November 2, 2019
Kashmir Is Burning
By Syed Rifaqat Ali
Darkness descended on Kashmir when a Presidential decree was issued on August 5 revoking Article 370 of India's constitution that guaranteed special rights to the Muslim-majority State, including the right to its own constitution and autonomy to make laws on all matters except defense, communications and foreign affairs.
Today the situation in Kashmir is devastating: militants have multiplied, terrorism abounds, clashes between the troops and people is quotidian, people are dying everyday, grenades galore, schools are either closed or functioning in a slip-shod way, shops are closed, thousands of people are still under
detention, all the three former chief ministers of Kashmir are in detention, Indian parliamentarians are not allowed to visit Kashmir.
And yet, the BJP leaders are claiming that Kashmir is normal. BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, a habitual liar and one who licks Modi's boots, says nobody has stopped the Opposition leaders from visiting Kashmir. "Who has stopped Congress leaders from going to the State (Kashmir) when the situation has normalized.
Rahul Gandhi can go there. If any leader wants to go there is no problem. He can take a flight. If some parliamentarians of the European Union are going it is good as we have nothing to hide," he told reporters the other day in New Delhi. What a blatant lie.
A shameless person, Shahnawaz Hussain can go to any extent to speak a lie and distort things since he has learnt the art from his guru and mentor Narendra Modi, the psychopath prime minister of India. Narendra Modi has become a laughing stock in India after he sent a note to former Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, conveying good wishes on his 82nd birthday, when he is in detention under National Security Act.
The BJP president Amit Shah enacted a similar bloomer when he said in the Parliament that Farooq Abdullah is having a jolly good time in his house and is free to move around after Congress M.P.
Shashi Tharoor pointed out that he was under house arrest. While there is complete shutdown in Kashmir, the BJP leaders are constantly misleading the world that Kashmir is normal.
This has prompted the United Nations to take a strong note of human rights violation in Kashmir. Aljazeera reported that a US senator was denied permission to visit Kashmir and that UN is extremely concerned at rights deprivation in Kashmir.
A 23-member European Union delegation, comprising parliamentarians, was on a 2-day visit (Oct 30,31) to Kashmir amidst complete shutdown and clashes between the troops and people. The delegation was moving in Kashmir in a bullet-proof jeep which indicates how hollow is the claim
of Modi government.
The Congress general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of Sonia Gandhi, says that BJP's nationalism is strange, allowing European parliamentarians to visit and interfere in Kashmir while Indian parliamentarians are sent back from Kashmir airport.
Kashmir will perennially remain in turmoil and uncertainty, until there is referendum under the aegis of the United Nations. Nothing is paramount than the will of the people in such a situation.
Syed Rifaquat Ali is Sydney-based journalist.
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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