FEBRUARY 5 is observed as “Kashmir Solidarity Day” every year since 1990 throughout Pakistan, Overseas Kashmiris and Pakistani Diaspora across the world. The aim of celebrating this day has three main objectives: (1) To express solidarity with people of Kashmir residing in miserable condition in the Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIO J&K), with the renewed pledge to continue moral and diplomatic support (2) To mobilize world opinion , international media and human rights organizations ; pursuing them to highlight grave human rights violations by Indian Security forces in IIOJ&K . (3) To remind United Nations for compliance of resolutions on Kashmir without further delay. This day is observed every year as commemoration and moral obligation because Pakistan and Kashmir have eternal bond of culture, geography and religion.
To maintain this tradition, the day will be observed with traditional fervour. This tradition started in the regime of Benazir Bhutto (late) on 5th February 1990 wherein a national call was made to extend the solidarity with the people of India-occupied Kashmir to which the nation responded with very high national spirit and there was flood of people on the streets, making human chains to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir. It is worth mentioning that at that time, the aim was only to highlight to the world about granting plebiscite to Kashmiris as per UN Resolutions and to stop Indian security forces intensified operations in IIOJ&K but after the abrogation of article 370 & 35- A of Indian constitution by Modi’s government on 5 August 2019, the scenario has been changed and the miseries of Kashmiris have increased to a grave extent.
The endless Killings in Kashmir by Indian security forces are part of Modi government‘s sinister plan to change the Kashmir region’s demography, aimed at turning the Muslims majority of Jammu and Kashmir into a minority area thus ceasing to exist the special status/ constitutional autonomy of Kashmir. In this regard, the ruling BJP Party has justified its decision stating that Mr. Nehru had made a mistake, blaming him for not seeking to grab more territory from Pakistan. In the follow up of this decision, India has speeded up the efforts to bring a material change in the region by settling outsiders in Kashmir and granting voting rights to non-locals including Indian forces personnel. Kashmir domicile certificates have been issued to over four million non-Kashmiris, thereby diluting Kashmir culture and civilization which is against the relevant international laws. The Indian security forces commanders in IIOJ&K are using coercive tactics and constantly been modifying their tools to suppress hapless Kashmiris. The land of Kashmir, famous as Paradise on Earth has become hell for Kashmiris where they are facing the bullets and bayonets of approximately one million regular/paramilitary forces (unprecedented world’s largest deployment against civil population).
One school of thought in Pakistan (critics) maintains different opinion saying that the solidarity celebrations of 5 February are just symbolic/cosmetic measures which have hardly any impact on the Indian government to twist her arms to stop genocide in Kashmir and comply with UN Resolutions for grant of right to self-determination to Kashmiris. Prima facie, the reservations of this school of thought carry some weight as India is not budging an inch from her decades old stance, declaring Kashmir as “Atot-Ang” rather threatening to invade Azad Kashmir to annex it as her integral part. Here, the question arises as who is stopping Indians to grab entire Kashmir, the simple answer is Pakistan, which is impediment in the accomplishment of Indian evil designs. Pakistan always remained vocal for Kashmiris rights. Not only this, Pakistan kept pursing the Kashmir case on all international relevant forums, besides physically engaging with India in three major wars , resulting into heavy loss of lives and almost all the wars had Kashmir relevance, therefore, it is right to say that Pakistani nation has supported Kashmiris by shedding their blood, spilled over on the mighty mountain ranges of Kashmir region and same loving spirit is being reciprocated by Kashmiris in IIOJ&K who burry their beloved martyred brothers, wrapped in the flag of Pakistan.
On this day, besides paying eulogizing tributes to the martyrs and symbolic human chains at public level, international community be called upon that mere condolence or issuance of condemnatory statements over the perennial woes of Kashmiris and play their effective role to extinguish this fire before it is too late as there is recurring threat and if let unresolved, it may catapult into a major war between the two nuclear armed neighbours which may engulf the regions beyond South Asia.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Ghaziabad, Azad Kashmir.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
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