Kashmir: Will South Africa Call India Out?

By Iqbal Jassat

Is the query of Kashmir, and its seven-decades-long quest for self-determination, of no consequence for the Cyril Ramaphosa administration?

The inhabitants of Kashmir below siege by a belligerent Indian military led by the Narendra Modi regime, wouldn’t be improper to consider so, given the absence of political will by the South African authorities to intervene on their behalf.

Although within the Indo/Pak subcontinent the difficulty of Kashmir and its wrestle to achieve independence from an oppressive Indian Occupation is a matter of giant concern, it seems that in Africa and extra notably in South Africa, there exists a blind spot about it.

After all, there could also be a variety of components that designate why Kashmir’s freedom wrestle hasn’t gained any traction right here, in contrast to Western Sahara or Palestine.

One in every of it maybe is the dearth of knowledge whereas the opposite could be the lack of a sustained marketing campaign round it, however the truth that a Kashmir foyer group does exist. It has and continues to do yeoman work however regrettably, the challenges going through Occupied Kashmir have but to be positioned on a nationwide agenda.

Moreover occasional media studies on among the tragedies skilled on the bottom ensuing from terrorism inflicted by the  Indian military, the story of Kashmir has but to be understood as a serious human rights difficulty.

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Extra evident is the truth that the ANC-led authorities has so far did not profile Kashmir as a dominant case warranting the very best degree of intervention in its overseas coverage.

One could thus be justified in considering aloud and questioning whether or not India’s overarching affect through commerce, cultural, sporting and spiritual ties have impacted on South Africa’s lack of ability to undertake a troublesome stance in protection of Kashmir?

Some inside the unions and progressive forces together with the liberation actions, each ANC and PAC, will argue and accurately so, that traditionally, India performed a pivotal position in South Africa’s freedom wrestle.

Having gained its independence from British colonialism in 1948, the identical yr South Africa noticed the emergence of Apartheid, India’s Congress motion had no hesitation to proceed and intensify unconditional assist for the battle in opposition to racism and white supremacy.

It was an period marked in defiance of Western greed to maintain South African apartheid. India stood out heads and shoulders above many newly unbiased international locations to assist efforts waged by the liberation actions.

An excellent chapter of solidarity certainly, however overshadowed in recent times by the emergence of sectarian politics which has outlined India’s present trajectory to what’s been described because the rise of Hindutva.

Distinct from Hinduism, the politics of Hindutva is an ideological manifestation of extremism, intolerance, hate and slim nationalism. A far cry from the India of yesteryear.

Hindu students make it clear that the excellence between Hindutva and Hinduism is stark and level out that Hindutva can finest be described as an aberration of the Hindu religion.

In distinction to the all-embracing, multi-faith and progressive Indian Congress motion of the previous, Hindutva as utilized at present by the BJP-led Modi regime is a fascist doctrine not any totally different to European fascism.

A actuality of India’s physique politics at present that may neither be denied nor ignored. Least of all by South Africa. Until the Ramaphosa Presidency acknowledges the tough actuality of an awesome tilt to ethnic chauvinism which is on the core of Islamophobia throughout many areas in India, its overseas coverage will stay hinged on an unrealistic fantasy.

The wrestle to realize Kashmir’s reliable proper to self-determination requires South Africa’s unconditional assist. As many pundits have argued, sturdy peace in South Asia will solely be realized as soon as the needs of the Kashmiri individuals to reside freely is attained.

Nevertheless, the highway to freedom is lengthy and laborious. It’s compounded by a Hindutva dogma pursued relentlessly by Modi’s fascist authorities resulting in adjustments within the demographic construction of Occupied Kashmir.

Whereas New Delhi pursues an agenda in violation of worldwide legislation to render Kashmir’s Muslim majority a minority, it’s unacceptable for each media and state companies in South Africa to stay silent.

The problem thus is to make a clarion name on India to instantly droop its navy occupation of Kashmir and cling to its worldwide human rights obligations. These embody granting Kashmiris their inalienable proper to self-determination by means of a free and neutral plebiscite below the UN auspices. Will the decision be made is a query Kashmiris shall be asking.

– Iqbal Jassat is an Govt Member of the South Africa-based Media Evaluation Community. He contributed this text to The Palestine Chronicle. Go to: www.mediareviewnet.com