On the eve of so-called electoral process for the Indian Lok Sabha in Occupied Kashmir, the Indian leadership and its media are claiming that these elections, held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370, are equivalent to the right of self-determination of Kashmiris and Kashmiris by participating in this process have proved that they are part of the Indian Union and this is being presented as a substitute for the right to self-determination. The question is what do the international law and the decisions of the United Nations say about this ‘democratic process’ and whether this unreliable and illegal process can be considered as a substitute for the right of self-determination?
First, international law was violated and Kashmir was illegally annexed into the Indian Union. Laws were then modified to change the proportion of the population there. People brought from outside were resettled in Occupied Kashmir. Non-residents were given local domiciles. After managing the affairs according to their wishes through this fraudulent process, now the sham exercise of Lok Sabha elections has been held in the occupied valley.
In the valley where Ali Geelani’s grave is shadowed by swords and where no one is even allowed to go there and offer Fatiha, there is an attempt to give the impression that the society of Occupied Kashmir is Freedoms are not guarded and people are participating in Lok Sabha elections.
Interesting and pertinent is the fact that the United Nations rejected this position 70 years ago and rejected it unequivocally. The United Nations Security Council gave its decision 68 years ago on March 30, 1951 and again in November 1956 with precision and clarity.
The incident of introducing an unreliable election process by occupying it is not the first incident of its kind in Kashmir. In the third year of India’s occupation of Kashmir, it was decided to hold elections in Occupied Kashmir so that a “constituent assembly” would come into being. Who should prepare the constitution of Occupied Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah started saying even before the election that when we win and come to the assembly, we will announce the accession to India and this decision of this assembly was considered as an exercise of the right of self-determination according to the resolutions of the United Nations.
On March 30, 1951, the Security Council responded to this in the form of a resolution and said that if a Constituent Assembly meets and takes any decision regarding Kashmir or any part of it, it shall be referred to the United Nations. According to the principles of the right of self-determination will not be considered exercise. However, elections were held there, which Kashmiris boycotted. Turnout was only 5 percent. The pro-India National Conference won 75 seats and ironically, it was uncontested in 73 seats. In October 1956, this so-called assembly decided what India wanted. This assembly declared that: “Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always remain an integral part of India.”
The drama of Lok Sabha election has nothing to do with the exercise of the right of self-determination.
