On August 5, the Indian government unexpectedly revoked the 70-year old special constitutional status that granted semi-autonomy to the region known as Jammu and Kashmir.
The government order executed by President Narendra Modi immediately abrogated the semi-autonomy previously granted to the region and put Jammu and Kashmir under the direct rule of the central Indian government.
Following this controversial revocation, Indian troops were dispatched to Kashmir to contain any resistance to the move. Furthermore, a communications blackout was imposed on the region which effectively disconnected Kashmiri communities from the rest of the world.
In a statement issued three days later by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, he called for “maximum restraint” and recalled the 1972 so-called Simla Agreement, which states that “the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means”, in accordance with the UN Charter.
On August 16, the UN Security Council considered the volatile situation surrounding Kashmir but failed to reach an agreement.
More encouragingly, however, is a statement issued on August 15 by more than 250 renowned Indian scholars, artists and activists, including Veena Das and Partha Chatterjee, expressing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The statement decried the Indian government’s lack of respect for constitutionalism, secularism, and democratic values. In every major Indian city as well as rural villages, civil society groups, trade unions, women and youth groups and the National Alliance of People’s Movements have been protesting their government’s actions.
They have defied their government and dispatched Kashmir Solidarity Teams to visit the region and provide reports on the situation. One report described the mood of the Kashmiri people as follows: “Even as people expressed their pain, anger, and sense of betrayal against the government of India, they freely extended warmth and unstinting hospitality to us. We are deeply moved by this.”
Notwithstanding the global and national protests, the situation in Kashmir remains tense and volatile, with Indian troops in every major city and village. Not surprisingly, Kashmiri communities are resisting the militarisation of the region, their loss of autonomy and forced allegiance to the central Indian government.
The dominant narrative espoused by Indian and Pakistani nationalist historians is that the conflict is essentially a territorial dispute between the two countries.
These dominant narratives erase the context and perspective of indigenous Kashmiris. According to indigenous Kashmiri people, which comprises Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, the root cause of the conflict is not whether Kashmir belongs to India or to Pakistan, but in denying the people their right to self-determination.
From this standpoint, the conflict did not suddenly arise in 1947 with the British partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan, but goes back much further to 1931 with the emergence of a Kashmiri movement that struggled to liberate themselves from an oppressive princely regime known as the Doghra Maharaja.
The Kashmiri struggle for freedom and democracy was escalated by the event of the 1947 partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan.
The struggle of the Kashmiri people was recognised by the UN Security Council in a 1948 resolution which called for a plebiscite on the future of the region to be convened “as soon as possible” - that is, a referendum to allow the Kashmiri people to determine their own future.
However, such a referendum was never held and this has been the struggle of the Kashmiri people. After attempting a number of peaceful methods to govern themselves, including the formation of the All Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Party, to persuade the Indian government to fulfil its commitment to conduct a referendum in Kashmir, a small group of mainly young Kashmiris have resorted to an armed struggle.
Their armed struggle against Indian forces has flared up at various times, especially since 2016, with hundreds of Kashmiris losing their lives amid increasing suppression. This has provided the Indian government with an opportunity to discredit the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination by framing the conflict as a struggle against Muslim extremists who are intent on establishing a bigoted Islamic state which would eradicate indigenous Hindu and Buddhist Kashmiris, destabilise India and threaten world peace. T
First, as responsible global citizens it is our duty to stand up for justice in the face of human suffering, regardless of who the victims or perpetrators are, and call for solidarity with all people whose human rights and dignity are violated by oppressive regimes.
Second, we should inform ourselves about the history of Kashmir and the social and political context regarding the crisis. In this regard, it is critical not to be misled by propaganda campaigns from Indian and Pakistani nationalists nor that of Muslim or Hindu extremists. Fortunately, there are some excellent reading materials, teach-ins and documentaries written and produced by Kashmiri academics and public intellectuals.
Third, we need to speak out about the crisis by arranging discussion forums where experts on Kashmir can share their perspectives and engage in critical debate concerning the best strategies for resolving the conflict.
Fourth, we should call on our government to pressurise the Indian government to defuse the situation in Kashmir and to work with the UN in order to resolve the conflict peacefully. Our government should also be pressurised to question the silence of the international community.
* Dr A Rashied Omar is imam at Claremont Main Road Mosque.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media