Srinagar: Human rights activists and organizations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir have strongly criticized India for its continued treatment of the Kashmiri people, likening it to modern-day slavery.

According to Kashmir Media Service, on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, rights activists and watchdogs voiced alarm over widespread abuses. They cited forced disappearances, torture, and detentions as strategies employed by India to suppress the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination. The institutionalization of sexual violence against Kashmiri women by Indian forces was highlighted as a particularly egregious form of modern slavery.

The activists argue that India’s actions, including demographic changes, property seizures, and the silencing of dissent, are attempts to erode Kashmiri identity and culture. Despite these challenges, the resilience of the Kashmiri people endures, with many reaffirming their commitment to securing freedom from what they term “Indian slavery.”

The advocates have called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take decisive action. They urged the implementation of UN resolutions that align with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Emphasizing that India’s strategies to suppress Kashmiris will ultimately fail, they reiterated their resolve to resist any efforts aimed at reducing them to subjugation.