- Coronavirus cannot stop the BJP’s anti-Muslim agenda
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase at a fast pace and the death toll trickles on, Pakistan is struggling to handle the spread of the virus with a partial lockdown in place amid other measures. India has however imposed a stricter nationwide lockdown that is being enforced by the very top of its federal government, as it attempts to keep its over 1.38 billion population in doors. Amid this monumental challenge Indian Prime Minister Narinder Modi and his party have found time to satiate their appetite for unchecked nationalism in pursuit of the anti-Muslim agenda. A new law titled the new Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Order, 2020 that would alter Indian occupied Kashmir’s (IOK) demography was passed a few days ago. IOK has been under an enforced lockdown for months after BJP scrapped its special status as a semi-autonomous state. Changes to its demography are a violation of the Geneva convention but that has not and apparently will not, even in the middle of a global pandemic, stop PM Modi to follow his supremacist Hindutva ideology to establish a Hindu-India. PM Imran Khan, condemning the BJP’s in a tweet, quite aptly described the actions of the BJP-led Indian government as “particularly reprehensible”, an indication towards the timing of the passing of the draconian law. In reply, India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ issued a statement terming the IOK situation and “internal Affair” with the ministry’s spokesman terming PM Khan’s comments “intemperate”. This is clearly an irresponsible and inaccurate claim that has no legal basis keeping in mind the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that give the state of Jammu and Kashmir a special status.
As the war of words continues, residents of IOK are experiencing some of the worst human rights violations in modern history. There has been a fresh wave of violence in the valley as well. Although the world is busy battling the Coronavirus, words of condemnation would be welcome. However, even in pre-Corona days, most countries abstained from issuing any such words, so there is even less hope for a reaction now.
