HISTORICAL INJUSTICES IN KASHMIR

WebDesk August 31, 2023 3 minutes read

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General (SG) of the United Nations tweeted on August 23, 2023, ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our worst enemy is complacency. We must continue to make human rights real in the lives of people everywhere.’ Honorable Antonio Guterres, we still believe that you are the right person to pave the way to settle the complicated international conflicts like Kashmir. It is worth noting that Kashmiris’ claim to self-determination is exceptionally strong even without the UN’s recognition. Kashmir has been historically independent, except in the anarchical conditions of late 18th and the first half of 19th centuries. And also, the territory of Kashmir is larger in size than 121 independent countries and bigger in number than 117 nations of the world. The nation of Kashmir still remembers when Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 & 35 A on August 5, 2019, his aim was not the resolve the issue but to dissolve it? Then on August 8, 2019, you gave hope to 23 million Kashmiris by articulating the principled position of the United Nations that Kashmir issue has to be resolved under UN Charter and applicable UN Security Council resolutions. That signifies that the claim that Kashmir is an integral part of India does not stand. Kashmir has an international dimension that deserves the attention of the U.N. and the global community. It is far past time for the UN to take forceful action in order to restore peace to Kashmir. Perhaps invoking Article 99 ought to be recognised as an option to consider in dealing with this problem, because nothing else to date has worked Narender Modi and Dr. Jaishankar Ji know it well that the United Nations resolutions can never become outdated or obsolete or overtaken by events or changed circumstances. There cannot be a better agency than the Secretary General of the United Nations himself to mediate or facilitate between the parties concerned. Secretary General has no ambition to assert dominance while as great powers do. Mediation by the Secretary General would be free from the jealousies and the ambitions that characterise individual initiative. The Secretary General will have to remain under no obligation to please any particular power or particular set of powers or groups. Yes, there will be resistance from India but if India is impressed with what she would gain by a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute, her negativity may not be insurmountable.