By Abdullah Sayyaf
The author is an undergraduate student at the National Defense University and an Intern at the Ministry of Human Rights Pakistan. He can be reached at abdullahsayyaf770@gmail.com
On the morning of August 5, 2019, residents of Srinagar woke up to an alarming silence, punctuated only by the distant hum of military convoys. The internet was down, phone lines were cut, and a curfew was imposed overnight. Ghulam Ahmad, a shopkeeper in the swarming Lal Chowk market, could not reach his suppliers or customers. His small shop, often visited by the local buyers, was empty and silent. Ghulam’s son, Faisal, a university student, was frustrated and anxious, unable to access his study materials online. The unprecedented lockdown and communication blackout initiated a new and turbulent chapter for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as the BJP-led Indian government announced the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. This decision, aimed to integrate the region with India, instead sparked multiple events and actions that worsened the security landscape of J&K.
The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir which had already deteriorated due to the unwillingness of India to provide the people with the right to self-determination has started to accelerate after 5th August 2019. Indian security forces began to arrest Kashmiri people on a large scale to suppress the opposition of people to the decision of revocation of the special status of Kashmir. To date around 25,000 civilians have been arrested with the help of draconian laws such as AFSPA, PSA, and UAPA. This number includes not only ordinary people but also Kashmir’s Political and social leadership, which created a leadership vacuum leading to a leaderless society and compromised security. The situation did not stop there as among the arrested individuals, some of them were extrajudicially murdered by security forces without any investigations or allegations. The extrajudicial killing of Kashmiri leader Altaf Ahmed Shah and the recent case of civilian murder in security custody that occurred in Baflyaz (Jammu) are clear evidence of Indian misadventures that are leading to security jeopardization.
In the name of maintaining security situation, Indian security forces conduct Cordon and Search operations almost daily across the valley and Jammu but actions taken during these operations are making the security situation worse than before. Only last year around 260 search operations were launched. As the number of operations rose, the number of harassment cases and abuse also rose making citizens insecure to the worst extent. During these cordon and search operations, since 5th August 2019, more than 1000 structures have been destroyed by security forces, including common household buildings and commercial businesses. Citizens are not just thrown out of their homes but also deprived of their property. In the name of “retrieving state land”, and maintaining security over 178005.213 acres in the Kashmir region and 25159.56 acres in Jammu are seized as allegedly “encroached” by the residents. Moreover, building new camps and expanding old ones for security forces is another tactic of grabbing land.
All of the actions mentioned above where resulted in economic, social, and political insecurity, it also led to an increase in the number of locals joining the armed struggle against the Indian-occupied forces. The grievances of the Kashmiri people are often met with iron hand leaving no space for the peaceful struggle. As a result, people tend to join military struggle to settle their grievances and disputes with the Indian security forces. To increase security measures and to stop this, the Indian government empowered Village Defense Guards (VDGs) by giving them arms and training. Instead of securing the locality, these guards took an active part in making the security situation worse. By taking part in attacking common civilians and attacking each other, the VDGs increased security tensions in Kashmir.
In summary, in Jammu and Kashmir since 5th August 2019, more than 900 people are killed, around 25000 have been arrested, more than 2500 were critically tortured, 133 women raped, and 68 women are widowed. These numbers are a few indicators amongst others that explains the deteriorating security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. In the wake of this situation international institutions like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch warned Indian authorities to refrain from their actions which are making the situation worse. Along with these organizations, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights also raised their voice against Indian authorities’ actions saying that the Indian authorities are misusing laws to shield their actions and termed Kashmir as a disturbed area. The United States, United Kingdom, China, Pakistan, OIC, and the European Union also raised their concerns on the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir repeatedly.
The severity of the security issues in Jammu and Kashmir is visible in the above-outlined data and international response to it because this does not affect only social, economic, and political aspects of common Kashmiri citizens, but also threatens the security of the neighboring states and international geopolitics. Indian authorities need to shift their attention from adopting short-term actions to long-term solutions. Short-term actions like Search operations, arrests, killings, and VDGs are no solution to the problem of Kashmir rather they are deteriorating it more. India needs to understand that giving back the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and providing the Right to self-determination according to UN resolutions are the only available and practical solutions to the Kashmir issue.
