India to Strengthen Illegal Control on Kashmir

By Sajjad Shaukati-Muslim and anti-Pakistan approach, he has been giving impetus to Hindu chauvinism. In line of his policy against Pakistan, India not only accelerated unprovoked firing at the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and Working Boundary in Sialkot, but also suspended the Secretary level talks with Islamabad. In the recent past, Modi regime has been raising baseless issue like Pathonkot terror attack, (which was orchestrated by India), Mumbai mayhem and terrorism as pre-conditions to advance the Pak-Indian dialogue. But, he ignored the fact that on July 19, 2013, the Indian ex-investigating officer Satish Verma disclosed that terror-attacks in Mumbai in November 26, 2008 and assault on Indian Parliament in January 12, 2001 were carried out by the Indian government to strengthen anti-terrorism laws.

However, Modi regime has taken various steps to strengthen Indian illegal control on Kashmir. In this regard, depending upon state terrorism, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, on January 27, this year gave its approval for raising 17 Reserve Police Battalions (IRBPs) in the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as well as states affected by Left-wing extremism.

Indian home ministry said that of the total India Reserve Battalions (IRF), five will be in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Chhattisgarh, three each in Jharkhand and Odisha and the remaining two in Maharashtra. In Jammu and Kashmir, 60 per cent of the recruits will be from border districts. The ministry elaborated, “For these battalions, local youths will be recruited and to achieve this, the states will relax the age and educational criteria, if required.” It further said that the cost of raising each of the battalion will be around Indian Rupee, 61 crore and 75 percent of it will be provided by the Central Government.

Within a span of approximately six months, Central Government of India has approved the demand which reflects the surge of militants/insurgent activities in various regions of India, particularly in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). It also highlights the manifestation of focus to curb militancy and raise the force level to meet the challenges, which have been repeatedly expressed by Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh has also repeatedly highlighted his focus to build the capacity of security forces engaged in fighting insurgency. The mentioned increase is a part of overall drive against Naxal/Maoist hit states and especially IOK.

It is notable that Modi regime hurriedly decided to forcibly annex disputed territory of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, uncovering its intentions to wrap up the article 370 of the Indian constitution which ensures a special status to J&K. Therefore, United Nations Military Observer Group India and Pakistan in New Delhi was asked to vacate official accommodation. In fact, BJP government‘s long term strategy is to affect demographic changes in the Indian occupied Kashmir by composition of the region—predominately with Hindu population.

During one year of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-BJP alliance government in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, BJP in aid of RSS has furthered its agenda of complete integration of Kashmir into India. Though legal experts of India and IOK High Court have clarified the permanent status of Article 370 of Indian Constitution, BJP’s agenda of trifurcations is still on table. In this context, BJP is in hot pursuit of Mission 44+in IOK Assembly elections 2020. However, short of that, BJP and RSS are busy in changing religious identity of the State. For example, special concessions were given to expand the horizon of Amarnath Yatra to project that Hindus have greater stakes in IOK than Muslims.

Special efforts are being made for demographic engineering in the State. For instance, West Pakistan Refugees have been recruited in the Indian Armed Forces from IOK quota. Allocation of lands for separate cities for repatriating Hindu Pundits and allocation of INR 2 million for rehabilitation of each Pundit family in the Valley are aimed at creating Hindu constituencies in a thorough Muslim region of the Valley through delimitations.

On the other hand, the sectors of health, education, local infrastructure, social support and rural development are being controlled by BJP MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly). Major projects of the State are being announced and are implemented in Hindu dominant-BJP constituencies to give a message that only BJP’s voters are entitled to a standard living. Through these tactics, BJP is longing for Mission 44+ in next IOK Assembly elections.

Kashmiri Hurriyat leadership has been suppressed by the PDP-BJP government by not allowing them to organize rallies for demanding freedom and expressing love for Pakistan. Their leaders were detained in Police Stations or kept under house arrests during all important events. Detention of Masarat Alam, even after acceptance of bail by IOK High Court, exhibits coercive mechanics of Indian forces/police in the State.

Indian malicious intent is evident from the blame game against Pakistan for every internal security issue, merely to avoid serious dialogue on bilateral issues as well as the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir. Pakistan is committed to the just and democratic solution of the Kashmir issue, which is plebiscite, however, India has never been serious in resolution of the dispute, neither through bilateral dialogue nor involving third party mediation nor by abiding by the UN Resolutions.

In the wake of changing regional and global dynamics, resolution of the issue has become a top most priority, but unsensitized international community is perhaps waiting for emergence of regional crises out of Kashmir dispute. As global players do not find any interest in resolution of the dispute, it has become a humanitarian issue in the region.

As a matter of fact, Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. New Delhi 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 freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule.

But, New Delhi is still showing its intransigence in order to resolve Kashmir dispute with Pakistan by neglecting the fact that Kashmir remains a nuclear flashpoint between both the neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s serious and sincere effort at the annual session of the United Nations in December 2015—the speech of Pakistan’s prime minister and his meeting with the American president, highlighting the Kashmir dispute and demanding its solution has infused a new spirit among the Kashmiri people.

Nonetheless, by exposing the double standard of the US-led western countries which still remain silent over the Indian injustices, Kashmiris are waging the war of liberation by demanding their legitimate right of self-determination from India which has been strengthening its illegal control on Kashmir.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com