By
Sajjad Shaukat
Since the leader of the ruling party BJP
Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, he has been implementing
extremist policies against religious minorities, especially the Muslims and
Pakistan.
Under Modi’s rule, various developments like
unprecedented rise of Hindu extremism, persecution of minorities even of lower
cast-Hindus, forced conversions of other religious minorities into Hindus, ban
on beef and cow slaughter, inclusion of Hindu religious books in curriculum,
creation of war-like situation with Pakistan etc. clearly show that encouraged
by the Hindu fundamentalist outfits such as BJP, RSS VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv
Sena, including other similar parties have been promoting religious and ethnic
chauvinism in India by propagating ideology of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism).
Particularly, assaults on Christians and Muslims including their places of
worships and property have been intensified by the fanatic Hindu mobs.
Without caring for severe criticism all over the
world and even within his own country and especially in Pakistan BJP-led Modi’s
extremist policies continue unabated.
In this regard, during his address on the
Independence Day of India on August 15, 2016, Modi went aggressively further in
a diatribe against Pakistan by claiming that people
of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir are thankful to home for raising
voice for their suppressed rights.
On the other side, against his false
anti-Pakistan statement, huge rallies and demonstrations were held in
Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, including some other cities of
Pakistan. Opposing Indian intervention in Balochistan and other parts of
Pakistan, the speakers on this occasion strongly condemned Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s aggressive designs against Pakistan and Kashmiris. They urged
international community, civilized world and human rights organizations to take
serious notice of the Indian state terrorism—genocide of Kashmiris in the
Indian-occupied Kashmir and interference in Pakistan’s province of Balochistan.
In this respect, Pakistan Prime Minister’s
Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the situation in Balochistan
cannot be equated with Kashmir and Indian Prime Minister was only trying to
divert world attention from the “grim tragedy” unfolding in Kashmir over the
past five weeks.
In this context, in a statement, Pakistan’s
foreign office indicated on August 18, 2016, “Pakistan is bleeding due to the
sabotage activities by arch-rival India inside Pakistan…for the last several
weeks after India launched a new campaign to silence the Kashmir freedom
movement…dozens have been killed in Kashmir by the occupant forces after
protests broke out against Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s murder on
July 8 by the Indian security forces…Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue at
the UN and demanded sending a fact finding team to the held Valley to probe the
human rights violations there.”
At a weekly media briefing, foreign office
spokesman Nafees Zakaria stated that confessions of Indian spy agency Research
and Analysis Wing’s agent Kulbhushan Yadav were irrefutable. He elaborated,
“People of Pakistan have been victim of Indian spy agency’s sabotaging
activities. RAW’s network, made under Yadav is busy in terrorist and sabotaging
activities in Balochistan and Karachi.”
Meanwhile, in response to the
letter of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in which he pointed
out the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and the large-scale violations of
human rights, being committed by Indian security forces, on August 19, this
year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored the ongoing killings in
Indian-held Kashmir, and urged India and Pakistan to settle Kashmir and other
issues through dialogue. Ban Ki-moon explained in the letter, “I stand ready
to offer my good offices... to facilitate dialogue in order to achieve a
negotiated settlement…I deplore the loss of life in Kashmir and hope that all
efforts will be made to avoid further violence.”
Besides, addressing a joint
news conference with Sartaj Aziz at Islamabad on August 20, 2016,
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) Ayad Ameen Madani in Islamabad
expressed grave concern over extra-judicial killings of people in the
Indian-occupied Kashmir. He stated that OIC Contact Group on Kashmir has
been playing an active role for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Ayad Ameen Madani also urged the international community to be
more vocal on the deteriorating human rights situation in Indian-held Kashmir
and added, “OIC will support Pakistan on Kashmir issue”.
As regards Modi’s extremist policies, in this
connection, recently, Amnesty International (AI) was banned by
Indian government which also called it a traitor organization in India, and has
registered a sedition case against it for highlighting the ongoing human rights
violations in the Indian-occupied Kashmir, while raising voice in favour of
people of the Kashmir. The prominent rights group held an event in the Indian
city of Banglore on August 13, 2016, which focused on human rights abuses
carried out by Indian security forces in Kashmir. In this respect,
demonstrations were held in the Bangalore and Delhi to oppose Modi’s extremist
moves.
In fact, in wake of continued siege and prolonged curfew, Indian security
forces have martyred more than 80 innocent persons who have been protesting
since July 8, 2016 against the martyrdom of the young Kashmir leader Burhan
Wani by the Indian security forces.
The Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference,
Syed Ali Gilania who was leading a pro-freedom procession moving towards Dargah
in Kashmir capital has been stopped at Naseem Bagh. Now, protest rallies
against the Indian occupation have been accelerated and reported from every
part of Kashmir, while Kashmiri leaders Gilani and Mirwaiz have been arrested.
Protestors have been stormed with teargas and pellets by the Indian forces.
Kashmir clashes also erupted in Prichoo Pulwama between protesters and
occupational forces after the Friday prayers.
It is notable that on May 15, 2016, Indian media
reported that a mutiny was staged by Jawans in an infantry unit of Indian Army
deployed in North East. There were scuffles among Jawans and officers following
a Jawan’s death. Although army is an independent institution, but due to
extremist policies and Hindutva orientation of the BJP leader and Indian Prime
Minister Narendra is also on the rise in army too.
It is mentionable that a well-known Indian-based
Islamic-religious scholar Dr Zakir Naik is currently in Saudi Arabia and has
decided to prolong his stay owing to the Indian extremist leader Sadhvi
praqchi’s announcement (On July 14, 2016) of reward INR 5 million for a person
who would cut off Naik’s head. However, it shows another instance of Indian extremist
policies which continue under the Prime Minister Modi.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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