Thursday, August 05, 2010

David Cameron’s words are being used to justify Indian repression in Kashmir

Pakistan criticism has shifted focus away from deaths in Kashmir

Murtaza Shibli, The Guardian/UK, August 3, 2010

Protests continue in Srinagar, Kashmir, India - 28 Jul 2010
Indian police walk past burning tyres used as a barricade by Kashmiri Muslims during an anti-India protest. Photograph: Keystone/Rex Features
Kashmiris may have become the unintended victims of David Cameron’s verbal attack on Pakistan, which has encouraged the hardline Indian establishment to continue to brutalise Kashmiris in the Kashmir Valley, an open-air prison camp much like Gaza.

As a salesman determined to shift as much deadly weaponry as he could, including Hawk fighter bombers, it was not surprising that Cameron chose to ignore the suffering in Kashmir. By blaming Pakistan, Cameron not only fed India’s national paranoia about Pakistan, but also shifted the focus away from Kashmir and the increasing death rate of its civilian population, which otherwise might have received some media attention.

Continues >>

No comments: