Gross human rights violations perpetrated by Indian forces have reached alarming proportions since the Hindutva-led BJP government, under military coercion and curfews, revoked the special status of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.. 

A report released by Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the “International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims” said that human rights violations committed by Indian occupational forces—including the army, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Special Operations Group, RAW, NIA, and SIA—have increased dramatically since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in the internationally recognized disputed territory. 

The report stated that Indian forces personnel are involved in arbitrarily arresting, torturing, and killing Kashmiris on a daily basis, with over 96,400 innocent Kashmiris having fallen to Indian bullets from January 1989 to date. It added that despite repeated warnings from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and annual reports by the US State Department, Indian troops, paramilitary forces, and police personnel—empowered by black laws—continue to conduct arbitrary arrests, torture, and killings during so-called cordon and search operations and house raids. 

The report highlighted that India is using draconian laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA), and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to stifle political dissent in the territory. “Even political leaders, activists, women, human rights defenders, and journalists in IIOJK are not spared by the Hindutva BJP regime under LG Manoj Sinha.

Kashmiris are being silenced, threatened, stripped of property, tortured, and suspended simply for performing their duties,” it said. The report maintained that the United Nations must take notice of these grave rights abuses and hold Indian forces, their personnel, and the government accountable for their crimes in the occupied territory. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)