The Plight of Women Belonging to Azad Kashmir in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK)

                In 2010, puppet govt. of National Conference Party in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) declared General Amnesty for Kashmiri Mujahideen (Freedom Fighters) and state policy for their rehabilitation. This was a ploy to deceive the world. India martyred more than 80,000 Kashmiris from 1996 to 2009 in fake encounters and unimaginable tortures in the Indian Army’s torture cells. 0.9 million state terrorists of the Indian army are deployed in IHK to crush the freedom movement; they break into the houses of Kashmiris in the name of search and abducting young Kashmiri women. Indian state terrorists are protected from trial over the crimes committed in IHK especially gang rapes of Kashmiri women. From 1999 to 2009, more than 8,000 Kashmiri women has been raped by Indian state terrorists; some of the raped women are martyred and dumped in jungles after being raped. India has been using crimes against Kashmiri women especially rapes as a state policy to crush the Freedom Movement.

                On 23^rd February 1999, State terrorists belonging to Indian Reserve Force and Border Security Force tied up the men and raped the women of Kanan and Kupwara villages of District Kupwara, IHK. In 1990, a law was passed by the Hindu Parliament of Extremist India giving protection to Indian troops deployed at IHK from the trial for any offence from torturing to martyring Kashmiris; these Indian state terrorists are even protected from any court of law. More than 100, Kashmiri women aged from 10 to 80 years were gang-raped by terrorists of the 18^th Battalion of the Indian Army. Under the pressure of the United Nations, an FIR was lodged on 08 March 1991 and an investigation committee was established without any result till now. This was the first time that the Press Council of India came forward to protect Indian State Rapists; a fact-finding committee of Indian journalists visited the area. The report presented by this fact-finding committee was rejected even by Indian Journalists as a Rape of Journalism Values. Before the visit of the so-called fact-finding committee, the local magistrate has verified the incident but according to the state fact-finding committee no such incident ever occurred and all the allegations were rejected as mere propaganda. As a result of Indian state terrorism in IHK, a notable number of Kashmiris fled from the IHK to Azad Kashmir. These migrants fleeing for their lives were termed terrorists by Hindu media. Those who fled from IHK to Azad Kashmir their families in IHK were tortured.

                After the declaration of General Amnesty by puppet govt. of IHK in 2010, Kashmiris living in Azad Kashmir were invited to return to their homes in IHK assuring them protection. Approximately, 380 Kashmiris returned to IHK. They were married to Kashmiri women belonging to Azad Kashmir and had children as well. They also went with their husband to IHK but the Indian puppet govt. made lame excuses over issuing them citizenship of IHK. Most of the persons who returned to IHK were labourers and poor people, their wives helped them financially through handicrafts. These women made various attempts by contacting state departments, writing to New Delhi, requesting journalists to help them in Press Conferences for resolving the issue of citizenship but to no avail.

                In 2014, BJP came into power in India, the problems for these women increased manifolds. They were called Pakistanis. These women demanded that if the Indian govt. is not ready to issue them citizenship then they should be allowed to return to Azad Kashmir but all their efforts went fruitless. On 05 August 2019, the Modi establishment declared IHK as part of India these women belonging to Azad Kashmir realized that they are doomed. Curfew and Corona lockdowns destroyed the lives of these women. Husbands of most of the women either died in Corona or they divorced them to avoid tortures of Indian soldiers for being married to women of Azad Kashmir; in such a situation where extra-judicial killings and tortures are routine, these Kashmiri women lacking any citizenship are worried for their children. They have addressed various Press Conferences, wrote letters to United Nations and Human Rights Organizations to help them. In case of their rapes, and murders there is no one to pursue them; they have requested the Indian govt. to allow them to Nepal or some other country from where they may contact Pakistani Embassy if Indian govt. is not ready to hand them over to the Azad Kashmir govt.

                Hindu Indian govt. is enjoying their press conferences and cries for help. In such a situation this is the duty of our media, govt., politicians, and people belonging to all fields of life to pressurize the Indian govt. to resolve the issue of these helpless women by either issuing them citizenship of IHK or allowing them to return to Azad Kashmir…

 

Urdu Copy

 

Written by Khalid Baig,

Published in Daily Nawa-i-Waqt,

Date: 06 December 2021.

 

Translated by Addan Fatima from www.sumrasoft.com