Fake Currency Racket in India

It is a matter of routine for Indian leadership to accuse Pakistan of any currency and /or fake pasport racket or any act of  terrorism in India whereas it has been proved many a time that invariably every racket or every act of terrorism was committed by India"s homegrown terrorists expect one odd case when a foreigner was accused and arrested.
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Recently, the Crime Branch of Delhi police arrested five foreigners including a woman for their alleged involement in printing and supplying fake passports, visas and US dollars. According to police, arround 120 fake passports, 300 visas and 22,000 fake US dollars have been recovered from their possession. The Fake passports of African countries were provided to those whose passports had either been impounded in criminal cases or they had entered India illegally through the neighbouring countries. Last year, the Indian Anti Narcotics Task Force had arrested three persons with 5,000 counterfeit US dollars in Hoshiarpur, and without ascertaining the source Indian Police suspected that the dollars were printed and smuggled in from Pakistan, despitet the fact the persons were residents of district Ferozpur (India). The media report carried the caption " Made in Pakistan dollars seized" which appears to have been given by the Indian agencies to the media in an attempt to defame and implicate Pakistan.

In January, 2012, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had claimed to to have busted a major Fake Indian currency notes and arrested 14 persons- including leaders of the gang operating out of Malda in West Bengal- during a nationwide swoop. Again fingers were pointed towards Pakistan, and according to media report the accused were found to have direct links with their coordinators in Pakistan where these notes were printed. Four persons including the India Kingpin Morgen Hussain were arrested from Malda while four others were caught in Hyderabad, three in Tamil Nadu and one each in Gulbarga ( Karnataka), Moradabad ( Uttar Pradesh) and Delhi. They were all Indian nationals. and there was no evidence of their contacts with Pakistan. One has to ask the question whether there are no criminals or rackeleers in India, and whether all Indians are saints and angels. It has to be mentioned that those involved in fake Indian currency notes and arrested in Bangladesh in October 2011 were also dubbed as having links with Pakistan.

It is a matter of routine for Indian Leadership to accuse Pakistan of any currency and/or fake passport racket or any act of terrorism in India whereas it has been proved many a time that invariably every racket or every act of terrorism was committed by India"s homegrown terrorists expect one odd case when a foreigner was accused and arrested. All along iIndia had also been officially denying any link of Hindu extremists with the mayhem, death and carrange resulting from the blasts, and instead tried to shift the blame for the heinous crime to the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). But Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief, Sawami Aseemanand had confessed before a magistrate that he along with other Hindu activists was involved in the Malegon, Samjhota Express, Ajmer and Macca Masjid bombing. This hadknocked the bottom out of Indian government"s pretence. Indian weekly Tehelka magazine had stated that his confession unraveled the inner workings of the Hindutva terror network.

Nevertheless, Indian media at large continue to malign Pakistan for act of terrorism. The stories of injustice and corruption in India abound. Kaldip Nayar, who is a diehard nationalist in one of his articles published in 2009 captioned "The weaves of India" has been eandid in acknowledging failure of Indian leadership that has strayed from the ideais stated in the constituation. He wrote; "It is time that we looked at ourselves. India is entering the 60th year of its constitution"s initiation whereby the country become a sovereign democratic  republic. All citizens were promised justic, liberty and fraternity. It is a long story of failure in many ways. Criminals constitute  one-fifth of parliament and the state assemblies. One criminal was brought to raling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) facing a no confidence motion. The rules are such that a candidate or an elected member is not disqualified untill he/she is convicted. Corruption knows no bounds and the nexus between politicians and the dishonest is firmer than before".

There are incredible statistics about the so-called shining India and largest democracy of the world. There are approroximately 2 million child sex workers between the age of 5 and 15 years and about 3.3 million between the age of 15 and 18 years. India sex industry the second largest in the world after the philippines. Prostitution is wide spread and recent studies indicate that out  of the estimatted 9 million prostitutes some 30 per cent are children. Human Rights Watch reported that the practic of dedicting  or marrying young girils to Hindu deity or temple as servants of god (devdasis) continue in several southern states including Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, where organizers of the ashram and filthy rich abuse those devdasis. One can conclude from the above details that there is widespread corruption and crime in India; however Indian government deems it convenient to blame Pakistan for all the malaises, acts of terrorism and fake currency rackets in India.

In fact, India is trying to destabilize the countries of the region to extend its hegemony over them, be it Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and even Pakistan. Pakistan has been pointing out that India through its consulates in Afghanistan is funding extremists and terrorists in Balochistan. And has even links with the terrorists in FATA. But the US and West did not pay any attention to Pakistan"s grievances; but at least once the United States urged India to cooperate with international initiative to check money landering warining  that the "hawala" system of illegal money transfer is directly linked to terrorist fiancing "India should become a party to the UN  conventions against Transnational Organised Crime and Corruption," said the 2009 international Narcotics Control Strategy Report, India should also pass the Prevention of Money Laundering Act amendments in parliament to srtengthen its anti-money (AML/CTF) regime and to work towads full membership in the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the report said.

The report added:Historiclly, because of its location between the heroin-producing countries of Golden Triangle  and Golden Crescent, India continues to be a drug-transit country, added, The 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai had intensifed concerns about terrorist financing in India. Pointing out that the Indian government neither regulates hawala dealers nor requirs them to register with the government, the report cited Indian analysts as suggesting "that hawala operators are often protected by politicians and corrupt officials". According to Indian observers, funds transferred through the hawala market are equal to between 30to 40 percent of the formal market. It has been estimated that remittances to India sent through legal and formal channels in 2007-2008 amounted to $42.6 billion. From the above deatails one can conclude that India is self-sufficient in all sort of rackets, acts of terrorism, corruption and other malaises and there is no room for aliens to operate in India.
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 Daily NHT

Relations with India

By Mohammad Jamil

Some media men, journalists, columnists and pseudo-intellectuals have the habit of criticising Pakistan and its institutions just to prove that they are independent. In the process they bring ignominy to Pakistan. The other day, a renowned columnist Kunwar Idris wrote an article captioned ‘Relations with India’, and mentioned the “laurels for Indian democracy and fast-growing economy, and Pakistan getting attention for its suicide bombers and nuclear weapons”. One may admit the failures of Pakistan’s inept leadership for having brought the country to the present pass, but our intelligentsia also is responsible for this state of affairs in equal measure, which has the penchant for self-inflicted afflictions. They are running from one extreme to another; one group suggesting ‘Crush India’; wishes Pakistan to jump into the fray wherever any Muslim country is under siege; and the other one descending so low as to forego Pakistan’s rights vis-à-vis Kashmir. The said columnist appears to be averse to the very concept of Pakistan and its creation.After recalling the events of 1946, Kunwar Idris wrote: “If the leadership of the Muslim League had considered it possible, just a year before Partition, to coexist with India in a confederation, why can’t we now, as an independent state, coexist with India in a looser union without compromising our sovereignty – as in the case of the countries joining the EU and Asean?…It would be no exaggeration to say that the chief, if not the only, cause of our political instability, economic backwardness, recurring wars and endemic violence has been confrontation with India. Kashmir would no longer be a hurdle to normality as the Kashmiris now ask for azadi and not accession to Pakistan”. First of all, it has to be mentioned that British had tried their best to keep India together in one form or another. Of course, the demand for a separate homeland for Muslims of India was made when Indian leadership had refused to accept reasonable safeguards for Muslims, and waged struggle for their rights under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam. There is no denying that initially Quaid-e-Azam was ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity; and during the British Raj did not wish to exacerbate the contradictions between the Muslims and the Hindus. He, however, stood for the rights of the Muslims even when he was member of the Congress. In 1916, Lacknow Pact was the result of his efforts whereby Congress had accepted the rights of Muslims for separate constituencies, and it was willing to give constitutional guarantees to them. Many Jinnah’s biographers blame Jawaharlal Nehru and Valbhbhai Patel for not addressing the concerns and reservations of the Muslims. He had of course tried to get the rights of Muslims secured by accepting Cabinet Mission Plan in 1946. But when Gandhi claimed that Congress alone represented India, the Quaid made up his mind that at an opportune time he would not accept less than a separate homeland for the Muslims. As stated above, Jawaharlal Nehru had refused to abide by the provisions of the Cabinet Mission plan and started giving his own interpretation.Anyhow, Pakistan – the beacon of hope for the Muslims of South Asia and beyond – was created under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He was not a traditional politician but a great leader, brilliant statesman and a master strategist, who fought the case for Pakistan so well that he not only frustrated the designs of the British that wished to see the sub-continent united in one form or another till the last moment, but also made the brute Hindu majority believe that division of the sub-continent had saved it from some bigger catastrophe. He had united the Muslims of the subcontinent and waged struggle for separate homeland for Muslims to rid them of brute majority’s exploitation and repression; and also to enable them to lead their lives according to their faith and culture. This twin-objective is in fact the ideology of Pakistan. Do the advocates of confederation want the Muslims to be subjugated and ruthlessly exploited by Hindu extremists?Those who criticise Jinnah for not supporting the “Quit India movement” launched by Congress should go through the memoirs of former Congress President Abul Kalam Azad who wrote: “The scheme in my mind was that as soon as the Japanese reached Bengal, and the British forces withdrew towards Bihar, the Congress would step in and take over the control of the country”. This is enough to vindicate Quaid-i-Azam’s position and his decision to accept nothing short of an independent country. Some of his detractors accuse him of rigidity, but he was a man of principles and never compromised on principles. As a matter of strategy he showed flexibility on less important issues with a view to achieving broader objective. It was in this context that he considered each and every proposal whether coming from the British or the Congress in the form of Lucknow Pact, Roundtable Conference or Cabinet Mission, and wished to use every opportunity including his Fourteen Points for securing the rights of the Muslims. Kunwar Idrees concluded his article by suggesting formation of confederation between India and Pakistan in these words: “On a different plane, India would not be fomenting unrest in Pakistan’s vulnerable borderlands which, we suspect, it habitually does. Thus, both politically and economically Pakistan has little to lose but much to gain by making friends with India. The only losers on both sides would be the religious extremists and the ideologues who exploit them”. The writer should understand that Pakistan was created through the struggle of millions of Muslims of the sub-continent for about five decades, and millions perished at the time of partition. Instead of confederation work they could work together for the formation of Asia Union on the lines of European Union, but first of all resolve the outstanding disputes over Kashmir, Water, Sir Creek and Siachen. The author should remember that European Union could only be formed by the European countries after they had resolved their disputes. They had of course fought from decade-long wars to at least a hundred year war. It would be appropriate to quote Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in regard to his commitment to resolve Kashmir dispute. In a telegram on 31st October 1947 to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pandit Nehru said: “Kashmir’s accession to India was accepted by us at the request of the Maharaja’s government, and the most numerously representative popular organisation in the state which is predominantly Muslim. Even then it was accepted on condition that as soon as law and order had been restored, the people of Kashmir would decide the question of accession. It is open to them to accede to either Dominion then”. In his statement in the Indian Constituent Assembly on 5th March, 1948, Pandit Nehru said: “Even at the moment of accession, we went out of our way to make a unilateral declaration that we would abide by the will of the people of Kashmir as declared in a plebiscite or referendum. We have adhered to that position throughout and we are prepared to have a Plebiscite with every protection of fair voting and to abide by the decision of the people of Kashmir”. He gave more than dozen statements and committed to hold plebiscite under the aegis of the United Nations, but the question is whether these ‘noble sentiments’ will ever be translated into reality?

Kashmir: A deep-rooted conflict

If the government of India to reach out the people of Kashmir with very attractive political packages rather cinstitutional remedies and safeguards,it cant win heatrs and minds of people,simply because the inflicted are so grave that political concession alone wont work.

By Bashir Assad

The acute frustration of Kashmiris, which has a long history of political mismanagement by New-Delhi at its back is fraught with new but frightening proportions. Though, anger and alienation has been aggrieved by what is perceived as prejudice against Kashmiris, the ongoing political upheaval has altogether a distinct character. One is surprised to see small children and teenagers coming out on the streets in bulk to protest against the state repression. The anger in among these children who are at the threshold of adulthood is so deep that they face bullets like brave warriors rather patriots and nothing could stop them from coming out on streets despite severe restrictions put in place by the security forces. One wonders, how these children take on the state forces equipped with lethal weapons that too when the forces are enjoying impunity under the draconian laws like AFSPA.

Given the intensity of the protests, the state forces have virtually failed in handling the protesting mobs and the anger and alienation increases with each killing as admitted by the Indian Home Minister in Parliament only few days back.

Beguilingly, many of these children have seen their fathers being gunned down during two decades of militancy in the Valley that has led to an alarming rise in the number of orphans in the region. Although there are no official statistics, surveys conducted by various NGOs put the number around 50,000.

Studies conducted by various NGOs have found that children in Kashmir suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders , which arise from being witness to the killing of a family member and/or destruction of homes and property. Actually the new generation in Kashmir, has never been part of a peaceful atmosphere. They grew up amidst roaring guns, crackdowns, elders and women being humiliated by the security forces, they have even seen the democratically elected governments in state patronizing the dreaded killers , their hearts bleed while recollecting the worst kind of physical, mental and psychological pain and injuries inflicted upon the people during last twenty years, witnessed only the brute face of armed forces and also the broken promises of political elite of the state and centre. The frustration and anger among younger generation is beyond control, it is stimulated by the state coercion immaterial of whether Pakistan and its ISI fishes in the troubled waters or not. I am afraid about the adverse implications of the statements of the Indian Home Minister, he made from time to time since Jun 11 stating sometimes that militants have mingled with the protesting mobs and at other occasions blaming Pakistan and LeT for instigating violence in Kashmir. Home Minister is trying to export cut and dried formula of absurd Indian democracy to douse the flames, which he can’t.

Call it ‘post traumatic disorders’ or anger and alienation, the fact remains that the intensity and rapidity of the current phase of mobilization is so soaring that if the state comes out with all its military might to crush the mayhem, it will get defeated. Not only this, I bet, if the government of India tries to reach out to the people of Kashmir with very attractive political packages rather constitutional remedies and safeguards, it can’t win the hearts and minds of people, simply because the injuries inflicted are so grave that political concessions alone won’t work.

As mentioned earlier, the current phase of political mobilization is fraught with considerably new theoretical significance against a backdrop of institutional decay culminating in political violence, the political initiatives alone can’t douse the flames unless there is humanitarian response to the extraordinary situation having psychological ramifications.

Humanitarian response can be provided by a number of actors : local and international humanitarian organizations, NGOs, backchannel actors. Their methods vary and there are times when one form of action is more effective than another. As for the Kashmir situation is concerned members of Indian civil society could be more effective than the government agencies. There was a time when the Hurriyat conference and other separatist groups like expressed their willingness to participate in elections to prove their representative character under the auspices of the Members of Indian civil society not under the supervision of Election Commission of India. In fact the separatist leadership also identified such privileged members before the 2002 general elections and expressed their full faith in them for their integrity and understanding of the Kashmir problem. I am really tired of the rhetoric’s of Kashmir being political problem and needs political handling. Of course, it is a political problem, yet the fact remains that the people of Kashmir, especially the younger generation won’t repose their faith in the system unless they are reached through human prism. I am in total disagreement with the people advocating straight dialogue between the centre and the people of Kashmir. Taking into account the futility of such exercises of the past, one can’t expect any breakthrough though such dialogue. The situation, of course, needs political handling through non-political actors of the Indian civil society. Yes, for that you have to create a conducive atmosphere and there comes the role of the Indian political system. Initiate some serious confidence building measures first like revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), release all the prisoners, withdraw the troops from the civilian areas and allow a political space for all the political leaders and then utilize the services of the privileged members of the civil society to initiate a dialogue with the people of Kashmir but give them total liberty to make the dialogue serious and result oriented. I mean, any action should be based on dialogue with the concerned parties and acceptance by them, and its aim is to provide an effective response that will benefit all victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. And one should be fully aware that acceptance has to be earned and can easily be lost. But it is equally convinced that in situations of armed conflict, its neutrality and independence does facilitate access to people in need and to the proper authorities. Demonstrating the relevance of this particular approach to humanitarian action, I think is persuasive example of the enduring value of neutral independent humanitarian action.

I wonder, why the people at the helm of affairs don’t understand this simple point that in the current humanitarian emergency in the conflict area of Kashmir, were as many as 40 innocent people have been killed by the security forces in past two months, the Government is direct participant in the conflict-how the people who have been isolated by the state machinery through its repressive measures, can trust it. It is likely to create confusion with other actors engaged in a purely humanitarian mission, and suspicions about these other actors as well. In a complex situation like Kashmir, effective and timely humanitarian approach alone can deliver because the players involved in humanitarian activities engage in substantive dialogues, while being aware of and respecting each other's mandates, principles and modus operandi. Given the contexts in which the backchannel players could work and their mandate, it is inevitable that they will be successful at fostering respect for international humanitarian law and maintain relationship with the Kashmiri people in order to disseminate international humanitarian laws. There is no scope for any other government sponsored mechanism as for the present situation in Kashmir is concerned. Government of India has to understand that the younger generation in Kashmir is not even ready to trust the leaders of the resistance movement as was evident from the latest episodes of rejecting the UJC Chief's appeal of a well devised action plan. More interestingly, Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has also come under public scanner for his recent appeal to the youth not to engage in stone pelting. If this is the case with the separatist leadership, what about the proposal and postures of the Indian political system.

Author can be reached at: bashirassad@rediffmail.com

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Kashmiri students, protest in Hyderabad

In India, scores of Kashmiri students and academics studying and teaching in various universities in Hyderabad staged protests against the continued killings in occupied Kashmir.

Students from various areas studying in Hyderabad University joined the protesters. The students were carrying placards and banners that sought revocation of black laws, AFSPA, PSA and demilitarisation of occupied Kashmir.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Kashmiris have held protest demonstrations across the world against the ongoing wave of civilian killings and atrocities in the occupied territory by Indian paramilitary forces and policemen.

Human Rights Violations in Occupied Kashmir

Dr.Raja Muhammad Khan

There are strong reports that over the worsening security situation in Occupied Kashmir, arose due wide spread protests by Kashmiris against the growing Indian atrocities; Indian Government is seriously thinking to impose the Governor Rule in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In this regards, Mr. Narinder Nath Vohra, the so-called Governor of the Occupied Kashmir had a detailed meeting with Indian Home, Defence, and Foreign ministers in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh headed the meeting that was also participated by senior military and civil officials of Indian bureaucracy. Next few days are considered as very crucial in this regard. What is the situation on ground can be visualized from a news report that says, “The situation in Occupied Kashmir is worsening with each day passing. The local and international media is already blocked from covering the ongoing events in Srinagar and elsewhere in Occupied Kashmir. Despite the protests by Kashmiri Journalists, no newspaper is allowed to publish today in Occupied Kashmir. Restrictions on mobile messaging and access to Internet are also imposed in many areas.” Curfew is imposed in most cities of Valley and Muslim dominated areas of the Jammu province.

The state of Human Rights violations in the Occupied Kashmir can be imagined from this factual report, which says that, there have been 93,274 deaths of the innocent Kashmiri from 1989 to June 30, 2010. Besides this alarming figure of open killings by its security forces, there have been 6,969 custodial killings, 117,345 arrests, destruction, and razing of 105,861 houses and other physical structures in the use of the community as a whole. The brutal security forces have orphaned over 107, 351 children, widowed 22,728 women and gang raped 9,920 women and young girls. In June 2010 only, there have been over 40 deaths including four children besides, torturing and injuring 572 people. The brutal Indian security forces molested eight women during this one month. By committing this much human rights violations so far, India is trumpeting its success in the Occupied Kashmir, which indeed, is the real cause of fresh uprisings.

What actually propelled India to continue massive human rights violations of Kashmiris is the non-condemnation of these Indian heinous acts of by the so-called civilized international community and no action by UNO? Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. India perhaps reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the Kashmiris movement for the freedom from the Indian rule. This indeed is the continuation of their resistance against the Dogra Rule, started in early part of the 20th century. On July 13, 1931, the Dogra authorities ordered firing on a group of peaceful Kashmiri Protestors in Jammu, resultant killing of dozens of innocent Kashmiris. Thereafter, there has been no letup in the oppression of the Dogra rule until its end in October 1947. The end of the Dogrea rule was marked by the beginning of the Hindu rule, another repressive rule on the Kashmiris, which is continuing. People of Occupied Kashmir feels that, “The martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives for Kashmir cause teach us all not to bow before the forces even if one has to sacrifice his life.”

Following the temporary suspension of the armed struggle by Kashmiri freedom fighters in 2003, India misperceived that it has been able to combat them through its counter-insurgency operations. Indeed, from 2003 onwards, there appeared a change in the Indian attitude, and it was thought by Kashmiri masses that, as Pakistan, India is also sincere in the resolution of Kashmir dispute. In January 2004, during the historic 12th SAARC Summit, both countries pledged that, Kashmir issue would be resolved through an option acceptable to all three parties; the Kashmiri, Pakistan and India. Unfortunately, India’s stubborn attitude and its misperception that Kashmiris are no more presenting a resistance, as if they have reconciled with the Indian rule has led her not to make further progress on the issue. In the meanwhile, through various compensatory measures, India tried to redress the Kashmiri grievances. However, there has been no policy change in the repressive activities of Indian security forces. Indian security forces continued human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir unabated.

After having seen no progress for the resolution of Kashmir issue through peaceful political ways, in 2008, Kashmiri once again renewed their peaceful protests. This time forceful grabbing of their land by the Indian authorities became the raison d'être for the protests. Through a deliberate attempt, Indian Government allotted 800 kanal of Kashmiri land to a Hindu shrine. The tactics was that, through a gradual process, a demographic change would be effected in the Vale of Kashmir, the way it was done in the Jammu, following the Indian rule there, from October 1947 onwards. It is worth mentioning that Muslim population constituted 62 percent of the Jammu province according to the last census held in the united Kashmir in 1941. Now it is in thirties. The Valley has over 95 % Muslim population; therefore, India is all out to reduce this by inhabiting Hindu population, through land allotments. To curb their uprisings, this time Indian state machinery decided to economically strangulate the Valley people. Making use of the security forces and Hindu extremists of Jammu, Indian authorities blocked the entire entry and exist routes of the Kashmir Valley. The economic blockade was so ruthless that there took place severe shortage of the foodstuff in the Valley. The Protestants were fired upon, resultant killing of hundreds of the innocent masses including the prominent leaders like Sheikh Abdul Aziz on 11 August 2008, once he was leading a peaceful march towards Muzaffarabad, demanding an end to economic blockade by Indian Army.

Over the time, the people of Kashmir have realized that it is only a delaying tactics being used by the Indian Government; otherwise, there is neither the will nor the desire of resolving the issue by India. So much so, after the Mumbai terror attack, India is emphasizing Pakistan to resolve other issues less Kashmir. The process of Indo-Pak Composite Dialogue is no more the agenda. Rather, India stresses on a new beginning, mostly revolving around the cross border terrorism and the trade issues. India desires to do away with the tangible developments made during 2004 to 2007, on the core issue on Kashmir, Siachin and Sir Creek. Linked with the Kashmir is the water issue between the India and Pakistan. Through the construction of a number of dams and water storages and diversions, India has reduced the water flow for Pakistan to almost 50 percent from the rivers whose water is exclusively dedicated for the Pakistan.

There is a big question mark on the role of the United Nations Organization (UNO), the only International Organization, mandated to redress the oppressed people of the world. The organization has badly failed to implement its responsibilities and its own resolutions towards a rightful solution of the issue. Besides, the major powers had a role to play for the maintenance of peace and a balance in the world, but owing to a number of factors; they also failed to undertake their moral responsibilities from the platform of UNO. Through new strategic alliances, India has become a partner of the major powers like; United States, European Union, and Russia. These major military and economic powers have their stakes in India, a country having 1.3 billion populations. Within these major interests, the voice of the Kashmiri’s right of self-determination has lost its pitch as well as the echo.

There have wide spread demonstrations against the recent killings of Kashmiri youths by Indian security forces in various parts of the world. As a routine, Indian security forces are killing 5-6 youths daily. The situation looks like the one Kashmiri experienced in early 1990s. Besides Kashmir, there have been massive demonstrations in various parts of the world, condemning the Indian atrocities. In UK, the Kashmiri community organised a huge protest demonstration against human rights violation in Occupied Kashmir by India. The demonstrators handed over a memorandum to the Indian High Commission in London, demanding an immediate halt to the atrocious inhuman activities of Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir. Demonstrators appealed international human rights organizations that they should assess the situation on ground and mobilise the world community for influencing India for ending the human rights violations there.

The Kashmiri community in Washington also organized similar protests. On the eve of Indian Premier’s meet with the President Obama, the Kashmiri community held a peaceful demonstration in front of the White House, conveying the feeling that it is high time that India should be pursued to show flexibility in resolving the issue and be asked to stop the human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir. The demonstrators emphasized the US and international community on three things: ‘President Obama to appoint special envoy for Kashmir; India to honour UN pledges, and killings of Kashmiris be stopped forthwith.

The most popular demand of the Kashmiris from the civilized world is that, if they have their stakes in India and are unable to pursue her to resolve the issue as per the wishes of Kashmiris, then why UN should not make efforts to get the issue resolved. After all, it is mandated to do that and has passed over twenty three resolution on Kashmir resolution. By no means, Kashmir should be treated like Naxalite problem, India is facing in its north and northeastern parts. Occupied Kashmir is not part of the India; therefore, its inhabitants are struggling against a foreign occupant for their freedom, that it is their legal right as per the charter of UNO. The world should therefore, be absolutely clear that, India should not treat Kashmir like its internal insurgency problems, it facing in nine states, all demanding independence from the Indian Union. As per Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, the Executive Director, Kashmir Centre Washington said that, “Kashmir situation represents a Government's repression not of a secessionist or separatist movement but of an uprising against foreign occupation, an occupation that was expected to end under determinations made by the United Nations. The Kashmiris are not and cannot be called separatists, as Dr. Manmohan Singh alleges because they cannot secede from a country like India to which they have never acceded to in the first place.” Furthermore, since the bilateralism between India and Pakistan has not worked, therefore, participation of a third party like UN has become mandatory for the solution of the Kashmir issue.

Awakening of the world conscious is the need of hour. Closing of the eyes and ears by the international community on the ongoing massive human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir by Indian security forces would not end the issue. Rather the seething protest against Indian human rights violation would endanger the world peace to an extent that may be unimaginable until now, as India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed countries. Therefore, the UNO and major powers must pressurize India to immediately end the human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir, pullout its brutal security forces and resolve the issue as per the wishes of Kashmiri subjects in the light of UN resolutions. This would bring peace and stability in the region as well at the global level.

The writer is an analyst of international relations.

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