SRINAGAR, In a pattern that observers have likened to Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank, the Modi-led Indian administration has reportedly escalated its efforts against innocent Kashmiri youth. These operations, conducted under the pretense of violent cordon and search missions, are especially pronounced near the Line of Control in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian forces arrested at least two young individuals during a raid in the Dangarpora area of Baramulla district today. Similar operations in various districts, including Srinagar, Kupwara, Pulwama, Islamabad, Kulgam, Rajouri, and Poonch, also resulted in arrests. Post the revocation of Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, the Modi regime has been consistently categorizing the youth who are either arrested or killed during these missions as mujahideen or supporters thereof.
Simultaneously, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference leadership in Srinagar has voiced its deep concern over these clear human rights violations. The leadership has called on the local population to resist this perceived state terrorism and the ongoing illegal occupation of their homeland. Reaffirming their commitment to the freedom struggle, they also made appeals to the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to intervene in the Kashmir dispute before it escalates further.
Interestingly, questions have been raised by Indian media outlets regarding the veracity of the Indian army’s recent claims. The army had reported the killing of five “infiltrators” near the Line of Control on October 26. Contradicting this, The Telegraph, a reputable English newspaper based in Calcutta, reported that these individuals were actually residents of Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir. The newspaper suggested that the victims might have inadvertently crossed the Line of Control while gathering herbs, only to be mistakenly identified and killed by the Indian army.
In another development, the Congress party led a protest in Jammu today, voicing its strong disagreement with the division of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) into two union territories. This division was enacted by the Modi government after the abrogation of IIOJK’s special status in 2019. The demonstrators are demanding a return to the pre-2019 status of the occupied region.
Furthermore, National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah, countered the Indian government’s claims regarding the state of affairs in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, he questioned why elections hadn’t been held if conditions were truly “normal,” highlighting the frequent violent encounters as evidence to the contrary.