The curfew is put in place to stop protests on the first anniversary of revocation of Article 370
The Indian government imposed curfews in part of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in a bid to stop protests against the revocation of Article 370 on its first anniversary on August 5th. The Indian government usurped the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the Kashmiris in the occupied region. BJP’s central government is trying to force Kashmiris into submission and let go of their right to self-determination.
Meenakshi Ganguly, the global rights group’s South Asia director, lambasted the Indian government for denying the Kashmiri people their basic human rights in the garb of “improving their lives”.
“Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status,” Ganguly said. “The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights.”
After the removal of the Article 370, one of the major issues is the permission non-Kashmiris procurement of land in the region and permanent settlement. Previously, clearance from the local government was needed. This will help BJP’s ultra-right wing Hindu nationalist government to significantly dent the Kashmiri majority. Similarly, forced military purchases of land in the valley will also be allowed.
Poor human rights record
India has maintained a very poor human right record in Kashmir. Forced abductions, harassments and intimidation, home searches without warrants and identification parades are the norms in the occupied territory to control the locals. The Indian forces also resort to use rubber bullets and pellet guns against peaceful protests in order to silence the voices of the people. Scores of youth have been seriously injured and even have gone blind because of the pellets. Some have even succumbed to the injuries from the pellets. The Indian forces resort to killing and rapes in order to break down the morale.