Radiant and glaring, “No Election, No Selection: UN Resolutions Only Solution,” “India: Stop Land Grabbing in Kashmir,” digital trucks drove down the central locations in Washington, DC, including The Capitol Hill, The White House, The Department of State, The Washington Monument, the embassies, various museums, and National Mall, etc. The digital truck advertising is a new concept, displaying a moving truck equipped with high resolution screens where you display your message. It is well established that your message reaches to 40,000 to 50,000 people per day, including spectators, observer, tourist, and common Americans.
Rented by Washington-based, ‘World Kashmir Awareness Forum,’ (WKAF), the other messages beamed on the electronic screens were: “Stop: India’s Demographic Change in Kashmir,” “Indian Army Out of Kashmir,” “Hold India Accountable for War Crimes in Kashmir,” “Elections in Kashmir Just a Name: Indian Government Has No Shame.”
Dr. Ghulam N. Mir, President World Kashmir Awareness Forum and Chairman, Kashmir Diaspora Coalition said that this Black Day is repulsive not only for the people of Jammu and Kashmir but also for Kashmiris across the globe. The suffering inflicted by the Indian settler-colonialism on Kashmiris goes hand in hand with the terror being perpetrated by Israel on the innocent men, women and children in the occupied Palestine. The horror of repeated massacres committed by the Indian occupation forces across Occupied Kashmir between the Jammu Massacre of 1947 and numerous massacres of 1990s in the valley of Kashmir is thought to be over half a million, counting those who disappeared and later found in mass graves.
Dr. Mir added that the only solution to the mass suffering, dehumanization and dispossession is our dogged political resistance to occupation and settler-colonization, just like it is for the people of Palestine. Indians and Israeli are collaborators in annexing, occupying and settler-colonial projects. Palestinians and Kashmiris must resist to survive for their own sake and for their posterity.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice said the people of Jammu & Kashmir are dismayed by the lack of action by the world powers to help stop the carnage in Kashmir and by their virtual indifference to the situation in their land. The disparity between their inaction and their repeated assertion that the protection of human rights and encouragement of democratic solutions are their major foreign policy goals is hard for them to understand. Nevertheless, the people of Kashmir still have confidence that the world powers will realize that what is at stake in the dispute is not only the survival of the people of Kashmir, but peace in the populous region of South Asia and also the basis of a civilized worldview.
Dr. Fai added we fail to understand who prevents the world leaders, including President Biden to use their moral authority to persuade the violators of the international laws to abide by the democratic values and universal principles. Perhaps international arms sales and the general military industrial complex that seems to have a firm grip on foreign policy priorities might offer a clue. Observing democratic process and civility in international affairs seems too great a request for people who lack both the will to act responsibly and the maturity to understand the proper role of civil servants of society. “
Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Kashmiri American scholar warned that the silence of international community over this long-standing issue is heart breaking. It appears that India is being given a free hand to inflict atrocities on the people of Kashmir. It is startling to understand that this problem that has potential to snowball into a nuclear conflict in the region is not receiving any attention from international community. The outcome can be catastrophic not only to the region but entire world community.
Dr. Khan added that land grab movement by occupation forces is continuing at breakneck speed and thousands of acres of land has been taken over by the occupation forces. Kashmiri people are being devoid of their property and armed Hindu militants are being settled on these properties. In an appeal to international community, Dr. Khan said that time for issuing empty statements has passed as India has refused to budge from her immoral stand. It is high time India is made to understand the consequences of reneging on her promise in terms of sanctions and censure by the world community. Anything short of this will result in the snowballing of this protracted problem to major conflagration that will be disastrous for the region or even have global repercussions.
Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir said that the Indian occupied Kashmir has been converted into a concentration camp. Any voice of dissent is met by long-term imprisonment or even death. Otherwise, what is the crime of Khurram Parvez, except that he documented atrocities committed by Indian army? And what is the crime of Yasin Malik, except that he does not want to compromise on Aazadi.
Sardar Zarif added that We know that the presence of nine hundred thousand Indian occupation forces has made Kashmir the hell for its people. The purpose of so many Indian soldiers is to suppress the civilian population of Kashmir into submission. But one thing, Indian army could not do: India could not kill the sentiments and aspirations of people of Kashmir for freedom. Those sentiments of the people of Kashmir are growing day by day. And it will continue till the date when Kashmir will be liberated from the occupation of government of India.
Sardar Shoaib Irshad, General Secretary, Kashmir American Welfare Association (KAWA) warned that Kashmir is facing worst kind of oppression unleashed by Indian army. Innocent people are being killed, maimed, blinded, incarcerated, tortured and humiliated by the occupational forces. India is using its military might to crush the peaceful resistance movement of Kashmir. And this all is being done with impunity.
Sardar Shoaib highlighted that our objective of displaying digital trucks was to draw attention of the Biden Administration to the situation in Kashmir and to exert pressure on the government of India to resolve dispute over Kashmir and help stop human right violations in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Sardar Aftab Roshan Khan, leader of Washington metropolitan Kashmiri American community said that the people of Kashmir demand what India and Pakistan have promised to them at the United Nations. The promise was that the future status of Jammu & Kashmir shall be decided by the people through a referendum which will be conducted by the United Nations. That promise was never fulfilled.
Sardar Aftab added that that Kashmiris have demonstrated that they will resist India's colonial occupation for as long as necessary to enjoy their right to self‑determination as prescribed by international law, and a long series of United Nations Security Council resolutions that were agreed upon by both India and Pakistan.