceful protests on Friday. The BJP government may again impose curfew and ban the Kashmiris from offering prayers at major mosques in Srinagar. Those daring to come out despite the measures are likely to be subjected to brutal treatment. This would again expose the BJP government’s unwillingness to allow even peaceful protests.

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to have a meeting with Mr Modi this weekend at the G-7 moot in the French coastal resort of Biarritz. He has promised to do his best to mediate over Kashmir. Keeping in mind the key role given to India in Washington’s regional strategy, President Trump is not likely to press for the abrogation of Article 370 or call for the Kashmiris’ right of self-determination. Meanwhile one expects Mr Khan to genuinely act as Kashmiri’s ambassador as he has promised. Kashmiris have to ready themselves for a long and bloody struggle.