‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ is only on paper ─ Farooq Rehmani

Islamabad 10, Dec 2011:The Chairman Jammu and Kashmir People's Freedom League, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has paid glowing tributes to all those oppressed men and women who in Kashmir, Palestine, and elsewhere across the world became victims of brutality, and sacrificed their life, honour, property and material gains for freedom, basic human rights or during championing the just cause of mankind under oppressive and fascist regimes; especially after the founding of the United Nations and adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said that the oppressed nations  and peoples  of this planet could not achieve basic freedoms and economic prosperity and equality and uniform opportunities for the necessities of life, and the World Body could not stand by the  side of enslaved, brutalized and suppressed nations during the last 66 years of its existence of which Kashmir, Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan were glaring examples.

He said the, "United Nations is committed to upholding, promoting and protecting the human rights of every individual. This commitment stems from the United Nations Charter, which reaffirms the faith of the world in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person." The United Nations says that these rights belong to you. The preamble begins with all the noble ideas and sermons declaring and recognizing  the inherent dignity and  equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

Article 3 states, "everyone has the right to life, liberty  and security of person." "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms says Article 4. Article 4 forbids torture in these words, "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."   

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani recalled that the same charter and manifesto had given the Kashmiris their right to self-determination and thus had adopted 12 resolutions to hold plebiscite across Jammu and Kashmir to ascertain wishes of the people but India after having agreed to the plebiscite continued her military build-up, widened the area of occupation and aggression-- violating and flouting the manifesto and the resolutions of the world Organization flagrantly, to perpetuate its illegal and immoral hold over Kashmir. He said,  "in violation of these principles and resolutions India has deprived the people of their basic rights and freedoms and has strangulated the Kashmir press; over one hundred thousand people have been martyred, thousands have been forcibly disappeared, dumped in unmarked graves in the far-flung areas, innocent women and girls raped and killed during the past 21 years of the Kashmir uprising. The campaign of repression and police savagery continues even today and the people live under a police regime with incessant fear and harassment. It is a regime of power-hungry elements backed by draconian military laws indifferent to human plight. Moreover thousands have been  forced to migrate from their homeland, they remain cut-off from their homes and are denied honourable right to return.

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani asked where was  UNO and its Charter, manifesto and where were the Kashmir resolutions and what under the ignoble conditions was the future of a sea of humanity and peace and prosperity in this vulnerable region. He urged the importance of freedom and human rights for the Kashmiris and appealed to  UNO to come and intervene in this state to grant the right of self-determination to the people in accordance with its commitment and abandon selective application of the UN resolutions on international issues. The time is running short while humanity suffersss untold misery and pain in the wounded and burned paradise of Kashmir."