By Dr Abdul Samad Noor Saharanpuri
In a notable yet embattled move, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has passed a resolution urging India to reinstate the region’s special status and resume constitutional guarantees that once safeguarded Kashmiri identity, culture, and rights. This appeal comes as a bold response to India’s unilateral abrogation of Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, a decision that stripped away autonomy provisions guaranteed under Article 370 and triggered profound anxiety across the region.
The assembly’s resolution underlines a vital plea: for New Delhi to engage in a sincere, structured dialogue with the region’s elected representatives to restore these protections. This action reflects the assembly’s endorsement of the importance of constitutional assurances for Kashmir, measures which once acted as a bulwark against systemic marginalization. Yet, the brutal suppression in Kashmir since the special status was rescinded paints a grim picture of repression, where individual freedoms have been curtailed and the right to self-expression compromised.
Since August 2019, the relentless increase in military oversight and aggression has caused an escalation in human rights abuses, even within a landscape historically marred by violence. Kashmiri voices are being silenced, their homes turned into zones of enforced confinement under a heavy military presence, effectively stripping away personal liberties. The ongoing crackdown is a pointed dismissal of both the region’s democratic rights and international obligations, raising questions about the validity of India’s democratic promises and commitments to international law.
For the average Kashmiri, resistance has become a matter of survival. The unyielding control exercised by the Indian state—and the indifference of global powers to their plight—has only fueled the determination of Kashmiris to continue their struggle for self-determination, despite the state’s attempts to stifle any movement for autonomy. Recent incidents further underscore this turmoil: Indian forces recently shot dead two young Kashmiris in separate incidents in the districts of Kupwara and Bandipora. Such actions deepen the sense of alienation and resentment, reaffirming the perception that Kashmiris are being silenced in their homeland.
Meanwhile, on both sides of the Line of Control and across the world, the Kashmiri diaspora observed Jammu Martyrs’ Day on November 6th, commemorating the tragic events of 1947. On that day, an estimated hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris lost their lives in an orchestrated massacre as they attempted to migrate towards Pakistan, a violent campaign led by Dogra forces, Indian paramilitaries, and allied Hindu nationalists. The motives behind the massacre were chillingly clear: to reduce the Muslim majority in Jammu, altering the demographic makeup in favor of Hindu dominance—a goal which continues to haunt the region’s trajectory.
Today, the remembrance of these martyrs stands as a testament to Kashmir’s undying struggle and resilience. Groups such as the All Parties Hurriyat Conference have paid tribute to the martyrs, vowing that their sacrifices will not be forgotten. “Their blood,” declared Hurriyat leaders, “will not go in vain.”
For Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, restoring Kashmir’s special status remains a distant prospect—one clouded by political reluctance and nationalist fervor. Yet, in failing to address these demands, India is veering further from democratic ideals and placing itself at odds with international norms. The suppression of autonomy, enforced military occupation, and violations of fundamental rights have left Kashmir’s future in limbo, pushing the region towards an uncertain horizon filled with generational trauma and festering resentment.
The Kashmir question continues to be one of the most pressing human rights crises of our time, posing an enduring challenge to the very idea of justice and fairness in one of the world’s largest democracies. As the international community watches, the question remains: will the voices of Kashmiri people be heard, or will they be relegated to mere footnotes in a struggle for freedom that deserves global recognition? The restoration of Kashmir’s autonomy and the respect for democratic rights may offer a path toward healing. But in the absence of meaningful action, the Kashmiri people’s call for justice will only grow louder, a reminder that no people can be truly silenced in their pursuit of dignity, autonomy, and peace.
(The writer is a renowned scholar, researcher, and literary figure in Pakistan, with significant contributions to Islamic Studies and Arabic Literature and can be reached at news@metro-morning.com)
