UNHRC urged to combat India imposed menaces in IIOJK

 A Kashmiri delegation while virtually attending the 46th sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council has urged the Council to take concrete steps to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir that remained under curfew, siege, lockdown and virtual lock-up for months together.

According to Kashmir Media Service, while taking part in general debate Agenda Item, the delegation said Kashmiri Muslims were denied entry to religious places, children were barred to attend schools and even the right to mobility was snatched. Altaf Hussain Wani, representative of World Muslim Congress while citing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination told the council that “the each State Party undertakes not to sponsor, defend or support racial discrimination by any persons or organizations but BJP led right-wing Hindu government is constantly violating this international convention.”

“On August 5th Indian govt not only stripped Kashmir of its special status but carried out a sustained effort to argue racial discrimination propagated hate incited violence and targeted specific ethnic and religious minorities,” he said. While highlighting the plight of Kashmiris he said, “Kashmiris, the victim of the worst Indian discrimination, are helpless under the open sky as these blatant violations of the Indian state go unnoticed and diminishing the hopes of Kashmiris to live a life without discrimination and fear.”

“To be a Kashmiri in India is not less than a crime. RSS a Hindu nationalist right-wing group of BJP has been openly involved in assaulting and abusing Kashmiris by calling them, terrorists.” he added. While expressing his views regarding the terrible caste system in India, Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, representative of Community Human Rights and Advocacy Centre, stated that the Indian government’s assumption that caste system is their internal affair and not a matter of international concern. “Discrimination to lower caste and minorities has always been a part of cast system in prevailing Indian society. It is a strange mixture of prejudice, ignorance, and centuries-old discriminatory practices. You could not eat with the people not of your caste or marry into their communities. Dalits in India continue to suffer terrible forms of discrimination,” he added.

The delegation urged the council to take concrete steps to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.