Genocide Watch issues alert on latest situation of IoK

WASHINGTON (92 News) – International organisation Genocide Watch has issued an alert on the latest situation of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK). The Genocide Watch urged the United Nations (UN) and its members to warn India not to commit genocide in IoK. “On August 5, the Indian President revoked the Special Autonomous Status of India Administered Jammu and Kashmir under Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India. India has over 600,000 troops in Kashmir. Movement of people and freedom of the press are restricted. India has cut off internet communications,” Genocide Watch said in its alert. It is pertinent to mention here that curfew and communication blockade continued at 18th day in IoK from August 5 when Narendra Modi government announced scraping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Almost all Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continue to remain under house arrest or in jails. Thousands of other political leaders and workers including three puppet chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are detained over the past two weeks.

The organisation also gave a list of risk factors for a genocide that are early warnings of massacres in occupied Kashmir:

• Prior genocidal massacres and continuing impunity for such killings
• Continued armed conflict between India and Pakistan over border areas in occupied Kashmir
• An exclusionary ideology of “Hindutva” – India as Hindu nation – by Modi’s ruling BJP
• Authoritarian military rule without legal restraints imposed by civilian Indian officials
• Rule by a minority military force (Hindus and Sikhs) over majority Muslim citizens
• Cut-off of communications and outside access by internet, media, and trade
• Widespread violations of basic human rights — torture, rape, 2-year detentions without charge, arbitrary arrests and deportations of Muslim political and human rights leaders

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the plight of millions of Kashmiris living under brutal Indian occupation deprived of all fundamental rights and freedoms. Highlighting the plight of Kashmiri people in the IoK, the prime minister said, “Today, on the 1st International Day for Victims of Violence based on Religion or Belief, we call attention to the plight of millions of Kashmiris living under brutal Indian Occupation, abuse & violence, deprived of all fundamental rights & freedoms.”