Indian denials of UNSC resolutions

Today is the second anniversary of India’s abrogation of Kashmir’s special status

India has been defying United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions for decades, by not holding a plebiscite in Indian-Held Kashmir giving the Kashmiris their birthright of self-determination and thus deciding their future themselves.

On 5 August 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone many steps ahead in resorting to mocking the unimplemented UNSC resolutions, by revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution ending the special status of the occupied territory and turning it into an integral part of the Indian Union despite the fact that it was an internationally, more importantly UNSC, declared disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

The two neighbouring countries which gained freedom from the British rule in 1947 have fought wars over the Kashmir dispute which somehow continues to be unresolved as India persists on defying the UNSC resolutions which were passed at its own request.

As a matter of record, the two countries had fought their first war over Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48 after India had forcibly occupied a major part of the valley in October 1947 on the pretext of an Instrument of Accession signed by the state’s last maharaja. When the Indian military intervention was countered by the Pakistan Army, India hurriedly moved the Kashmir dispute with the world body under the provisions of the UN Charter on 1st January 1948.

The UN Security Council passed Resolution No30 on 20 January   1948 calling for an urgent investigation into the dispute in order to avert the possibility of its turning into a major war between the two countries. This was to be done by the newly-established UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP).

The UNSC adopted Resolution No 47 on 21 April 1948 calling for ceasefire.  and decided that the accession of Jammu and Kashmir either to Pakistan or to India would be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite to which both the countries had agreed. The Resolution also instructed the UNCIP to pay a visit to the Subcontinent and take appropriate measures to facilitate India and Pakistan to hold the plebiscite in accordance with UNSC Resolution 47.

But India has and continues to defy the UNSC Resolutions, passed on its request, on one or the other pretext, fully knowing that in case a free and independent plebiscite was held, the predominantly Muslim population of the occupied valley would vote to accede to Pakistan.

Greatly disappointed over the failure of all efforts for resolving the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means for years together, the of the occupied territory intensified their indigenous, unarmed freedom struggle in 1980 to secure their right of self-determination, persistently denied by India.

Kashmiris on both sides of Line of Control , in Pakistan and throughout the world will quite obviously continue observing August 5 as yet another darkest day of their history until their indigenous , peaceful and unarmed struggle, fully backed and supported by Pakistan government and people,  meets with success and they exercise their much-denied right of self-determination  in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions and decide their future themselves after decades-long sacrifices, violence, bloodshed, atrocities and brutalities at the hands of occupying Indian security forces.

The Kashmiris are continuing their struggle in a determined manner offering sacrifices of men, women, youth, children almost every day at the hands of huge occupying Indian security forces whose number has crossed to more than 900,0000 following the 5 August 2019 unilateral action of the Modi government of India. The occupying Indian security forces are committing gross human rights violations in sheer brutality day and night like a genocide of the Muslim population in order to change the demographic position of the disputed territory.

Their freedom struggle is continuing despite the bitter fact that India had put the entire occupied territory under complete lockdown after revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir two years back.

According to the facts and figures available from reliable sources in occupied Kashmir, despite the suspension of all means of communication, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have been brutally martyred by the Indian security forces since 1980, and bloodshed and violence is continuing in an unabated manner. The Indian security forces, equipped with unusual powers, are particularly targeting the Kashmiri youth and hitting them with pellet gunshots. Indian security men also pick up young men in so-called house to house searches and afterwards they are sent to jail in unknown Indian areas. Almost all leaders of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), the most political representative body of the Kashmiris, had also been taken into custody and put into the Indian jails here and there without any knowledge of their whereabouts to their families.

It is an established fact that the lingering, unresolved Kashmir issue has for years together been turned into a flashpoint between the neighbouring nuclear states of India and Pakistan thus threatening and endangering the peace and stability in the region.

Through the concerted efforts of Pakistan and its leadership, the Kashmir issue has since been taken out of cold storage after as many as 55 years. The so-called dead issue of Kashmir issue was thus discussed by the UN Security Council thrice within a span of one year though no decisive step was step to resolve the more than seven decades unresolved issue on which hinges durable peace and security of the region.

Lately, though more and more countries are voicing their support  for peaceful negotiations regarding the burning Kashmir issue in response to Pakistan’s efforts for ensuring peace and stability in the region, it is rather shocking indeed to note that no country is either willing to pressurize the Indian leadership to implement the UNSC Resolutions or taking any step to threaten India’s trade and economic interests directly or indirectly though persistently expressing over gross human rights  violations by Indian security forces in occupied territory and ongoing brutalities and atrocities on unarmed Kashmiris struggling for freedom from shackles of Indian slavery.

The Modi government of India has not budged an inch from its unilateral brutal measures in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and continues making mockery of the UNSC Resolutions. The complete lockdown, the longest in human history, in the occupied territory is almost two years old now and continues unabated. All means of communication, health facilities despite the coronavirus pandemic, educational facilities and so on all remain suspended .Media personnel, Indian  or foreign , are denied access to the occupied territory where brave, courageous and determined Kashmiris are continuing  their indigenous freedom more vehemently with every passing day so as to somehow awake the sleeping conscience of the international community which seems to be more interested in interests with India than rendering some practical help and assistance to the suffering Kashmiris.

Over the years, the Kashmiris have been observing October 27 ever year as the darkest day of their history when their territory was forcibly militarily occupied by India in 1947 against their wishes and aspirations.

Now, Kashmiris have started observing August 5 as the second darkest day of their history to keep protesting against their territory being made an integral part of India. They observed the second darkest day on August 5 last year for the first time and now they are observing it for the second time. This is bound to happen much sooner than later, with the blessings of the Almighty.

Muhammad Zahid Rifat
Muhammad Zahid Rifat
The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) , Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at [email protected]

1 COMMENT

  1. crying male dogs… especially on anniversaries of seasons.. who tell dogs don’t celebrate esp zaheel dogs for young virgin dogs? they don’t care bark.. bark.. to court iron rod bitches ?

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