Broken promises, pledges haunt Kashmir’s history

By M.Shafique Raja

ISLAMABAD, Feb 4 (APP): Though Ashfaq Ahmed (not his real name), 38, had left his home in Srinagar some two decades ago and migrated to Pakistan to avoid the wrath of Indian forces, the memories of past and his commitment for the just cause of Kashmir Movement have never withered throughout this period. Rather his commitment gets strengthened when each year he sees people in Pakistan, AJK, Northern Areas and around the globe, expressing their solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir on February, 5. 

It was 1991, when Ashfaq, who is a journalist saw off his near and dear ones in Kashmir valley, described by many as “paradise on earth”. A year before his arrival here, the Pakistan government had declared to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day. 

“My only sin is that I have joined the voices of the Kashmir youth to redeem our children from an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. We wanted to have an environment where honour, dignity and freedom of all is assured,” he said recounting the days when he actually realized the hidden motive behind the Indian occupation of Kashmir, where the Indian forces threaten to eliminate an entire group of people engaged in demanding implementation of the United Nations resolutions.

Although Kashmiris had been demanding freedom since 1947, their Movement reached its peak in late 80s when they felt India would never honour its commitments and promises. To suppress their voice, India resorted to extreme measures and over half a million troops were sent to Kashmir to silence every single individual there. 

The razing of houses, arrests, torture and murder of innocent Kashmiris, molestation of women had become the order of the day and this was too much to disturb a young soul like Ashfaq and he decided to leave the valley. 

Around one hundred thousand Kashmiris have lost their lives since 1989 at the hands of occupational forces.

Covering an area of 222,237 Sq Km, Kashmir is situated in the North-West of the Indian sub-continent and is divided between India and Pakistan. 

In 1947, when history witnessed the emergence of independent Pakistan and India in the sub-continent, the future of Kashmir was recommended to be decided in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of its inhabitants.

The statement of Lord Mountbatten, India’s first head of state, is still on the record where he said that, “since the question of accession of Kashmir should be decided in accordance with the wishes of people of the state, it is my government’s wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir ...

the question of the state accession should be settled by a reference to the people”. 

The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, had also declared in the Indian Parliament on June 26, 1952, that “If after a proper plebiscite, the people of Kashmir said, ‘we do not want to be with India’, we are committed to accept it, though it might pain us. We will not send an army against them. We will accept that, however, hurt we might feel about it. We will change the constitution, if necessary.”

But over six decades have passed since then, India is still reluctant either to honour its first PM’s promise or let the Kashmiris exercise their right to self-determination and to decide their political future in UN supervised plebiscite, as per United Nation Security Council resolutions of August 13, 1948 and January 5, 1949. 

These resolutions say that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. 

“The passage of so many years had made quite clear to us that India was not sincere and will never voluntarily give us freedom, unless we raise our voice for that,” Ashfaq said referring towards the Kashmir struggle that is continuing since 1989 despite India’s all attempts to gag it.

India’s broken promises and pledges haunt Kashmir’s history and explain its tragedy. It has so far frustrated all attempts to hold a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. 

The world’s so-called largest democracy has forcibly occupied Kashmir and its gross human rights violations in the state go on unabated. 

“India’s attitude is not only fraudulent but also contrary to it’s own pledges to the United Nations and to world community to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with Kashmiris’ will,” Ashfaq added.