In these times, when every other nation is looking inwards to curtail the spread of the COIVD-19, the Indian state remains fixated on Pakistan. The warmongering behaviour of the Indian government is evident from the fact that Monday became the third consecutive day of the Indian military carrying out ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB).
Unfortunately, unarmed civilians are bearing the brunt of Indian militarism, as one is dead and four more civilians have been injured in the latest round of violations. This is not the time for hostilities when coronavirus requires from all states a collective response.
Perhaps, for some, it is a routine matter between India and Pakistan. But this time, it is different. Many noted human rights activists have already expressed their concerns that the Indian state is exploiting the situation created by the coronavirus in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOC) and exploiting it in every possible way. Nevertheless, the most shocking are the allegations of the Kashmiris living under the Indian occupation; they are blaming the Indian forces for shelling them. These are serious allegations, and the international community must come in action. Quite obviously, measures against the pandemic are hard to implement if India is attacking areas on our side of the border as well.
The fierce urgency of the time requires that international organisations and human rights bodies come forward and reign in the Indian government. They must ask the Indian state to remove artillery from civilian areas near LoC. The move only serves the purpose of using civilians as human shields in any case. Furthermore, international powers must exert pressure on India to respect the LoC.
The military adventurism that the Modi regime is so keen on has never proved to be the right solution for political disputes. At the moment, the most urgent task for his government should be to focus on curtailing the spread of coronavirus. Such military gimmicks will not cover his failures in this battle against the virus, or in any other failing for that matter.