H.E. Mr Navtej Sarna, High Commissioner of India to the UK
India House, Aldwych, London WC2B 4NA
17 July 2016
Dear High Commissioner,
Sub: Killing of peaceful demonstrators by Indian occupation forces in Jammu Kashmir.
As British Kashmiris we are exercising our democratic right of assembly and free speech by holding this demonstration under the banner of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front-JKLF- at the Indian High Commission in London. Through this peaceful demonstration we wish to register our strong protest at the killing of peaceful demonstrators by Indian forces in Kashmir.
Public demonstration is a fundamental right that we take for granted as UK citizens, which unfortunately your government denies the people of Jammu Kashmir, and their leaders to exercise.
A clear evidence of this is the house arrests of Huriyat leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Gilani, while JKLF Chairman Mr Yasin Malik is incarcerated in Jail. This is indeed a sad and sorry reflection on India and it’s so called democracy.
Excellency India has practically throttled democratic process with reference to resolving the Kashmir issue- a process in which India not only has historic responsibility, but also made commitments and gave solemn undertakings at the United Nations to honour the commitments.
Excellency, by killing around four dozen Kashmiri youth, youngest being a mere 12 year old boy from Chitragam in Shopian, the Indian army has demonstrated once more that it has no regard for lives of Kashmiris, and that in reality, it is an army of occupation.
In a civilised and democratic society a professional army would be taken to task when it kills a 12 year old boy. 12 year old Shahid of Shopian, like more than a hundred thousand Kashmiris, whom the Indian army has killed since 1988, will unfortunately become another statistic, and his parents will have no recourse to justice, as perpetrators of such violent outrages in Kashmir, are protected by the Indian State, under the Armed Forces Special powers Act -AFSPA- and many other draconian laws.
Thus as in 2010, the year of killing Kashmiri youth, as well as in 2008 when top Huriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz was shot and killed, as he led a peaceful demonstration against the excesses of the forces, currently the Indian army will not be reprimanded, and yet again will get away with killing of over 45 peaceful demonstrators and injuring more than 1500, some of whom may succumb to their injuries and others will sustain lifelong disabilities.
Excellency for almost seven decades, Kashmiris have become accustomed to the brutality of the Indian State and its occupation forces.
However the current spate of killing and the manner of violence perpetrated at peaceful demonstrators is unprecedented by even the oppressive standards of the Indian forces. These therefore are clearly the actions of a colonial military force, which has no respect for the dignity and lives of defenceless populace that considers itself colonised and subjugated.
Excellency in such circumstances, we consider over half a million Indian military and paramilitary forces of occupation, and the Indian State’s occupation apparatus in Jammu Kashmir, complicit in a deliberate policy of violent oppression against a genuine and legitimate political dissent and grievances of the Kashmiri people. Successive Indian governments have deliberately and brazenly reneged on the commitments over the resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of 20 million people of Jammu Kashmir.
We therefore, reiterate our firm position that Kashmiris will not give in to Indian oppression, military force and violent intimidation, and will continue to demand our democratic right to decide freely the future political status of Jammu Kashmir.
Excellency actions of Indian forces against peaceful Kashmiri demonstrators are criminal, and these acts of brutality are provided with the ‘legal’ cover of anti-people and inhuman laws by the Indian State, that would not stand, in any national or international court of law. We therefore call upon your government to stop the killing and maiming of (especially young) people in Kashmir, and remove the military from towns and villages forth with where it has no business to operate according to the United Nations arrangements Vis a Vis responsibility of India, and the conduct of Indian military in Jammu Kashmir.
Excellency as you and your government are fully aware, the role of Indian government was to facilitate a plebiscite or a referendum so that people of Jammu Kashmir would be enabled to decide upon the political status of their country, and that Indian military in Kashmir, would assist in the process. We would like to remind you, and your government that India and the Indian army in Kashmir, did not have a mandate from the UN, to kill tens of thousands of innocent Kashmiris and perpetrate unabated violence against a whole nation on a daily basis.
Excellency India cannot expect thousands of Kashmiri parents, like those of 12 year old Shahid from Shopian, to forget deaths of their innocent sons and daughters at the hands of Indian forces. Your forces are even invading hospitals to drag out and intimidate injured and maimed some with potentially fatal wounds.
This is undoubtedly a shameful behaviour of India’s military in Kashmir and the Indian State’s attitudes towards Kashmiri genuine, internationally recognised and legitimate freedom struggle.
The only question before India therefore, is t2o honour its commitments over Kashmir, and allow the people of Jammu Kashmir to decide their country’s future political status. We expect you will convey to your government, our strong views, expressed in this short communication through your Excellency.
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front- JKLF- UK Zone: President Gen Secretary
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front-JKLF- Diplomatic Bureau:
On behalf of the Bureau:
JKLF International Secretariat London:
North Basement 119-123 Cannon Street Road, London E1 2LX
Cc: Amnesty International: Email: contactus@amnesty.org
UN Secretary General Mr Banki-Moon. Email: sgcentral@un.org
