SRINAGAR, India – The Group of 20 (G20) summit commenced in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Monday, focusing on the topic of tourism.
However, the meeting has been met with condemnation from China and Pakistan due to the contentious historical context surrounding the region and the Indian government’s track record of human rights violations.
The history of Kashmir is plagued by a long-standing struggle for self-determination and a challenging human rights landscape.
Amnesty International, in its reports, has highlighted the excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings by security forces in the region.
As the summit takes place, authorities have noticeably reduced the visibility of security in the disputed region’s main city, Srinagar.
This significant international event marks the first of its kind in Kashmir since New Delhi’s controversial move in 2019 to strip the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomous status.
The Indian government hopes that hosting the G20 summit will serve as a showcase, demonstrating that the changes implemented have brought peace and prosperity to the region.
During the summit, delegates will engage in discussions revolving around ecotourism, destination management, and the role of films in promoting tourist destinations.
The choice of topics aims to emphasise the potential of the region’s tourism industry.
As the meeting began, Srinagar appeared calm, and the roads were unusually clean.
Most of the usual security checkpoints were either removed or concealed with G20 signs.
In what officials referred to as ‘invisible policing,’ hundreds of specially trained officers were deployed to ensure security for the event.
Furthermore, shopkeepers were requested to keep their shops open in contrast to past instances where they closed in protest against Indian policies in the region. However, authorities opted to shut down several schools in the city.
These measures sharply contrast with the heightened security visible in the days leading up to the event.
A massive security cordon was established around the venue on the shores of Dal Lake, with elite naval commandos patrolling the water in rubber boats.
Additionally, the city’s commercial centre underwent beautification efforts, with freshly paved roads leading to the convention centre and power poles illuminated in the colours of India’s national flag.
Indian-controlled Kashmir remains one of the most heavily militarised territories globally, with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there.
The region witnessed a violent separatist insurgency in 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan, which also controls a portion of Kashmir.
The Indian government’s crackdown intensified after 2019, when New Delhi assumed direct control of the region.
Since then, the voices of the territory’s people and its media have been largely suppressed.
Authorities have confiscated numerous homes and arrested hundreds of individuals under stringent anti-terror laws.
The government claims these actions are necessary to dismantle the ‘terror ecosystem’ and curb civilian support for the armed rebellion.
Furthermore, the government has implemented new laws that critics and many Kashmiris fear could fundamentally alter the demographics of the region.
Last week, Fernand de Varennes, the UN special rapporteur on minority issues, criticised the meeting, stating that it would project a ‘facade of normalcy’ while ‘massive human rights violations’ persist in the region.
The Indian mission at the UN in Geneva rejected the statement as baseless and unwarranted allegations.
Kashmir, renowned for its picturesque rolling Himalayan foothills, has long been a popular domestic tourist destination. Every year, millions of visitors flock to Kashmir, experiencing a peculiar semblance of tranquillity amidst the omnipresent security checkpoints, armoured vehicles, and patrolling soldiers.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge the historical context and the ongoing human rights concerns that shadow this picturesque landscape.
Indian-controlled Kashmir has been marred by a long and violent history of conflict, with the Indian government being accused of severe human rights violations.
In 1989, an insurgency demanding independence or merger with Pakistan erupted in the region, leading to a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by Indian forces.
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of countless civilians, soldiers, and rebels.
The situation escalated further in 2019 when the Indian government revoked the region’s semi-autonomous status, bringing it under direct central control. Since then, the people of Kashmir and their media have faced significant restrictions and censorship.
The government has employed stringent measures, including arrests under anti-terror laws and the seizure of homes, justifying these actions as necessary to dismantle what they describe as a ‘terror ecosystem.’
However, critics argue that these measures curtail civil liberties and stifle dissent.
Moreover, the abrogation of Article 370, which granted Kashmir special autonomous status, has raised concerns about the potential demographic transformation of the region.
Many fear that the Indian government’s policies aim to alter the demographic makeup of Kashmir, thereby undermining the aspirations of the local population.
As the G20 summit unfolds in Srinagar, it is crucial to understand the geopolitical dynamics at play.
Both China and Pakistan have vehemently criticised India’s decision to hold the meeting in the disputed region, highlighting that such gatherings should not take place in territories under dispute.
China, currently engaged in a military standoff with India along their disputed border in the Ladakh region, chose to boycott the event.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari denounced the summit, describing it as a display of India’s arrogance on the world stage.
He lamented that Kashmir has become an open prison for its residents.
However, the concerns raised by both China and Pakistan reflect the wider international attention drawn to the region and the complexities surrounding its status.
The G20 summit in Kashmir’s backdrop raises important questions about the Indian government’s narrative of peace and prosperity in the region.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a damning report in 2018, highlighting the grave human rights situation in Kashmir.
The report emphasised the excessive use of force by Indian security forces, leading to civilian casualties, and called for an independent international investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses.
Kashmiris have long suffered from the effects of a heavily militarised presence. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reported that in 2020 alone, there were over 400 incidents of violence resulting in more than 200 deaths in the region.
This includes both security force personnel and civilians. The report also noted the high number of injuries and instances of property destruction, reflecting the severe toll the conflict takes on the lives and livelihoods of Kashmiris.
The struggle for independence in Kashmir has deep historical roots. The region’s disputed status and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people have been at the heart of the conflict.
