The situation is URGENT.

India has revoked occupied Kashmir's special autonomy through a rushed presidential decree

Article 370 of the Indian constitution was scrapped on Monday 5 August 2019.

The people of Kashmir Valley are under COMPLETE lockdown. They are forbidden to venture outside their homes thereby preventing them from access to food, medicines or freedom of movement in violation of the Geneva Convention.

The current crisis is the backdrop to India’s unilateral efforts at changing the legal status of Kashmir by abrogating Article 35A and Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, laws that guarantee a special status to Kashmir. The current right wing BJP Government under Narendra Modi vowed to scrap the two articles that prevent non-state subjects from buying property and settling in Kashmir. With Article 370 scrapped on Monday 5 August 2019, tensions are heightened.

This move to end this status will certainly lead to a demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir, opening it up to settlement by outsiders. It will surely create a state of unrest in the Valley and other regions, and possible war between India and Pakistan

There is unprecedented military buildup by the Indian government in Kashmir, and renewed military aggression on the Line of Control. In violation of the Geneva Convention, last week India is reported to have used cluster bombs in its attacks on civilian population on the Line of Control. Such acts make a nuclear war in South Asia a reality that demands immediate attention of the world community. All communication links with the Kashmir Valley have been shut down by the Indian government and its people are in complete isolation

Security personnel stand guard during restrictions, in Jammu, Monday, Aug 05, 2019.Image Credit: PTI