Speaking at the Asia Society in New York, Indian novelist Arundhati Roy called on India to withdraw its troops from Kashmir and respect their right to self-determination.
"Kashmir is one of the most protracted and bloody occupations in the world, and one of the most ignored,"
she said in at the event entitled ‘'Kashmir: The Case for Freedom'’.
“I think that the people of Kashmir have the right to self-determination. They have the right to choose who they want to be, and how they want to be.
The first step would be to demilitarise, to withdraw this absolutely unbelievable law the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)."
Her comments come as Indian Defence Minister AK Antony said he would not “put a time limit”, as to when the act would be repealed.
Roy went on to say,
“Even as the world speaks about the Arab spring—three years ago there was massive unarmed uprising in the streets of Kashmir... they were killing young children.”
“In Kashmir freedom of speech is non-existent and human rights abuses were routine. Elections were rigged and press controlled and the lives of Kashmiris were made miserable by gun-toting security personnel.”
“Mass graves have been discovered and the conscience of the world remained unstirred.”
See our earlier post: Security laws to be repealed in Kashmir (Oct 2011)
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