A blogger asked me this question - in response to an earlier post - "Do you think we stand a chance in Kashmir at all?"
And this is a question scores of people have posed over previous decade and a half... numerous collegues in office, friends in college and school days, neighbours and even unknown co-travellers in trains - whenever and where-ever there were questions on "where I was from?"... questions which always led onto discussions and ignorant comments, layman opinions about what India should do in Kashmir.
No - I am not blaming people for their ignorance on the Kashmir issue - for years I have cared little to find out what ails the north-east, whats wrong in Naxal belt... it normal for us not to give too much of a damn for what doesn't apparantly hurt us.
But there is an important key words here... "apparantly hurt us". It's always the direct visible attack or harm that we are worried of... we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the blasts which happen in the corners of the countries - until they crawl their way into our cities. And when a 7/11 happens or terror units are unearthed in our city - we realize that the terror in Kashmir is crawling closer home... The apparant safe-haven we had isn't safe anymore.
Coming back to the original question... "Do we stand a chance in Kashmir at all?".
Firstly, I don't see this as a game of cricket - where I would evaluate the chances of winning or the risk of loosing. So question of evaluating the chance doesnt arise for me. But then this mindset of evaluating it that way isn't a rare thought. Even my fellow Kashmiri Pandits often - in their heightened state of dejection - have such doubts. Indian citizens can often be heard arguing - often in very rational and nationalistic tones - that India is spending too much of energy and economic resources in keeping Kashmir from disintegrating from India...
I have a very simple take on it.
Irrespective of whether KP's return to Kashmir or not, India can not let Kashmir go. Its got nothing to do with self-determination or accession etc... Its about India maintaining its sovereignity and not succumbing to the 1000-year war Pakistan intends to wage with India and the 1000's cuts ISI wants to inflict on India. Remember, this isnt a 1990's phenomenon. Bhutto made this vow decades ago... and each passing generation of Pakistan Army and ISI are only strengthening it. Its not just Kashmir... and giving away Kashmir too wont stop it. It began much earlier with Pakistant seeding Khalistan - its still going all around India -- north east et all... Pakistan supports and aids insurgency in North east via their bases/connections in Burma and Bangladesh... aids Maoists and Naxals... and now even stepping into Sri Lanka.
I appreciate the intentions on saving energy away from Kashmir so that it can be invested elsewhere in rest of India, but remember, spending that effort in Kashmir is imperative for survival of 'the elsewhere' and 'rest of India'. Pakistan doesn't care for Kashmir... their goal isnt getting Kashmiri's the so-called self-determination. Kashmiri's exercised their self-determination when they fought against Kabali raiders and Pakistan army in 1947-48. Kashmir is just a fodder for Pan-Islamic jehad - which Pakistan is using as a base for it agenda of a 1000-year war against India.
If Pakistan were really to be such a great advocate of self-determination - it would implement it in Baluchistan and Baltistan/POK regions first, which have been suffering for decades under the Punjabi rule. The people of these regions have been fighting for cessesion from Pakistan for decades, yet the ISI and Pak army has suppressed it so beautifully all the time - that the world never even got a whiff of it.
If Pakistan were really to have such great love for Kashmiri's and the muslim majority there, they would have first given some human rights and some diginity of life to the Kashmiri's in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), what they so preposterously call Azad-Kashmir. POK is the worst place in terms of quality of life, no education, no freedom or human rights - and the truth became evident to the world after the Kashmir Earthquakes. The level of progress and development in the Indian side of Kashmir is 100 fold compared to what the Kashmiri's on Pak side of LOC have been allowed by Islamabad. Yet again Indian govt. has done a pathetic PR job and the world never gets to know the pathetic state of 'muslim Kashmiris' in Pakistan... What better example that residents of POK call themselves Indians and want India to recognise them.
All Pakistan really cares for and wants is - constant trouble for India, keeping India constantly engaged in a low-intensity war via terrorism, constant unrest and blasts, and border disputes. Pakistan is a failed state - having had no democracry for decades, having lived under army rule for most of its 'independent' period - with power being controlled by terror outfits and jehadi' units - which have a bigger and better say in how Pakistan should protect and hide Bin Laden, than the ordinary peace loving (outnumbered) citizen. Pakistan needs this 'anti-India' sentiment to keep it united - and thus the need for the 1000-year war...
And this is a question scores of people have posed over previous decade and a half... numerous collegues in office, friends in college and school days, neighbours and even unknown co-travellers in trains - whenever and where-ever there were questions on "where I was from?"... questions which always led onto discussions and ignorant comments, layman opinions about what India should do in Kashmir.
No - I am not blaming people for their ignorance on the Kashmir issue - for years I have cared little to find out what ails the north-east, whats wrong in Naxal belt... it normal for us not to give too much of a damn for what doesn't apparantly hurt us.
But there is an important key words here... "apparantly hurt us". It's always the direct visible attack or harm that we are worried of... we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the blasts which happen in the corners of the countries - until they crawl their way into our cities. And when a 7/11 happens or terror units are unearthed in our city - we realize that the terror in Kashmir is crawling closer home... The apparant safe-haven we had isn't safe anymore.
Coming back to the original question... "Do we stand a chance in Kashmir at all?".
Firstly, I don't see this as a game of cricket - where I would evaluate the chances of winning or the risk of loosing. So question of evaluating the chance doesnt arise for me. But then this mindset of evaluating it that way isn't a rare thought. Even my fellow Kashmiri Pandits often - in their heightened state of dejection - have such doubts. Indian citizens can often be heard arguing - often in very rational and nationalistic tones - that India is spending too much of energy and economic resources in keeping Kashmir from disintegrating from India...
I have a very simple take on it.
Irrespective of whether KP's return to Kashmir or not, India can not let Kashmir go. Its got nothing to do with self-determination or accession etc... Its about India maintaining its sovereignity and not succumbing to the 1000-year war Pakistan intends to wage with India and the 1000's cuts ISI wants to inflict on India. Remember, this isnt a 1990's phenomenon. Bhutto made this vow decades ago... and each passing generation of Pakistan Army and ISI are only strengthening it. Its not just Kashmir... and giving away Kashmir too wont stop it. It began much earlier with Pakistant seeding Khalistan - its still going all around India -- north east et all... Pakistan supports and aids insurgency in North east via their bases/connections in Burma and Bangladesh... aids Maoists and Naxals... and now even stepping into Sri Lanka.
I appreciate the intentions on saving energy away from Kashmir so that it can be invested elsewhere in rest of India, but remember, spending that effort in Kashmir is imperative for survival of 'the elsewhere' and 'rest of India'. Pakistan doesn't care for Kashmir... their goal isnt getting Kashmiri's the so-called self-determination. Kashmiri's exercised their self-determination when they fought against Kabali raiders and Pakistan army in 1947-48. Kashmir is just a fodder for Pan-Islamic jehad - which Pakistan is using as a base for it agenda of a 1000-year war against India.
If Pakistan were really to be such a great advocate of self-determination - it would implement it in Baluchistan and Baltistan/POK regions first, which have been suffering for decades under the Punjabi rule. The people of these regions have been fighting for cessesion from Pakistan for decades, yet the ISI and Pak army has suppressed it so beautifully all the time - that the world never even got a whiff of it.
If Pakistan were really to have such great love for Kashmiri's and the muslim majority there, they would have first given some human rights and some diginity of life to the Kashmiri's in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), what they so preposterously call Azad-Kashmir. POK is the worst place in terms of quality of life, no education, no freedom or human rights - and the truth became evident to the world after the Kashmir Earthquakes. The level of progress and development in the Indian side of Kashmir is 100 fold compared to what the Kashmiri's on Pak side of LOC have been allowed by Islamabad. Yet again Indian govt. has done a pathetic PR job and the world never gets to know the pathetic state of 'muslim Kashmiris' in Pakistan... What better example that residents of POK call themselves Indians and want India to recognise them.
All Pakistan really cares for and wants is - constant trouble for India, keeping India constantly engaged in a low-intensity war via terrorism, constant unrest and blasts, and border disputes. Pakistan is a failed state - having had no democracry for decades, having lived under army rule for most of its 'independent' period - with power being controlled by terror outfits and jehadi' units - which have a bigger and better say in how Pakistan should protect and hide Bin Laden, than the ordinary peace loving (outnumbered) citizen. Pakistan needs this 'anti-India' sentiment to keep it united - and thus the need for the 1000-year war...
