The Indian government's actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have been widely criticized for human rights abuses and suppression of the local population. The government has been using tactics such as state-sponsored terrorism, including the use of brute force and extrajudicial killings, to maintain control over the region and silence dissent. Reports of human rights abuses, such as extrajudicial killings, torture, and rape, have been documented by various human rights organizations. The Muslim minority in the region has long faced discrimination and marginalization, with limited access to education, healthcare, and other basic services.
Additionally, the government has been encouraging Hindu settlers to move into IIOJK in order to change its demographic makeup. These actions are often seen as manifestations of Hindu majoritarianism, with the government prioritizing the interests of the Hindu majority over those of the Muslim minority. This has led to increased tensions between the Hindu settlers and the local population, and has been seen as an attempt to dilute the Muslim majority in the region.
The Indian government's actions in India itself are seen as a manifestation of Hindu majoritarianism, which is the belief that the interests of the Hindu majority should be prioritized over those of other religious groups, particularly Muslims. It is a term used to describe the political and social policies of India, which are based on the idea that Hindus should be the dominant group in the country. It is a form of majoritarianism which seeks to impose Hindu culture and values on all citizens, regardless of their religious background. This has led to an increase in violence and discrimination against minorities, particularly Muslims. There has also been an increase in attacks on religious places of worship, such as churches and mosques.
Under such circumstances, social media has hastened the transmission of propaganda and false information, compounding these impacts. Particularly WhatsApp has been a popular method for spreading false information to sow intercommunal strife. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also used social media effectively to spread its pro-majority propaganda.
Ethnonationalism became a central aspect of the BJP's agenda following its historic victory in 2014. Under Modi's leadership, the backing of socially conservative Hindu nationalist groups has contributed to the establishment of a distinctive form of ideological hegemony.
A BBC documentary–the first part of which was aired on January 17–critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's involvement in the violent Gujarat riots more than 20 years ago has been banned in India. The documentary examines a previously unreleased British government report that the BBC claimed it received in the form of a diplomatic cable. According to BBC, the report details the acts of violence that "all the signs of an ethnic cleansing" were there, including "widespread and systematic rape of Muslim women." Jack Straw, who was the British Foreign Secretary in 2002 and features in the documentary, claims that Modi had “played a pre-active part in pulling back the police and in tacitly encouraging the Hindu extremists.”
India's growing polarization due to right-wing intimidation has had a negative impact on virtually every sphere of the country's political and social life, and these impacts are wide-ranging and diversified, whereas Kashmir is a prime example of how settler colonialism can be used to subjugate an entire population. Its people are victims of a system that seeks to erase their culture and deny them basic human rights. The international community must take action to ensure that the voices of Kashmiris are heard and respected, and help bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Pakistan Army is fully committed to the Kashmir cause and is standing with the Kashmiris in their just struggle for freedom. As said by the COAS, General Syed Asim Munir during his visit to the frontline troops deployed along the Line of Control, “Indian state will never be able to achieve her nefarious designs. The world must ensure justice and deliver what is promised to the Kashmiri people as per the UN resolutions.”
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