Srinagar: Indian government has granted approval for the construction and upgradation of temporary camps of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in IIOJK. The reason behind this new plan include so-called “militant attacks” on the camps of central forces, according to the Indian government.
CRPF’s camp in Shopian and Pulwama districts were targeted by freedom fighters this March when the Paramilitary force was holding its 83rd Raising Day parade in Jammu. Ironically, on 05 May, outgoing Indian Army’s GOC 15 Lt. Gen D.P. Pandey claimed that the cycle of violence in Kashmir had been broken. And, for the first time, number of active militants has gone below 200; today it’s between 130 to 140. Indian government has also deployed additional 12,000 Paramilitary troops and hundreds of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel, with the help of drone cameras to guard the Amaranth Yatra which is scheduled to begin on 30 June.
These developments have come in the backdrop of report submitted by the Delimitation Commission, constituted by the Indian government. Indian government had been propagating the notion of return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir after unrest ensued following revocation of Article 370 and 35-A in August 2019.
However, the plans to upgrade military infrastructure in IIOJK in order to halt militant attacks depict that the Indian government has miserably failed to bring peace to the valley. The only way to achieve sustainable peace is the implementation of UNSC resolutions in which Kashmiris were promised right to self-determination. Indian government has already converted Kashmir into a military-state. Currently, India maintains almost 1 million troops in Kashmir, making it the most militarized zone in the world, which have been involved in crimes against humanity. Indian Security Forces operate with impunity in IIOJ&K.
The draconian security laws, e.g. Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978, Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1990, Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002, give extraordinary powers to Indian security personnel to shoot and kill unarmed civilians. These infamous laws encourage the use of lethal forces in IIOJ&K against innocent people. Human rights abuses in Illegally Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) range from mass killings, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual abuse to political repression and suppression of freedom of speech. The ultimate goal of the Modi-regime is to put in place puppet government in Kashmir which would justify the Indian illegal actions, including delimitation, demographic changes, and illegal merger of IIOJK vis-à-vis India, in violation of international law and UNSC resolutions.
