The Kashmir dispute, lingering for over 75 years, has transformed the region into a nuclear flashpoint in South Asia. The year 1949 marked a crucial turning point when the United Nations passed a resolution laying the groundwork for the settlement of this protracted conflict. Sadly, India’s persistent intransigence has hindered any meaningful progress towards achieving the objectives outlined in these resolutions. As a result, the Kashmiri people continue to endure untold suffering.
The United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) played a pivotal role by adopting resolutions on August 13, 1948, and January 5, 1949. These resolutions served as a framework for resolving the Kashmir issue and were unanimously passed by the UNCIP. Regrettably, despite the passage of 75 years, these resolutions remain unimplemented, and the promises made to the Kashmiri people continue to be unfulfilled.
The Modi-led Indian government, with its authoritarian tendencies, has utilised its military might and intelligence agencies to suppress the people of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). While nations like East Timor and South Sudan were granted freedom through plebiscites, the people of Jammu and Kashmir still endure state-sponsored terrorism under Indian occupation.
The situation in IIOJK has deteriorated significantly since August 5, 2019, when the Indian government unilaterally revoked the region’s special status. This move stripped the Kashmiri people of their basic rights and freedoms, plunging them into a state of oppression. Thousands of Kashmiris, including prominent leaders like Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, and Aasiya Andrabi, are unjustly detained in Indian prisons, while the rest suffer under the weight of Indian state terrorism.
The Kashmir Diaspora Coalition and its international affiliates have stated unequivocally that the people of Kashmir will not relinquish their right to self-determination, despite the neglect of the United Nations and human rights bodies. The UNCIP resolution of January 5, 1949, authorised the people of Jammu and Kashmir to hold a free and UN-supervised plebiscite. However, India has consistently failed to cooperate with the UNCIP in implementing this resolution.
Jammu and Kashmir is now undergoing a disturbing transformation into an Indian settler-colonial and apartheid project, mirroring the Israeli model. Forced demographic changes, the grant of Kashmiri domicile to millions of illegal Hindu immigrants, and the expropriation of Kashmiri land and jobs are rapidly altering the region’s landscape. The plight of local Muslims worsens as their dwellings are demolished, and plans for disenfranchising Muslims are being drawn up.