Joining her Congressional colleagues in condemning India’s continued repression in Jammu and Kashmir, Representative Rashida Tlaib has said the United States should supported a UN-backed resolution to the longstanding conflict in a way that helps that “restores autonomy and ensures self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Tlaib, an attorney by profession, drew attention to curbs on fundamental rights of people as well as thousands of arrests and detentions made in the area since New Delhi besieged it with a heavy military clampdown as it deprived the region of its autonomous status last month.
In a statement, she condemned New Delhi’s August 5 repeal of autonomous status for the disputed territory as well as imposition of a communications blockade to quell dissent in the wake of the unprecedented move that has escalated Pakistan-India tensions.
The lawmaker called out the Indian actions and “suppression of life-saving medical care, and the reports of widespread violence, torture, and other human rights violations being carried out in Jammu and Kashmir.”
“These unacceptable actions strip Kashmiris of their human dignity, put millions of people in danger, and seriously undermine democracy in India and Kashmir,” she added.
I urge the Indian government to accept responsibility for the human rights violations being carried out, hold the responsible parties accountable, and lift the comms blockade and all curfew restrictions to shed light on what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir.
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) September 13, 2019
“The communications blockade and all curfew restrictions must be lifted immediately to shed light on what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir. India must afford due process to the thousands of people it has detained without charge, and ensure hospitals have the necessary access to life-saving medicine,” Tlaib pointed out in her statement.
“The United States government should support a United Nations-backed peaceful resolution that restores autonomy and ensures self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We cannot lose sight of the millions of Kashmiri people yearning to live in peace and dignity, ” she underscored.
While I have deep respect for India and its important relationship with the US, I condemn the revocation of #Article370 & #Article35A, the imposed comms blockade, suppression of life-saving medical care, and reports of widespread human rights violations in #Jammu and #Kashmir.
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) September 13, 2019
The Democratic Congresswoman from Michigan said people should not have to fear unjust detention, rape, or torture because of who they are and what they believe.
“I have met with residents in Michigan who cannot even call their families in Kashmir to ensure they are safe – a truly unimaginable situation as violence, militarization, and occupation continues. Jammu and Kashmir is already one of the most militarized regions on Earth, and India’s recent actions create more instability and heighten the potential for accelerating violence.”
Tlaib did not name Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been widely condemned for his anti-Muslim bias and adherence to exclusionary Hindutva ideology but cited last year’s UN reports about the grim human rights situation in Kashmir under his rule.
Modi has defended his decision to do away the special constitutionally mandated status of the disputed territory – that has seen several uprisings for freedom since 1947 – as a move to bring investment and jobs to the local people.
Kashmiris oppose the move, saying it would upend demographics of their Muslim-majority area and subjugate them to the Hindu majority rule from New Delhi.
Pakistan Prime Minister has launched a scathing attack against Modi, terming his actions as “fascist” and his ruling BJP party’s parent organization RSS, a replica of German Nazis.
Tlaib’s statement represents growing voices on the Capitol Hill that have asked President Donald Trump to immediately help address the precarious situation. She raised a number of points in her statement:
“The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released two reports in June, 2018, and July, 2019, raising serious concerns about abuses by state security forces and armed groups in Indian-administered Kashmir. The reports have also raised concerns about human rights violations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while noting that those violations are “of a different caliber or magnitude and of a more structural nature.”
To date, the recommendations of the OHCHR reports have not been implemented.
“As noted by the UN and human rights groups, the continued immunity of members of the Indian military from prosecution for human rights abuses through the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) remains a key obstacle to accountability and perpetuates their disproportionate use of force. The use of pellet shotguns and tear gas as crowd-control mechanisms has injured and maimed many Kashmiris, including children. Moreover, reports indicate that the Indian government has curtailed access to life-saving medical care for the Kashmiri people, creating shortages of medicine and restricting travel to doctors and pharmacies.
“Multiple reports indicate that over 3,000 people have been indefinitely detained without charges by the Indian government under the Public Safety Act, including children, lawyers, doctors, religious leaders, and opposition political leaders.
“Acts of sexual violence and enforced disappearances of civilians, allegedly by Indian security forces, represent serious human rights concerns in Jammu and Kashmir. The state’s failure to adequately investigate the gang rape of 23 women in the 1991 Kunan-Poshpora mass rape case, allegedly perpetrated by Indian army soldiers, is emblematic of the overriding lack of concern for the due process rights of victims and the climate of impunity for sexual violence. Allegations of mass graves in Jammu and Kashmir have also not been credibly investigated, according to human rights organizations.
“I urge the Indian government to accept responsibility for the human rights violations being carried out in Jammu and Kashmir and hold the responsible parties accountable. India and Pakistan both must begin implementing the OHCHR recommendations from its 2018 and 2019 reports on the crisis.”
Meanwhile, several groups are planning protests when Indian Prime Minister Modi arrives in the United States this month. He will also address the UN General Assembly.
