India: 6 Kashmiri separatists held by Indian Sec Forces in Indian Administered Jammu & Kashmir

 Occupied Kashmir map

Srinagar, 30 Jan 2021: 3 Kashmiri separatists were arrested on Saturday by Indian security forces in the Indian Administered part of Jammu & Kashmir region.

According to Indian news outlets, Indian Security forces claimed that separatists were planning ‘attacks’ in Anantnag and Bijbehara towns of J&K.

Officers claimed to have intercepted a car with two persons onboard. The two tried to flee but were apprehended by the Indian forces.

Those arrested were identified as Imran Ahmed Hajam, a resident of Nathpora Khanabal, and Irfan Ahmed Ahanger, a resident of Nandpora Khanabal.

Indian security officers also claimed that incriminating material, arms and ammunition including two pistols, three magazines and 116 rounds were recovered from their possession.

Jammu and Kashmir joined India through an Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947, with the provision of a special status to use its own statute and flag. Following accession, a dispute erupted between Pakistan and India. India took this matter to the UN Security Council, which passed resolution 39 (1948) and established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP), asked Government of India to reduce its forces to minimum strength, and established the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to monitor the cease-fire line, and mandated a plebiscite.

However, due to widespread mistreatment by the Indian security forces, many Kashmiris want to separate from India, and various Kashmiri groups are fighting for independence.

Contrary to UN resolution 39 (1948), the mandated a plebiscite never occurred, and there are more than half a million Indian Security forces currently stationed in Jammu and Kashmir.

In August 2019, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah told parliament that Article 370 of the constitution that gave a measure of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir had been abolished, and the measure came into force "at once". Kashmiri leaders were not consulted and a total lockdown of the state was imposed for 6 months.

Human rights organisations have claimed constant human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed territory administered by India, including mass killings, forced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual abuse for political repression and suppression of freedom of speech.

UN human rights report on Kashmir in June 2018 has called for international inquiry into ongoing human rights violations and abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Rights Groups referred in Wikipedia; about “100,000 people have died since 1989 while the official figures from Indian sources state the estimates of number of civilians killed due to the insurgency in the range of 16,725 to 47,000”

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in its Foreign Ministers Meet in March 2019, adopted a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, condemning the “atrocities and human rights violations” in the state.

The resolution on Kashmir used phrases such as “Indian terrorism” and “mass blindings” by Indian security forces on protesting youths.