The suffering of the people of Kashmir has been continuing for decades now, there have been so many measures that Indian occupation forces have taken against the people of Kashmir to suppress their just struggle for self-determination. We have seen another such measure that Yasin Malik has been given a life sentence due to the alleged terrorist activities, this all happened under the draconian laws and the courts have awarded him a life sentence without any evidence. The court associated this freedom leader with terrorist activities.
Pakistan has launched a strong protest over the matter and has extended moral, diplomatic, and political support to the people of Kashmir. In this particular development, Pakistan has made sure that the voice is heard in the international community as well.
Yasin Malik was pursuing a peaceful struggle since 1994, he had dialogues with the Indian prime ministers and the Indian establishment. Giving the Yasin Malik this kind of punishment reflects the situation how India is dealing with the situation in Kashmir, they have pushed the people of Kashmir to the wall which is why there is no end to the violence in Kashmir. It is not only Yasin Malik but many other Hurriyat leaders who are also in jail who are also facing sedition charges under the draconian laws. The people of Kashmir have reacted to these Indian atrocities, particularly against the Modi government which is why the violence in Kashmir has increased and it will escalate further.
Implementation of Modi’s plan in Kashmir is continued under which abrogation of article 370 took place. Modi government after issuing unlimited domiciles to Hindus belonging to other Indian states is trying to change the demographic nature of the valley. The reports of the Human Rights Commission contained the details of atrocities and injustice which is being carried out in IIOJK. Sentence of Yasin Malik is part of the overall scheme which the Indian government has drawn that none of the Kashmir leaders should be able to raise and educate the Kashmiris against the Indian government.
If we look at the history of the political resistance there are many Kashmiri leaders who remained subject to the Indian tyranny. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in resistance for his people against apartheid and the situation in Kashmir is quite similar to it as it has turned into the World’s most militarized zone with everyone suppressed there.
It is important to underscore what authority actually prosecuted Yasin Malik and how this verdict was given. National Investigation Agency (NIA) framed the charges against Yasin Malik and then it was the NIA court that gave the verdict. In 2017, a prosecutor from NIA i.e Rohini Salyan in her testimony exposed the involvement of Swami Aseemanand and Pragya Thakur in terrorist attacks in Malegaon and Mecca Masjid terrorist attack. Rohini Salyan was ordered by the senior command to go slow and soft in the cases and eventually Swami Aseemanand was freed and Pragya Thakur became an MP. They were terrorists but they were let go because of behind the scene maneuvering. Now the same agency NIA when prosecuting Yasin Malik it booked him on fake charges of conspiracy of terrorist attack, criminal conspiracy, and sedition.
NIA charges a man who is a Kashmiri leader, a politician, and has been contesting elections in the past. These are facts enough to show the world that India has double standards and it is in prosecuting people in a way that equals persecution. Unfortunately, Indian media has been misquoting all the court proceedings and reported that Yasin Malik accepted all the charges. The comments Yasin Malik made in the court were opposite to the reporting by Indian media, when Yasin Malik was asked to defend himself, he pointed out that f if he was a terrorist then why did the Indian prime ministers keep on meeting him and why he was issued passport? In that kind of situation, it is clear that India is persecuting a man for being a freedom fighter and a statesman.
The life sentence to Yasin Malik by the Indian court is unfortunate, tragic, condemnable and something the World must raise its voice against. The people in Kashmir don’t remember the judge who awarded the death sentence to Maqbool Bhat but people remember Maqbool Bhat. Similarly, Yasin Malik is being remembered in the hearts and minds of people.
Jawad Ahmed is an Islamabad-based researcher with an interest in Politics, Bilateralism, and Strategic Studies.
