Kashmir – India muzzles free speech

By: Ameer Tarin 08-03-2021

All these stories are grist to the mill of the government because they build up a very useful war psychosis. Helen Suzman

Leslee Udwin, a Jewish British filmmaker, actress, director, producer and a human rights activist accused the Indian government of trying to muzzle free speech. This was in the context of a BBC documentary on the Delhi gang rape incident banned for the telecast in India and the subsequent attempt to have it banned throughout the world. However, BBC defended the broadcast as it believed ”it revealed insight into a horrific crime against women”.

Kashmir, for little over seven decades, faced grist for the mill situations in various spheres receiving gory details, turbulence and commotion. Facing guns, live bullets, pellet guns, tear-gas shells, and baton charges on daily basis; torture chambers using third-degree methods to break the will of young and old fighting for the cause of Right of Self-Determination have become a way of life. How many people perished in torture chambers; no one has a clue and as reported thousands disappeared without a trace?

Kashmir history is replete with barbarism and atrocities committed by invading tribes Mongols, Jotha, Khokh and various other ruthless tribes indulging in loot and plunder. High Peak Mountains surrounding Kashmir generally provided a natural defence system but the invaders used the penetrable Karakorum and Himalayan Range to sneak in to conduct raids. India using modern war machines and the help provided by the then superpower to occupy made the job very easy.

Kashmir has most of the times been on the receiving end but at times fought valiantly to give a befitting reply to invaders from outside. History tells us that Kashmir fought three full fledged wars with Mogul King Akbar defeating him every time he made an attempt to occupy. Finally, Akbar and his descendants down the line, like India, used deceit and truculence to manage the rule over Kashmir for 165 years.

In the recent past, the newly developed bonhomie with Israel; India learned few lessons in the Zionist type Operations to replicate these in Kashmir. To start with, indiscriminate killings became order of the day and hundreds of graveyards were filled with martyrs, many thousands maimed, crippled and incapacitated. This was followed by the use of pellet guns leaving hundreds blinded.
The pelting of stones became a benchmark creating an embarrassing situation for India on international level. The ensuing events led to the mass arrests of youth; a source of severe pain for the parents who have never been apprised of their whereabouts. The grieved parents are still running from post to pillar to seek redress and justice for the wrongs done to their loved ones. The result for these efforts also came to a naught.

The new strategy of rapes, used as a war weapon, was introduced and hundreds of women young or old were raped and killed with impunity. The criminals in the army became the Judge and the Jury and perpetrators indulging in abomination were always released unharmed. The glaring example to quote is the (twin villages) Kunan Poshpora incident of mass-rapes on February 23, 1991 when Indian army units with the pretext of search operation indulged in mass rapes in the Kupwara District.

Feed to gills techniques non-satiating, the new strategy of terrorising business community started to further push the populace towards poverty and hardship. The small business class was already struggling to survive due to army occupation, political instability and economic slump created by COVID-19. It is noteworthy that Kashmir has never had any business houses running in millions or billions. This all is done to create economic disaster.

India has now been toying with a newly introduced lethal weapon fear leading to consternation, schizophrenia and paranoia. Human Rights Groups believe that over 70% Kashmiri population suffers from mental disorder turning them into psychological wrecks. The fear instilled through raids during the night, random checking and frisking on the roads, public or private transport under a definite plan takes a heavy toll of defenceless general public.

The intelligentsia from all walks of life like writers, columnists, analysts and the social, cultural or political elite have all been pushed to the wall. The elite class feels chocked, gagged and stifled as they are hounded and debarred from performing the duty of creating awareness among the people. Indian agencies have taken the control of electronic and print media and allow publication of materials only consented to by these agencies.

Modi government is now under tremendous pressure from peace-loving members of the United Nations who understand the seriousness of the situation and believe that the world cannot afford a war anywhere on the globe that could culminate into another world war having devastating consequences. The world understands that religious bigotry, fanaticism and fascism have no place in today’s world especially when the man is exploring to start living on other planets of the Universe.

In a nutshell, Modi needs to be stopped forthwith before it is too late.