Following Pahalgam: Indian Army Uses Barbaric Terror Model in IIOJK
Following Pahalgam: Indian Army Uses Barbaric Terror Model in IIOJK
Brutal Suppression of Harmless Muslims
The picturesque valleys of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), once famous for their scenic beauty, have been turned into killing fields yet again in the name of counterterrorism. Following the Pahalgam, Indian forces have stepped-up the process of brutal occupation against innocent Muslim people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The crackdown, carried out via intensified Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs), has turned many a village into a warzone, and the valley into an old horror movie, with violence and fear as the constant rhythm of everyday life.
The Modi led BJP government wants to divert attention from the embarrassing military defeats, particularly the failure of Operation Sindoor, and has resorted to dragging IIOJK into the limelight. In the process it has tried to pacify its own people by upping the ante against Kashmiris. The escalation is not just militaristic; it is also propagandistic: it involves the weaponizing of Hindu national narratives to justify the erasure of Muslim identity in Kashmir. This is a hazardous move being executed in the framework of an overall settler-colonial project to change the demography of the region as a Muslim-majority area, and to undermine its specific cultural and political character.
The Indian troops have launched 24 CASOs in different districts of IIOJK from the Pahalgam incident. These rampage involving the Indian Army, SOG, SIA and paramilitary forces have killed 25 innocent Kashmiris, destroyed 36 residential houses and taken into custody 2864 people. More than 4,000 Kashmiris including youth and students have been arbitrarily arrested in just few days. And the region is already in the clutch of a climate of terror. Drone surveillance, house-to-house raids and enforced curfews have become the new normal.
One particularly and the most disturbing aspect of these operations is the unashamed violation of fundamental human rights. IIOJK Police have raided 65 homes and interrogated over 1,500 young men, often using civilian residences as makeshift interrogation chambers. Women have said that these raids have included intimidation and harassment. These activities are part of a measured campaign of subjugation and operation. Group punishment intended to suppress any kind of opposition to Indian rule.
The real and bigger picture shows an unsettling trend. More than 13,000 people have been murdered since 1989 often through extrajudicial executions, torture, and fake encounters. Indian soldiers have total immunity and are allowed for terrible atrocities devoid of responsibility by legislation like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The application of such harsh legislation has given the Indian military the confidence to declare unarmed civilians as terrorists, therefore legitimizing the usage of violence against them and suppressing their cries for justice.
Moreover, the Hindutva philosophy of the Modi government sees Kashmiri insurgency as a threat to its autocratic grip. Frequent internet outages, suppression of the media, censorship of opposing voices, and a militarized media narrative that dehumanizes Kashmiris have all resulted from this. Afraid of worldwide exposure of its serious human rights abuses, the government has likewise restricted foreign observers from accessing the area.
India’s actions in IIOJK run straight against international humanitarian law and resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that acknowledge the Kashmiri people’s right to decide their future. The pattern of repression, including the use of sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions, has become a mechanism of state terror meant to crush the Kashmiri people’s spirit.
India seems to retaliate by targeting the Kashmiri people with more violence as Pakistan gets increasing diplomatic support globally on the Kashmir problem. Staged meetings, demographic modification, and ethnic cleansing tactics all point toward a state sponsored effort to convert Kashmir into a Hindu-majority country under Indian rule.
The global community, human rights observers, and global civil society should act immediately. Simply condemnation won’t be adequate. This is the time to hold India accountable for its action in IIOJK. The conflict must be resolved however the Kashmiri people want as they have all the right to decide for themselves. UN Security Council resolutions need to assure peace, justice, and dignity for the oppressed people of the region and the genocide must stop.
