Escalating State Terrorism in IIOJK under Modi’s Government

The illegally occupied region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a disturbing surge in state-sponsored terrorism under the rule of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in India. The recent reports shed light on the alarming escalation of violence, providing shocking statistics that demand immediate international attention.

According to the reports, from January 2015 to the present date, Indian troops have martyred 2,152 Kashmiris, with 305 of them losing their lives in custody or fake encounters. Among the victims are prominent Hurriyat leaders, such as Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, and Altaf Ahmed Shah, who perished in Indian captivity during this period.

The BJP assumed control of occupied Kashmir through a coalition government with the Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference in 2015. Subsequently, in 2019, a Lieutenant Governor-led administration was installed in the territory, further intensifying the situation.

The grim statistics reveal that the casualties include 47 women and 142 children, leaving 181 women widowed and 445 children orphaned. The use of brute force by Indian army, paramilitary, and police personnel on peaceful protesters led to injuries to 33,150 people, while 41,136 others, including Hurriyat leaders, activists, students, youth, journalists, Ulema, and human rights activists, were arrested during the same period.

The reports expose the destruction caused by Indian forces, with 4,479 residential houses and structures demolished and 1,134 women subjected to molestation. Shockingly, over 600 Kashmiri Muslim government employees were terminated from service, and more than 800 properties, including agricultural lands, houses, and shops, were confiscated by the BJP regime as a punitive measure against their affiliation with the ongoing struggle for the right to self-determination.

In January alone, Indian troops martyred three Kashmiris, two of whom were killed in custody or fake encounters. Additionally, at least 74 individuals were arrested during the month. The report highlights a staggering toll of 96,290 Kashmiris who have lost their lives at the hands of Indian forces since January 1989.

Concurrently, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) issued a statement in Srinagar deploring the grave human rights violations committed by Indian troops and policemen in the occupied territory. The APHC emphasized that killings, arrests, torture, destruction, property seizures, and harassment by Indian forces have become a distressing routine. The APHC urged the international community to intervene and press India to address the Kashmir dispute in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The escalating human rights abuses underscore the urgent need for international intervention to bring an end to the cycle of violence and ensure justice for the people of Kashmir.