Srinagar: While the Kashmir Valley is witnessing massive civil uprising, all Kashmiris living in North America (NRKs) formed a political advocacy group to facilitate a political solution to the Kashmir imbroglio.
The group said that they have been “frustrated” with the lack of progress on any diplomatic or political initiative to resolve the issue of Kashmir.
They said that some “well-known” Kashmiris and organizations met on August 13 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to “brainstorm” options.
“A path forward emerged in the form of a political advocacy group to facilitate a political solution to the Kashmir imbroglio,” they said.
They said that different sub-teams were formed to come up with “vision, mission and other details” for such a political advocacy group.
“As a follow up meeting participants met in New York on September 24th to ratify the recommendations of sub teams on vision, mission, objectives, and specific ways to form this organization,” they said.
The statement read that in order to “work cohesively” for a “comprehensive united struggle”, the participants unanimously agreed to frame an organizational structure.
“The new organization will work to reinforce the struggle at the international level by way of undertaking political and diplomatic initiatives to supplement the sacrifices of the people of Kashmir for their basic political and human rights,” they added.
The new group said that they intend to reach to all activists or organizations working for the Kashmir cause around the world to adopt a cohesive and united front of diaspora community.
“The organization will work for political advocacy, human rights awareness and to complement the existing social, cultural and charitable organizations that are doing work for Kashmir,” they said.
“Participants deliberated on adopting effective ways and means to advocate at the international level and discussed some immediate short-term goals for the organization to work on. These goals will help set up a structure and will poise the organization for its long term vision,” they added.
The decision to form a new group was taken as the continued and unabated violence perpetrated on the civilian population of Kashmir by the Indian occupation has been unprecedented in recent history.
“The recent and on-going brutalities perpetuated on innocent Kashmiris have remained a matter of concern for every Kashmiri living outside Kashmir,” they said.
They said that there has been overwhelming coverage about these atrocities and use of disproportionate force in the Western media.
United Nations Human Rights Commission requested access to Kashmir but has been denied by the Indian government.
“Human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, local activists, and social media shared pictures of present situation are testimony to wilful war crimes against a caged population,” they added.
“The entire population of Kashmir has been put under a continuous curfew of more than two months and mobile internet services cut off many times. In its new phase, the Indian troopers are arresting thousands of people and breaking civilian property, creating an atmosphere of insecurity and threat to life, by indulging in state sponsored terror. Such acts are in contravention to UN charter to which India as a state party is liable,” they added.
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