Written By: By Franca Colozzo
While the world is fighting against COVID-19, the Indian government, closed in its blind self-centeredness, exacerbated by the pandemic-induced crisis, is raging even more than before against the local Muslim minority. It also does not ease tension in Kashmir, where
recent laws are straining the indigenous population.Below is an excerpt from the message regarding recent developments in the Kashmir crisis,
from Dr Sardar Mohammed Tahir Tabassum, CEO World News TV UK,
«On April 1, government of India introduced a new set of domicile laws for Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including domicile rights for Indian citizens in the disputed territory to change the demographic composition of the state.
On 5th of August 2019 government of Indian abrogated article 370 and 35/A of the Indian constitution that conferred special status to the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir and cart blanch to the state legislative assembly to define local domicile laws.
It bifurcated the state into two Union territories and thereby deprived the disputed state of its flag, constitution, set of local laws and above all of its sovereignty to fulfill the long-pending demand of Hindus to ease the restrictions of purchasing land/property inside the Muslim majority areas and trigger an inflow of settlers on large scale in the region.
This constitutional onslaught indicates Indian strategy to neutralize the dispute by replacing existing Muslim majority with other ethnicities,
thus consolidate New Delhi’s influence over the region and help in gradually lessening the intensity of the dispute.
After the abrogation of the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP government took multiple steps to change the demographic composition of the state and on February 5, the administrative council under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor accorded sanction to
the transfer of over 13,665 Kanal of government land for the establishment of industrial estates to facilitate outside industrialists at the identified locations in 10 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.In
another unprecedented move in a meeting with Kashmiri pundits, Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave the final touch to 10 separate townships for Pundits in the name of “Naya Kashmir” which will
be created in all the ten districts of the state. Under the guise of these separate townships; India intends to settle non-state subjects and consequently, change the demographic composition of the
state.
The BJP government in its latest move, when the world is vehemently fighting the pandemic of COVID-19 and people of the state are confined to their homes due to the imposed lockdown and pandemic, applied a new set of laws in the state, including domicile rights for Indian citizens, which caused fear psychoses among the inhabitants that the new move will change the demography of the state and will deprive them of their resources, jobs, identity, cultural, land and above the promised right of self-determination .Under this new law, those who have resided for 15 years in the occupied state or studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10/12 examination in educational institutions located in the region are now eligible to become permanents residents of the stat.
The new law announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs also provided domicile status to the children of Central government officials who have served in Indian Occupied Kashmir for a total period of 10 years.
After cursory glance on the constitutional onslaught by India, the things become crystal clear that the objective behind revoking Article 370 of the Indian constitution on 5th of August was to settle outsiders in Occupied Kashmir to change its demography, and the new domicile law has been applied to provide the modalities and entitlement to so many categories of Indians to settle in the state.
The new domicile law applied to the disputed state will have for reaching effects and will disenfranchise thousands of non-resident Kashmiri Muslims, as well as tens of thousands of Muslims
who were exiled from the region since 1947 to Pakistan and elsewhere which is a serious concern for the people of the state who are struggling for their right to self- determination despite all
complexities with the hope that sooner or later the international community will fulfill its responsibilities and play its role for the resolution of the longstanding dispute pending on the United
Nations agenda.»
Right now that a collective effort and substantial help to the weakest is required to fight the Coronavirus, here are the demons of the underworld, the same ones that Modi has set in motion since the curfew in Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
So why rage so much against the Muslim minority in India and the people of Kashmir already severely tried by the curfew? It would seem like a paradox, but the answer is simpler than you can imagine.
Just when the boat makes water from all sides (the Indian economy languishes with huge pockets of unemployment), here we go in search of the scapegoat, the enemy to fight. So it was in Hitler's time when the index was pointed against the Jews in Germany to divert
public opinion from the real problems of the country which was in poor economic conditions.
Now history repeats itself in India where PM Modi tries to play his last card before the final collapse of that country accelerated by the ongoing pandemic. The bailout anchor of the Gulf countries, in favor of especially Indian labor, is failing given the ongoing economic crisis and the depreciation of crude produced locally.
The situation is getting out of hand to PM Modi despite his recent efforts to ingratiate himself with the UAE sheikhs, whose President recently awarded him an award in view of profitable trade with
India, the second country after China, populous in the world.
Therefore, mutual trade relations have run aground on the shores of an unprecedented global crisis that has found all countries, even the most developed western ones, absolutely unprepared to face the current emergency.
In the aforementioned apocalyptic picture, the Indian obstinacy of an ever more stringent control of the territory of Kashmir is placed.
If the UN, already hesitant before the action to be taken, continues its acquiescent and incapable of affecting the Kashmir case with drastic decisions, an even more dramatic crisis for Kashmiris appears inevitable.
Today, the day in which Ramadan 2020 starts in some Muslim countries, which marked a historic stage together with the other two monotheistic religions (Christian and Jewish) due to the absence of gatherings of faithful in all places of worship more representative, for each of them, we witness the rise of collective prayers, spontaneous peace choirs or connected to organizations and think tanks, such as the INSPAD (Institute of Peace and Development) in Islamabad (Pakistan), Belgium and the UN.
So let this RAMADAN be a bridge of peace and harmony for all humanity in an inter religious debate that goes beyond individual beliefs and faiths. So let this be the beginning of an epochal turning point for the world in the name of solidarity and the common good. Let this be the positive message, beyond the wake of mourning and pain due
to the Coronavirus, with the hope that the suffering of many men who suffer abuse and abuse by their fellow men will be alleviated.
Let the world pause for a moment to pay attention to the pockets of greatest despair and, certainly, Kashmir not equipped with a modern and effective health facility, devoid of masks, tampons and respirators, risks counting more deaths than necessary, also in consideration of the scarcity of health personnel and adequate hospital facilities.
If we add to this that the Indians are discriminating against Muslims, even pointing them out as infectors, even forbidding them to be visited and hospitalized, the situation further worsens with unpredictable implications and apocalyptic scenarios. Are we waiting for
God's justice to make its way through historical nemesis? What historical memory will remain of Modi? On this wavelength only that of a new torturer, of a contemporary Hitler.
