Kashmir a ‘test’ for UN, says Imran in forceful debut

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Imran Khan has forcefully denounced India’s crackdown in occupied Kashmir and warned of a “bloodbath” in the disputed region as he termed the current situation a “test for the UN” in his debut at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.In an emotionally-charged speech lasting nearly 50 minutes, Khan said India could unleash a bloodbath in the Muslim-majority territory, as the nuclear-armed rivals took centre stage at the UN General Assembly on Friday.His mince-no-words speech stood in stark contrast to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address an hour earlier, when the Hindu nationalist leader touted domestic successes but made only an oblique reference to terrorism, taken to mean Pakistan.The speeches occurred as thousands of rival protesters gathered outside the UN building to demonstrate, both against the clampdown in Kashmir and in support of Modi.Indian-occupied Kashmir has been under lockdown since New Delhi scrapped its semi-autonomous status in early August, and Khan said armed forces there would turn on the population after the curfew was lifted.“This is a test for the United Nations,” Khan said. “You guaranteed the right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir.”Khan spoke far beyond his allotted time to apprise the world leaders of the persecution of innocent men, women and children in Kashmir at the hands of Indian occupation forces.He referred to the rapes of thousands of Kashmiri women at the hands of Indian troops, as pointed out in two UN reports, the deaths of 100,000 Kashmiris, the detention of the entire Kashmiri political leadership, the abusive use of pellet guns against unarmed civilians, the blockade of communication links and the deployment of 900,000 security personnel to quell any dissent.Attired in a blue traditional dress, Khan said he was there at the UNGA at one of the most critical times his country was facing. He warned of the consequences if the world community failed to realise the gravity of the situation confronting the two nuclear-armed countries.He urged the United Nations to ask India to lift the inhuman curfew, continuing for the past 55 days and return the 13,000 young boys taken from their homes by the Indian security forces. “What kind of a mindset locks up eight million people? Women, children, sick people... ” he said. “What I know of the West, they wouldn’t stand for eight million animals to be locked up. These are human beings,” Khan said amidst applause.The Prime Minister spoke at length about the violations committed by India against 11 UN Security Council resolutions, including the one against its own constitution and the bilateral Simla agreement with Pakistan.“There are 900,000 troops there, they haven’t come to, as Narendra Modi says—for the prosperity of Kashmir,” Khan said. “These 900,000 troops, what are they going to do? When they come out? There will be a bloodbath,” Khan told the General Assembly.Khan warned there could be a repeat of the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours seen in February if India blamed his country for what he said could be a homegrown militant attack in response to repression.“If a conventional war starts between the two countries, anything could happen. But supposing a country seven times smaller than its neighbour is faced with the choice: either you surrender, or you fight for your freedom till death,” Khan said.“What will we do? I ask myself these questions. We will fight ... and when a nuclear-armed country fights to the end, it will have consequences far beyond the borders,” he warned.He categorically stated that he was not threatening about a nuclear war. “It is a worry. It is a test for the United Nations. You are the one who spoke about the Kashmiris’ right to self determination. This is not the time for appeasement like that in 1939 in Munich. Will the word community appease a fascist or will it stand up for justice and humanity?” Khan asked.Khan said: “You think Kashmiris will accept a new status quo under revocation of Article 370. One hundred thousand Kashmiris killed, thousands of women raped. UN reported on this.”He regretted that the world knew about it, however, it remained quiet as it saw India as a huge market. “Materialism has trumped humanity,” Khan said, and asked: “Will the world go for a market of 1.2 billion people, or for justice and humanity?”The Prime Minister repeatedly warned of another Pulwama sort of attack and said it would be the result of radicalisation due to the persistent denial of justice to the Kashmiri people. He said Pakistan would be blamed should something happen and recalled how the two nuclear armed nations almost went head to head in February.“And this is why the UN has a responsibility,” he said. “This is why you came into being in 1945!” Khan added to applause.Khan pointed out that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been reciting the mantra of “Islamic terrorism” as he did not have any other argument. The phrase “Islamic terrorism”, he said, allowed India to dismiss human rights and increase persecution of the people of Kashmir. He said the acts of the RSS backed government were leading to radicalisation of the Muslims.He recalled the statement of Indian army chief, who claimed “500 terrorists” in Pakistan getting ready to launch attacks in India and questioned why would Pakistan send only 500 when there were 900,000 Indian troops in held Kashmir.He said 180 million Muslims of India were also watching what was happening to the eight million locked up in held Kashmir by the Indian army and so were the 1.3 billion Muslims around the world.He warned that if there was a bloodbath, after the lifting of curfew, they would react as they saw that no justice was being done. “How would the Jewish community react if even 8,000 Jews were under lockdown? How would the Europeans react? How would any human community react? Are we children of a lesser God? Don’t you know this causes us pain?” Khan asked. “If you lock up even animals like these, the RSPCA in London [UK’s animal welfare charity] would make it a big issue.”Khan said that the conditions in Kashmir were radicalising a new generation and that he himself would take up arms in their situation. “I’ve been locked up for 55 days, I’ve heard about rapes, Indian army going in homes, soldiers,” he said, imagining himself as a Kashmiri. “Would I want to live this humiliation? Would I want to live like that? I would pick up a gun. You’re forcing people. You are forcing people into radicalisation.”Khan also urged the world leaders to show seriousness and realise the urgency of climate change and effects of green house gases, expressing the hope that the United Nations would take leadership role in that regard.The prime minister said so many leaders had talked about climate change but he felt there was lack of seriousness as they did not realise the urgency of situation. “We have lot of ideas but someone say as ideas without funds are mere hallucination,” he added.He also termed money laundering as one of the major hindrances in the way of achieving Sustainable Development Goals by the developing nations. “Every year billions of dollars are siphoned away by the corrupt leaders from developing countries to the developed countries, which causes poverty and also widens gap between the rich and poor nations,” he said. He also spoke at length about Islamophobia.

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