Torch bearers of Human Rights and their discriminatory politics; how long?

As usual every year on the 10th December Human rights day is observed throughout the world. Many seminars and international conferences are held by the state and non state organizations to mark this important day and to spread awareness and highlight the significance of Human rights across the world. Every conference, seminar and special programmes culminated with this epilogue that the countries where the rate of human rights violation is high in fact alarming should listen to the genuine voices of its citizens and respect their basic human rights. This day was also observed in Kashmir too, the most militarized part of the world, cradled in the majestic mountains of the Himalayas witnessed the worst form of human rights violations inflicted by the state police and Indian Para militarily forces to quell the freedom sentiments in the recent summer public uprisings. Over the past three years in particular, the suffering of Kashmiri people has reached an indescribable intensity and magnitude. According to the recent diplomatic leakage of Wiki Leaks has also indicated Indian Chief of the Northern Command Lt. Gen HS Panag of the Indian Army was equated with General Milosevic of Bosnia with regard to butchering the Muslims in the Indian through war crimes. The related cable urged Washington to secretly divert UN attention towards the genocide of innocent civilians in the Indian held Kashmir on the hands of Indian Army and also suggested that the US should avoid holding any joint drill with Indian army until it stops inhuman activities in Kashmir. Unfortunately those who claim themselves the champions of Human Rights have turned a blind eye on the grave Human Rights violations in the Kashmir. Once known as a paradise on earth has been turned into a beautiful jail, where death, depression and draconian laws have squeezed and suffocated the life of every common Kashmiri. The trigger happy forces have so for silenced more than hundred thousand people; maimed thousands others, ten thousand people disappeared in their custody and more than twenty thousand people are languishing in different jails without a proper judicial trial. But the world community is not taking any notice to such worst form of Human Rights violations committed by the forces of biggest democracy. This silence is disgusting, discriminatory and will further widen the cracks between the Muslim community and the rest of world especially with Europe and fulfilling the old prophecy about the clash of civilizations.

Every year the United Nation held a special general assembly session on the Human Rights day, where resolutions are passed followed by the release of a data mostly collected from the Amnesty International and other human rights forums exposing and unearthing the unabated violations and abuses perpetrated by the oppressed regimes on their subjects especially in the conflict zones. Interestingly every time as usual the Human Rights axe falls mostly on the Muslim countries and are warned of stiffer economical sanctions and military assaults to respect women rights and restore the freedom of expressions but forget those subjugated, oppressed and alienated Muslims who are continuously reeling under the tyrant non Muslim occupants from the so many decades.

If the people of East Timor and south Sudan were rallied diplomatically, politically by the west and America in their ongoing struggle to their goal of statehood, why the Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya are intentionally neglected and sidelined by the world community? Why the shrieks, lamentations, tortures, tears and a systematic genocide going on in the Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya on the hands of Zionists, communists and secular democrats are not catching the attention in the western media and are not discussed, debated on the floor of United Nations Security Council? Is it that amnesty, human rights and international laws vary on the religion lines? Every year on this day they organize meets, conferences and broadcast their moral rhetoric’s on the world issues. The United Nations autonomous body Human Rights Watch releases yearly reports and rankings of the world countries but the biggest irony is that mostly Muslim countries are put on the top slot and receive bashing from the so called civilized block and the rest non Muslims countries are showered complements by respecting and curbing the Human Rights violation rate.

On December 10, 1948 the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. It called its member nations to adopt and implement these rights in their respective countries. This declaration was a momentous achievement because it was the first time that human rights were codified and steps were taken for the preservation of human rights. There are different types of rights such as political, economic social and cultural rights. Keeping in view the political rights in Kashmir then they were flagrantly violated by the New Delhi time to time, whenever the people of state tried to use peaceful and democratic methods to reach out the world to listen their legitimate voice but every time they were dealt with disproportionate use of brute force. It is notable that there has been a routine failure of justice in Jammu and Kashmir. In the recent past, hundreds of unidentified graves with more than 3000 bodies were discovered mostly in the frontier areas of Kashmir. Sources have accused Indian forces of the extra judicial killings and fake encounters of the innocent Kashmiri’s through brutal methods. In this context, even the European Parliament has passed a resolution, condemning New Delhi for human rights violations.

It seems that non-condemnation of these Indian acts of massive human rights violations by the so-called civilized international community has further encouraged India to step-up its brutalities, atrocities on the peaceful and unarmed Kashmiri masses. Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri leadership on political grounds though the three interlocutors nominated and backed by New Delhi to talk to the different shades of people and to know the reasons of disenchantment and fury against the Indian republic ended up a futile exercise. Because after completing their task they submitted a final report to the Indian govt but the recommendations made by the team so for have not seen the light, which is totally bizarre and undemocratic. India perhaps reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmir’s, demanding their right of self-determination. But when the volcano of resentment explodes in the streets of Srinagar against the forceful occupation, they immediately send parliamentarians, academicians, Muslim clerics and artists to hoodwink the world community that we are serious and sincere as for as the grievances and legitimate demands of the people of Kashmir are concerned.

The indescribable intensity of pain, suffering and the unending cycle of arbitrary arrests, extra judicial killings, disappearances, torture, arson and rapes have become the new definition of this Himalayan Banana republic. Where the law enforcement agencies are operating above the law and the state police have unleashed a reign of terror. Thus who will police the police to stop the human rights violations remained a million dollar question?

In the last three consecutive summers hooliganism barbarism and the atrocities committed by the security forces are so appalling, heart wrenching that even Bosnia, Burma might not have witnessed such horrific human rights violations. But the biased and discriminatory stance of the world community towards these human issues will not serve anybody’s plate but blur the chances to make a peaceful and prosperous world. They supported the Middle East public uprising wholeheartedly and helped them to uproot the notorious regimes because their political and economical interest lies in the Middle East. It is mentionable that owing to the new strategic alliances, India has become a partner of the major powers like the US, Russia, UK, Germany and France. These major countries have their political and economic stakes in India. That is why, these bigs are keeping silence over Indian human rights violations and don’t want to jeopardize their bilateral relations with the rising economical power by raising a voice or act as a mediator to solve this nuclear flash point issue between the India and Pakistan. Besides, there is a big question mark on the role of the United Nations Organization (UNO) in connection with this forgotten conflict, the only International Organization, mandated to redress the oppressed people of the world. The organization has badly failed to implement its responsibilities and its own resolutions towards a rightful solution of the issue.

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Title: The Collaborator

Author: Mirza Waheed

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Penguin India
 Pages: 302







It is a debut novel of a Kashmiri journalist based in London and in fact the most authentic literary piece of work on the Kashmir conflict and its deep and multiple repercussions on the people of valley in general and the people living in frontier areas in particular. It is not easy to write a review of a book that carry the tales of oppression, suppression inflicted on a frontier hamlet by the so called protectors. Such stories give you goose bumps: leave your eyes wide open and your heart filled with sorrow. ‘The Collaborator’ relates such a horrific and heart wrenching tale of those unsung Sarhad Paar mutineers. Who left their abodes to salvage their land from the clutches of oppressors but were silenced by trigger happy men in uniform while crossing the line of control. Neither their bodies are retrieved from the euphemistically called encounter sites nor given a proper funeral but are left as a food for the carnivores.



The novel is written in the backdrop of a 1989 rigged election followed by the NC’s fascist approach towards its political rivals, which many political analysts believe created a catalyst for the insurgency and pushed herd of angry youths and their leaders to sneak across the border for arms training to avenge their political humiliation through bullet. The story starts in a frontier hamlet called Nowgam situated on the bank of a roaring rivulet piercing through the beautiful mountains and valleys. The major chunk of population in the area belongs to the Gujjar ethnicity with different life style and approach towards the changing political contours of state than a common Kashmiri. This village was an abode of peace and tranquility like the other parts of Kashmir till 1989 but the things changed dramatically, heaven within the heaven turned into garrisons, bunkers battlefields and the inhabitants are caged inside their houses by imposing the night curfew. The castle of peace and harmony shattered into pieces, when the first time Indian armed forces laid a longest siege around the village for three days. All the inhabitants irrespective of age, gender are forced to assemble in an open field in the village. This creates the phantom of fear in the minds of people that all is not well now in their village, after the sudden disappearance of local boys.



The whole sordid tale revolves around the village Nowgam and the four best pals among one turned up to be a collaborator in the novel and the sudden disappearance of other friends remained a mystery throughout the novel. The author brilliantly shows the interior monologue of world’s second largest armed forces through a military officer stationed at the border and his barbarity whenever he is interacting with the collaborator. During the first few chapters understanding the story is little bit difficult but later it begins cast to its spell. The novel casts a spell over the readers and it’s difficult to put down once you become attached to the sordid tale of collaborator. Mirza Waheed’s description of emotions and sufferings of the inhabitants of a beautiful jail are heart throbbing and heart rendering. He uses his powerful imagery to make the readers understand how morose and subjugated life has become in the valley particularly from the last two decades. The main plot of the novel is alienation convulsions and tribulations of remote villagers and their victimhood by the hands of so called security forces.



The narrator appears to be very bold when he is forced by the so called protectors to collect ID cards and the necessary possessions from those who are silenced by their fire power trying to sneak into this part of Kashmir. The novel ends with the collective horrific funeral of those boys whose dead bodies are being collected by the collaborator from the encounter sites and then on the orders of a diabolic military officer are cremated collectively not to spare a clue for the human rights activists.



The narrative technique of novel is so beautiful and musical that it hardly gives chance for readers to skip any content from the book. The structure of novel consists three parts and all the parts contain thirty two small and long chapters with particular heading related to the episodes which bring superb coherence and cohesion. This frontier in which the whole saga of episodes takes place in the novel is the microcosm of whole valley as for as the suffering, pain, mass exodus and massacres are concerned. From the beginning to the last chapter of book, the author has remained unbiased and has let his characters to speak the common concern and grievances which is unique thing in the league of Kashmir centric writers, who often try to indoctrinate their agenda through the power of words.



mir liyaqat

The Nato Fiasco

The recent predawn NATO air attack on the Pakistani security check post on the Pak-Afg border which left twenty four Pakistani troops dead including two officers have hit all time low in the Pak U.S relations. This particular cross border air raid of NATO forces have further fuelled the anti American sentiment in Pakistan which forced PPP govt to reconsider its bilateral relations with the US on the basis of mutual interest and define its strategic importance as a key alley in the war against terrorism campaign to the world. The attack inspired disenchantment, anger and suspicion even among the few handful pro American voices in Pakistan which pushed the establishment as well as to the Zardari lead coalition govt to block the essential supply lines from Pakistan to the ISAF and American forces in Afghanistan and also ordered CIA to vacate the Shamsi Air base within the fifteen days. The attack came after the continuous anti Pakistan reports aired by the U.S media and BBC followed by the war of words and nudging by the various U.S officials including the lion Panetta and Hillary Clinton to pressurize and push Pakistan to do more and flush out the Haqqani network operating from the wild mountains in the tribal areas of Pakistan which Americans believe have posed a major threat to the U.S and NATO forces in Afghanistan. However this is not the first time that the NATO forces have violated the sovereignty of Pakistan, according to the independent Pakistani media reports around seventy five Pakistani soldiers have been so for killed in the six different major attacks by the NATO forces on the PAK Afghan border since 2007 on the name of hot persuit. Every time Pakistan govt registered its strong protest before the NATO and U.S to stop violating the sovereignty but after the word of assurances, condolences and apologies that it will not happen in future cross border raids continued in a systematic way to give a clear signal to the strategic alley that if you don’t take any action against the Taliban and destroy their safe heavens in the tribal areas. Otherwise we are ready and enough capable like OBL operation to take any unilateral military action deep inside the Pakistan against those who pose a major threat to the so called regional peace and stability. This cross border air attack has sent warning alarms in all the frontiers of power in Pakistan and pushed them for an immediate policy change to protect the sovereignty and national interest but at the same this step can stoke tension on the PAK AFGHAN border. The attack sparked furry in Pakistan and further complicated U.S-led efforts to ease a crisis in relations with Islamabad after the OBL operation to stabilize the region before they pull out their troops from the Afghanistan. The latest decree by the Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kiyani to its ground forces stationed on the Pak-Afg border can be seen as the last nail in the coffin of Pak U.S relations which stated, “in case of any attack, you have complete liberty to respond forcefully using all available resources. You don’t need any permission for this”. Which shows both the military establishment as well as the civilian govt in Pakistan are looking so for united on a one page and have drawn the clear lines of tolerance. The blockade of essential supply lines and to vacate Shamsi air base are the steps which can decide the future and bring the paradigm shift in the Pakistani foreign policy which was so for used to be tabled and scripted in the Washington. Interestingly all the political parties including the religious parties in Pakistan are calling it an act of blatant aggression and are of the same opinion that the time has come that we should dissociate ourselves from the America’s war. The liberals and the civil society in the Pakistan too hold the same view and are echoing that if this is the retribution of our countless sacrifices in the war against terrorism then it’s the right time to adieu good bye to America’s war ventures. Virtually this war proved so for detrimental both physically as well as economically. The country lost thirty thousand people, billions of foreign investment and was left to the mercy of IMF, World Bank and their economical occupation conditions have made life of common man in Pakistan miserable due to the fatal inflation. Thus various political analysts in Islamabad strongly believe that 9/11 was just an excuse and Afghanistan provided them a base but the ultimate target is to denuclearize Pakistan and this cross border air strikes is just the sub plot of a Americas new world order game. But this arrogance of power can prove counterproductive and can trigger a third world war which is not anybody’s interest.