Experts have urged the G20 leaders’ summit to address the longstanding dispute in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the dire human rights situation facing minorities. They called for a peaceful dialogue among all stakeholders concerned to seek a resolution.
India’s attempts to downplay the severe human rights issues have suffered a setback, as China and Russia have announced their decision to skip the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting, hosted by India in New Delhi.
It’s important to note that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending the G-20 summit for the second consecutive year due to his involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Additionally, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not travel to India amid escalating tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.
Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik and special assistant to the prime minister for human rights and women empowerment, revealed that initially, the Modi-led Indian government had planned to host the G20 meeting on tourism in Srinagar from May 22 to May 24. This move was seen as an attempt to cover up the atrocities in IIOJK and present a false image of stability in the region.
Mushaal emphasized the urgency of placing the IIOJK issue and the suppression of minorities at the top of the G20 summit agenda. She called for a resolution involving all stakeholders, including India, Pakistan, and Kashmiri leadership, and the creation of a forum for a democratic and peaceful solution to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) crisis.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary-General of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum, stressed that Kashmir is a political issue that requires a political solution. He called for immediate international intervention to halt violence in IIOJK, demilitarization of the state, and the release of political prisoners, including Yasin Malik, Aasia Andrabi, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Khurram Parvez, and Masarat Aalam.
Fai emphasized that the G20 leadership must recognize the opportunity for peace in IIOJK, contingent upon allowing the people of Kashmir to determine their own identity through a referendum as called for by UN resolutions.
Prominent politician and former senator Sehar Kamran (TI) highlighted the importance of drawing the attention of G20 leaders and international officials to the ongoing Kashmir dispute. She underscored the potential consequences and threats to global peace and stability if the issue remains unresolved.
Kamran pointed out that the denial of democracy and human rights in IIOJK, particularly the refusal of self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions, has contributed to nuclear and missile proliferation in the region.
She also mentioned that Amnesty International and several other international forums and NGOs have called on G20 countries to pressure India to end human rights violations in Kashmir and release political prisoners and rights defenders.
In response to a query, Kamran called for the inclusion of the ongoing violent clashes between the Hindu Meitei and Christian Kuki communities in India’s Manipur state on the G20 summit agenda. These clashes have led to the destruction of entire villages and displacement of tens of thousands, with more than 250 churches of various denominations being burned or damaged across the state.
Meanwhile, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its latest report, has unveiled a disturbing trend of escalating harassment and violence against religious minorities in India, particularly Muslims. The report underscores that religious freedom conditions in India have significantly deteriorated, with both the central and state governments tolerating widespread discrimination and persecution of religious minority communities.
Notably, the BJP-led government’s implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is highlighted in the report. This law expedites Indian citizenship exclusively for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan already residing in India. The report also points out the alarming consequence that millions of Muslims may face detention, deportation, and statelessness when the government completes its planned nationwide National Register of Citizens.
Furthermore, it’s essential to mention that during a press conference, Admiral John Kirby, the White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, was asked about President Joe Biden’s stance on the Kashmir issue and the growing suppression of minorities’ rights and human rights abuses in the disputed region in his upcoming bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kirby clarified that the United States’ policy on the Kashmir issue remains unchanged. The US believes that tensions in the region should be resolved through dialogue between the concerned parties. He emphasized that human rights hold a pivotal position in President Biden’s foreign policy, and he is committed to addressing human rights concerns when engaging with foreign leaders.
It’s important to note that within India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has strongly condemned the Modi-led Indian government for convening the G20 summit while implementing a secretive and detrimental agenda. This agenda has resulted in the infringement of fundamental rights for the people of Kashmir and the social, political, economic, and religious rights of Indian minorities.
