Analysis of Kashmir
scenario
By
M Farooq Rehmani
The
struggle of Kashmiris against the illegitimate Indian occupation of
Kashmir and for the right to self-determination is on; its arduous journey
spanning over 50 years period. The fact of the matter is that the
India’s founder leadership, soon after Indian invasion of Kashmir in
1947 was the first to recognize the principle of right to
self-determination, and the UN at the asking of India confirmed that
future of Kashmir was to be decided through a fare and impartial
plebiscite, the later IJNSC deliberations, lucid and frank addresses by
the Indian and Pakistani representatives at the UN and the listing of the
whole Issue stand a testimony to this incontestable fact.
Despite
the assurances given at the UN and the statements made in the parliament,
India continued pushing through a large bulk of legislations for effecting
an integration of the occupied state into the Indian Union, extended laws
of the union to the annexed state; and in total contravention of her
pledges of plebiscite Kashmir was proclaimed as an ‘Utoot Aung’.
Consequent
to this negative Indian conduct, the situation at the cease-fire line
remained tense all these past five decades and Kashmiris kept up their
freedom movement
During
this period of Indian prevarication and vacillation, India on oneside
continued upping the numerical strenght of her armies in the held state in
flagrant violation of the UN resolutions, and on the other hand entered
into bilateral negotiations with Pakistan.Pacts were inked at
Tashkand(1966) and Simla (1972), and in March this year Lahore declaration
was pronounced.
Wars
and military measures executed for Kashmir liberation and in defense of
the geographical frontiers have brought to the fore the tragic chinks in
the strategies employed. Likewise the deficiencies in the bilateral pacts
Pakistan was forced into, are obvious and clear to all and sundry. It is
why the principle underlying the freedom struggle, not to recognize any
such bilateral pact that anyway puts any limits to the right to wage
struggle for the right of self-determination, is forcefully clung to.
It
has been the consistent Indian policy that the territory of the J&K
State it occupied should never be let go-neither in the shape of its
accession to Pakistan nor as an independent state-and to use all military
means as the situation might warrant to the extent of even waging an all
out aggression
of
AJ&K, is also a part of Indian aggressive strategy. India’s ultimate
aim is to change disputed LOC into a permanent boundary between herself
& Pakistan. Whether talks or pacts, she keeps this aim in mind.
Tashqand pact implicitly advanced this line of thought; Simla pact changed
the name of ceasefire line into Line Of Control. Lahore pact confirmed
Simla agreement and Washington declaration by declaring LOC a sacred line
sent shock waves throughout Kashmir & Pakistan. True, in order to
remove such apprehensions the Pak govt. reaffirmed tat Mujahideen struggle
was above these things, however,it is a fact that international agreements
and pacts become questions of integrity and probity in the eyes of
international community, and no party to such agreements does find it
convenient to risk the consequences of their violation.
The
history of Indo-pak bilateralism fully corroborates this stark reality
that India has never been a sincere party,neither has she at any point of
time betrayed any such flexibility as could indicate her willingness to
accord even a little bit of respect to the wishes of Kashmiri people. All
along, her policy remained one of maligning Pakistan and bullying her into
adopting measures whereby Kashmiris faith was jolted and were thrown into
a situation full of uncertainties.
Here,
I find it very pertinent to present before you an important reference of
Kasbmir history. The British ex-Deputy High Commissioner of India, Sir
Morrice James who later served as a high commissioner in Pakistan as well,
commenting on sixty-three’s Butto-Swaran Singh talks says: “During
Bhutto-Swaran Singh talks I met with a former Common Wealth secretary of
India Mr Gundevia and said to him. Ayub was taking a major risk
politically in agreeing to hold talks. If talks failed Ayub’s position
would be weakened and Indian’s should realize that they were not likely
to get another leader like Ayub in Pakistan for a long time.Gundevia said
that they were not going to give Kashmir to Pakistan just to keep Aub in
power. Mr Morrice further explains that Guandevia told me in Dec. 28 that
the only real solution was for each side to keep what it now held. If the
present Pak regime did not accept this, then some future one would have to
do so willy nilly.”
Juxtaposing
this reference to the present circumstances,I ask whether Pakistan and the
Kashmiris should not display more alertness and vigilance.
After
the Washington declaration Pakistan govt. is busy convincing the people
that this time round Kashmir has got not only very much
internationalised,but the American Presedent, Bill Clinton for the first
time has committed himself to take ‘personal interest’ in the Issue;
however, it is very imperative to evaluate and examine this govt. claim in
the perspective
of
the sole super power’s practical conduct,and to have a better view of
things, it becomes a must to get an insight into the dynamics of American
polity where institutions enjoy supremacy and collective decisions govern
this States’ conduct. Here the system does not revolve around
personalities but it is the other way round.
It
is against this back ground, people ask whether the American President can
shoulder the Kashmir burden bypassing the powerful congress? Answer to
this question can be gleaned to a reasonable degree from the proceedings
at a seminar, conducted a few months before the Washington declaration in
America under the auspices of the ‘Center for Strategic and
International Studies’. The predominant view at the seminar addressed by
renowned American researchers and diplomats was that in the sub-continent
US does not have a role to step in & do the same kind of mediation
role they did in the Middle East.The two sides will need to build a
smaller structure of agreements before turning meaningfhlly to Kashmir.
That, they said might allow time for the coming to age of young, self
confident Indians and Pakistanis more keen on profiting from cross border
commerce than in keeping alive old ethnic divisions & national
hatreds. They said that Kashmir might be the last issue to be settled
& till then it would remain a wailing wall.
Although
the Kargil conflict is only one aspect of the Kashmir liberation struggle,
however, it has acquired a bigger dimension in the context of its
ramifications and repercussions. It is now the most fascinating topic of
discussion with the media and writers & at the national level;
numerous articles and editorials have been penned, questions asked and its
consequences are being analyzed. As the government to justift her stand
draws the horrid sketch of possible backlashes faced by the country in the
face of impending Indian aggression, and Iraq’s doom and destruction in
the desert storm operation is presented to lend weight to it, question
arises as to why hopes were raised sky high in the first place, only to be
replaced by talks of doom and gloom? Why prior analysis of the inherent
risk and danger was not carried out by the experts, politicians and the
concerned authorities? Presently, we see govt. and many expert exhorting
about the merits of a peaceful cause over war path and emphasizing the
point that in economic liability lied the key to national defense and
security!If it is admitted then the govt. and the society must be purged
of the cancerous vices of corruption, injustice and mismanagement.
Formulation of a long term Kashmir policy is also advocated besides
bilateral talks with India. However the question remains, to achieve these
objectives whether positive and practical measures are taken up, to
dislodge the foundations of the
deeply
entrenched feudal system and to rectifV the ills of a capitalist system.
We
Kashmiris never accepted any bilateral pact and it is because of this
distinctive characteristic of our movement that we never felt ashamed of
our struggle nor could be forced to adopt apologetic posture before the
world. In case we are pressurized into accepting any such Indo-Pak
bilateral pact wherein our right to self-determination was denied, there
would remain no justification for our otherwise rightful struggle.
Different
measures that Pakistan adopted during the last 52years showed a vacuum as
against collective and domestic decision making; and that is why the arrow
so for has missed the mark. The Kargil phenomenon had united the people
from Kashmir to Khyber rekindling the memory of the epic slogan of
sept.6,l965; but now polarization pervades the whole social fabric and
govt.-opposition confrontation is at its worst.All this is fraught with
dangerous consequences and needs a timely cure.
1 } To put down these raging fires of dissention and mistrust and explore all
the possible means for Kashmir liberation in the view of surrounding
environs a unanimous Kashmir policy is needed to be hammered out trough a
consultative process gathering the views and opinions of Pakistani and
Kashmiri leadership. The fact is that on the delicate, historical,
ideological and the national issue of Kashmir,the government alone can not
and stands hamstrung to devise a national Kasbmir policy.
2} Alongside
comprehensive national Kashmir policy, an equally compact and clear-cut Askeri
policy on the issue shall be formulated. The military experts and
generals should enter into consultations with Kashmiri leadership
identi~uing the deficiencies and ups & downs of the decade long armed
struggle in order to conclude whether it needed any change and
modifications and what sort of strategy the movement should adopt where-by
India could be forced to enter into meaningful and result-oriented
negotiations on Kashmir.
3 } Many revolutions of the
20th century have established the fact time and again that
wherever peaceful means to just political objectives were obstructed,
there originated an armed movement to achieve prominence of those
objectives. If the world still is not prepared to understand our political
objectives and goals, and keeps glossing over the significance of our
national ideal, armed movement is not going to leave the field.
4} An indepth analysis of the decade
old armed struggle is an imperative for us. We need to identify and desist
from all those measures that have been creating impediments in our efforts
to win the global support for our national liberation struggle. If our
military warfare was rid off sectarian, racial and
regional
prejudices and used purely for the sole goal of Kashmir liberation better
results could be forthcoming.And we could have a new Kashmir free of
communal, racial and sectarian tensions, honors of revenge and bloodshed.
~1 Against
the backdrop of Kargil episode, a deep and exhaustive analysis of the
armed role of Mujahideen and the defending role of Pak army becomes
necessary for the experts. And if the army which is brimful of Jihadi
spirit and counts the Kashmir liberation as a constituent of her faith,
finds pleasure in searching for a role, why shall S it
be ignored even after 52 years. The heroic achievements of
all those martyrs belonging to army should be presented before the nation.
When India does not hesitate in bringing her armies to Siachen, Kargil or
any other part of our state for their unethical, and illegitimate goals
why should Pakistan, particularly when she is on the side of what is
right, moral and just?
5}
A well defined, bold and sagacious political and military
policy on Kashmir is very fundamental to restoring the trust and
confidence of the people of Kashmir and Pakistan. It would be much better
if a white paper on the situation that has left the nation stunned and
unnerved, was issued by the government.
6} India has dubbed our noble and
legitimate war of liberation and Pakistan’s support to it as barbarism,
proxy war and cross border terrorism, and many a western countries seem to
have bought it; is not it necessary for us to evolve some sort of
stratagem to effectively counter this wrong perception?
7}
India is projecting hypocritically her image among Muslim countries as the
home to 2nd largest Muslim community with a cradle of Islamic civilization
to justify her claim over Kashmir. But her anti-Muslim and anti-Islam
practices belie her claim. India is carrying a systematic campaign of
genocide against her Muslim citizens and has been maligning the culture
and history of Islam since its very inception. Pakistan should initiate
necessary steps to counter this false Indian propaganda in the Muslim
world and simultaneously protect interests of smaller South Asian nations
against India’s cunning military, political, cultural and economic
onslaught. Reports on the plight of Muslims and other Indian minorities in
India should be updated for the Muslim world and OIC.
8} The performance and achievements
of Pakistan embassies and the lobbies working for Kashmir cause in America
and Europe should be reassessed and investigations be carried as to why
we did not see any sense of purpose and urgency on the part of those
bodies in the thick of the Kargil crisis. Why they have not been able to
convince the west about the
indispensability
of mediation on the Kashmir issue and why it has been keeping mum over the
endless human rights violation in Kashmir? Answers to these questions need
to be found.
9} During
and after the Kargil duel, this minor issue was over blown by the west to
the extent that the fundamental issue of Kashmir got overshadowed and
paled into insignificance and all along we heard talks of sanctity and
inviolability of the disputed LOC, while completely ignoring the view
point of Pakistan and Kashmiris . America, G-8 and several other countries continued
clamouring in this vein. We have to see why all this happened, and now how
could these obstacles be cleared away?
10} Pakistan
would have to work with a missionary zeal abroad launching a fresh drive
at the diplomatic level on Kashmir.
11] If the American president really made
any personal commitment visa-vis Kashmir at the time Washington
Declaration, then their should be no delay in its practical manifestation.
The nation would like to know if there is any time frame for the Nawaz-Clinton
understanding or otherwise it would surely be a hollow promise.
12 } Can the government explain whether the Washington accord could pull
Kasbmiris out of no-peace, no-war situation and if not, how long should
Kashmiris on both sides of the disputed LOC continue being butchered,and
graph of their genocide and destruction keep rising?
13} At the moment, the counsel on Kashmir Issue
is limited. It could acquire a viable and genuine status only if its
parameters were extended to all freedom fighters. This objective can be
realized from the establishment of a national Council for Kashmir
liberation.
14} To create awareness in Pakistan at village
and city levels about the Kashmir question, all national institutions
should be geared to the task, and in all educational institutions
seminars, mushairas and declamation contests among students be organized. ¨
15 } To gain political and moral support on Kashmir at the international level,
full-fledged delegations comprising of genuine and prominent Kashmiris be
sent to various world capitals, and all the necessary facilities be
provided to them. Dispatching people not knowledgeable about the history
and struggle of Kashmir, for petty political considerations was useful
neither then nor should be now.
l6} In the decade long tortuous struggle,
thousands of people have got devoured by the water and the earth while
unscored number of innocent
children were orphaned and turned as waifs and strays,
women widowed, houses devastated but no proper system of relief emerged
till date. Although some local agencies in Pakistan have contributed a
good measure, but it is in
no
way commensurate with the quantum of what is actually needed.UN should be
involved as it is the world body’s obligation to the devastated
people
of Kashmir. For the purpose concrete efforts should be directed at the
member states of the UN and its secretary general. World and the UN owes
it
to the people of the state, whose near and dear ones have been consumed in
the fires of Indian terrorism and have been rendered homeless. Their
rehabilitation
is a pressing need of the hour.
Indian
state-terrorism forced unscored Kashmiri families over this decade to find
shelter Pakistan and AJK. They face many problems. Pakistan should remain
aware of their economic, educational and other problems and should take
all required steps to help children of Muhajireen to continue their
education by creating special quotas for them in every institution of the
country.
I
would like to take this opportunity to thank the Pakistani press which
adopted the policy of popularizing the concept of Kashmir struggle all
through these ten years of extreme turbulence across the entire length and
breadth of the country. I am sure that not only would the patriotic
journalists of Pakistan and media representatives continue projecting the
ongoing liberation struggle but would also do an extensive research on
various facets and dimensions of the movement and bring to light its real
characters and history minoring a lucid and true picture of the noble
enterprise, there by precluding any dubious attempts to malign its
grandeur by those resorting to exaggeration and baseless propaganda for
some ulterior considerations.
Lastly,
I feel it my honour to salute all martyrs of Kargil, the jawans who shed
their blood for a noble cause and to achieve Allah’s pleasure Hats off
to all those valiant Jawans of Pak army who in defending the frontiers of
their mother land kissed martyrdom They wrote history by following in the
foot steps of the great warriors of early Islam. At this stage we also
rewrite our pledge and commitment to continue our record struggle until
our oppressed nation achieves freedom from the demonic and illegitimate
Indian rule. @KASHMIRIS.ORG |
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