Qammer Abbass Anka
“The eternal destiny of human beings will be measured by how much or how little solidarity we have displayed with the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the oppressed. In the end we will be judged in terms of love”.
(Leonardo Boff)
Kashmir, the most picturesque area of the World, known for its beauty, gardens and gentle people has been reduced to a region of ghosts because of the tyrant means adopted by India to suppress the just voices of Kashmiris for their legitimate right of plebiscite. Struggle for Kashmir is a campaign legally endorsed by UN resolutions, irrigated by blood and toil of innocent Kashmiris and brazenly crushed by India. Freedom of Kashmir is a dream which could not be realized due to callous and indifferent attitude of international community. This is a story of illegitimate Indian rule through coercion, intimidation and hypocrisy. Yet the unmatched perseverance, impregnable resolve and a rock hard commitment of brave victims of IOK is destined to succeed one day.
India’s mouth has always been watering on IOK and thus her tenacity in grabbing it by short circuiting the legal framework as approved under UNSC resolutions can be well understood. India never liked to grant the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris’ and instead imposed fraudulent assemblies on them, since 1951, to make tyrannical laws against the people of IOK. The Indian Parliament not only ratified the IOK’s illegal accession with India, but declared it as irrevocable and crippled the state economically and suffocated the democratic voices in Kashmir. Thus, the history of Parliamentary and state assembly elections was the history of hypocrisy and treachery in Kashmir since 1950s aimed at denying political, economic rights and freedom to people of IOK. In order to hoodwink the international community on IOK issue and justify its illegal occupation, India is using wicked tactics. India’s lust for integrating Kashmir has increased manifold in current reign of Modi lead and RSS dictated BJP. Year long alliance of BJP and PDP under dictation of RSS has cunningly managed to further agenda on complete integration of IOK into India. Sensing the environment, legal implications and safeguarding the political interests, permanent status of Article-370 in favour of India has been put aside for the time being yet BJP’s agenda of trifurcation is still on the table. Despite shameful failure of Mission 44+, BJP’s dream of dominating political cosmos of IOK has been extended to IOK State Assembly elections-2010. In the meantime, BJP and RSS are now altering religious identity of IOK. In this context special concessions have been given to expand horizon of Amarnath Yatra to give perception that they have greater stakes in IOK than the Muslim inhabitants.
Demographic engineering of the region is yet another ploy in suppressing Kashmir movement on legal grounds. Recruitment of West Pakistan refugees in Armed Forces on IOK quota is a move in this direction. Similarly, allocation of lands for separate cities for repatriating Hindu Pandits and allocation of INR 2 million for each repatriating family is another example of demographic alteration. This will also help in creating Hindu constituencies in Muslim majority regions through delimitations.
MLA’s of BJP are in direct control of departments of health, education, local infrastructure. Major development projects are being awarded to Hindu/BJP dominated constituencies to give message that only BJP’s voters are entitled to welfare programs. Hurriyat leadership is frequently banned to organize rallies in favour of freedom movement and show intimacy for Pakistan. Detention of Musarat Alam even after grant of bail by IOK high court is a case in point.
India riding on the tactics of blame game for every internal security issue manages to avoid bi lateral dialogue process with Pakistan on various issues including IOK. Pakistan on contrary fully supports solution of IOK in light of UNSC resolutions. IOK problem has become an international issue and World community must fulfill her obligations in expediting it and prevent gross human rights violations and genocide.
Hardliner Hindu politicians continue issuing different statements claiming Kashmir as India’s internal issue. This is contrary to the vision of India’s founding leaders. The first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had announced on many occasions that Kashmir was a dispute and the Kashmiris would be given an opportunity to choose their political destiny. India has also forgotten the pledge of their leader Jawaharlal Nehru who in his speech in 1948 aired on All India Radio, reaffirmed that the Indian Government’s commitment to the right of Kashmiri people to determine their own future through a plebiscite. He said, “We have declared that the fate of Kashmir is ultimately to be decided by the people. The pledge we have given, and the Moharaja has supported it, not only to people of J&K, but also to the World. We will not and can not back out of it. We are prepared when peace and law have been established to have a referendum held under international auspices like the United Nations. We want it to be a fair and just reference to the people and we shall accept their verdict”.
A young Indonesian researcher Laura Schurman in her paper titled, ‘Brief Kashmir: the Geopolitical Implications & its Impact on Regional Peace and Security’ presented at Kashmir EU week at the European Parliament Brussels, Belgium in November 2013 urges, “Europe must stand up for the rights of the Kashmiris which will ultimately deliver effective results for both regional peace and security and that of the entire world. For more than six decades, the people of Kashmir have been waiting for their promised plebiscite. Their hopes have been continuously dashed, the desperate youth growing increasingly angry and the people of Kashmir forced to exist in a state of darkness in their own communities and homes. The Kashmir dispute can no longer be considered a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan only, but one with real geopolitical implications of which the repercussions will have long term effect on regional peace and security”.
Unfortunately, the international community has failed to fulfill its obligations towards settling the Kashmir dispute, resulting in the continued sufferings of the Kashmiris. This attitude of the world has emboldened New Delhi to carry on its repressive policy in the occupied territory. Even the United Nations, with a mandate and record of resolving many global disputes, has not made any serious effort to implement its resolutions on IOK. It thereby puts a question mark on its credibility and capacity as well. According to Joseph Addison, “No oppression is so heavy or lasting as that which is inflicted by the perversion and exorbitance of legal authority”.
World celebrates International Days for emphasizing and venerating vital issues. Like every year since 1991, Pakistanis express solidarity with the struggling people of IOK on every 5th February by observing Kashmir Solidarity Day and reassure that they are with their Kashmiri brethren in their sacred and rightful struggle. The Day celebrated worldwide is a memento to the world community to fulfill its international obligations towards resolving the long-pending Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and in the light of UN resolutions. The Day is also a reminiscent to the peace and justice-loving nations of the world to express practical solidarity with the oppressed people of Indian occupied Kashmir, a pledge long outstanding. This would ensure durable peace in South Asia, as unresolved Kashmir dispute means a troubled South Asia, having two arched nuclear rivals. Poul Hartling reminds international community in these words, “Let us never cease to feel compassion for those in want. Let us never tire of helping victims of injustice and oppression. He who puts his faith in the restoration of human dignity cannot be wrong”.
