WMC seminar at UNHRC highlights systemic erosion of cultural and religious rights in Indian‑occupied Kashmir
Geneva: On the sidelines of the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the WMC in collaboration with Kashmir Institute of international relations convened a seminar addressing the protection of cultural rights in Indian‑occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The event brought together scholars, human rights advocates and witnesses to examine long‑term policies of cultural assimilation described by speakers as an “Indian cultural invasion” over the last three decades, and the sharp escalation of those measures since 5 August 2019, when the former state wasdismembered into two Union territories.
Speakers
• Altaf Hussain Wani
• Dr. Mustafa Blerim
• Dr. Rabort Fitina
• Marry Scully
• Ghulam Muhammad Safi
• Shomuly Hogue Summary of proceedings
• Overview and framing: Speakers opened by situating cultural rights within the broader framework of human rights and self‑determination. They argued that measures taken over recent decades — and intensified since August 2019 — have not only constrained political rights but have also systematically targeted cultural and religious life in Kashmir.
• Documented patterns: Presenters summarized documentation, testimony and visual evidence pointing to practices that speakers said amount to cultural erasure: book bans and censorship, restrictions on religious and cultural expression, manipulation or replacement of historical memory and toponymy, damage to or neglect of cultural and religious sites, and policies that alter the demographic and cultural landscape.
• Impact on communities: Testimonies and analyses given at the seminar described harms to language, education, religious practice and communal memory, and emphasized the psychological and social effects of long‑term cultural marginalization. Speakers linked restrictions on cultural life to broader restrictions on the right to self‑determination, freedom of expression and freedom of religion in the occupied region.
• Legal and normative context: Experts addressed relevant international norms and obligations, stressing States’ duties to protect cultural rights, prevent cultural discrimination and protect cultural heritage. They discussed the role of UN mandate‑holders and the Human Rights Council in responding to allegations of cultural rights violations.
• Calls for accountability and protection: The seminar concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at the UN system, member states and civil society actors.Key recommendations and appeals
• Request for independent international inquiry: Participants urged the Human Rights Council to mandate an independent, impartial international fact‑finding mechanism to investigate reported violations of cultural, religious and other human rights in the region.
• Engagement of UN special procedures: The seminar called on UN Special Rapporteurs on cultural rights, freedom of religion or belief, and minority issues, among others, to investigate, report and engage constructively with affected communities.
• Immediate remedial measures: Presenters demanded an immediate end to book bans and censorship, protection and restoration of cultural and religious sites, and the removal of administrative and legal barriers to the free exercise of cultural and religious life.
• Protection of cultural memory: Speakers recommended concrete measures to preserve and document languages, oral histories, literature and material heritage, including support for independent archives and cultural institutions.
• Respect for self‑determination: The seminar reaffirmed that any long‑term resolution must respect the right to self‑determination and the full spectrum of human rights for the people of the region.WMC will publish the seminar proceedings, supporting documentation and a policy brief with detailed recommendations to the Human Rights Council and UN mandate‑holders. The organizers intend to continue coordinating with civil society, academics and UN mechanisms to follow up on the appeals made at the seminar.
