Zuv' chumm' bramhaan'
Ghar' gachaa

Sep 18, 2006

1000 year war...

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...

Fatwa Factories...

Clerics issue fatwas for money- The Times of India

I happened to catch this one on TV... and this really made me laugh.

And I thought that Islam world was one place where religion was above corruption - and that the clerics were truely doing what they believed in - what they had learnt by way of rote in their madrasas.

Anyway... none of my business commenting on the decomposition of clergy in Islam - since the Hindu religious bodies arent doing any great service either.

I just wanted to reach out to these hapless victims of the sting operation with a simple suggestion... a simple solution to get out of this soup. Afterall, issues of the Islamic world are never allowed to get to the Judicial courts... so no Bhim Singh or Jethmalani can save these Bitta's and Beants...

So here a simple way out...

Dudes'... just get someone to issue another Fatwa proclaiming that 'sting operations' are irreligious, haraam and an Anti-Prophet act as per the holy book - and you automatically get exonerated.
Simple !!!


Andha Kanoon - indeed...

SC quashes Karatey’s detention (GreaterKashmir.com) 17/9/2006

Many things happened in recent weeks... sea water turned sweet, idols drank milk again, blasts rocked Indian cities yet again, Pope spoke and then ate his words, Fatwa's factories were inaugrated...Haj subsidies squashed by High court, and the squashing stayed by Supreme court, Memon's found guilty and so on... nothing too exciting in all... all usual stuff you always keep seeing on TV news... or in your papers. The usual drama of another day in the life of India...

But here's something thats made me sit up...

On September 15th 2006, Supreme court of India ordered the release of Farooq Ahmad Dar - more infamously known as "Bitta Karate" (a nickname he apparantly got for his brown belt in Karate) one of the most dreaded terrorists of our times, and a cold blooded killer.

Bitta - has his hands stained with blood from the murder of more than two dozen Kashmiri Pandits - from his days as the prime terrorist of JKLF cadre's...
If you can spare 10 minutes, you can watch this startling video - a 10 minute interview from Zee TV's Newstrack programme - where this terrorist admits brazenly to having killed more than 20 innocent people just because they were Kashmiri Pandits and clearly says he has no regrets for it. He did it just because he orders to kill Hindu's from his JKLF bosses. He didnt give a damn as to why he was killing Satish Kumar Tickoo or any of the other Pandits... they just had to be killed because they were Hindus.

And today, the Supreme court of India - has let go this terrorist - probably to give Indian parliament another "criminal leader" in near future. I wont be surprised to see him sit in the parliament house one day. Anything can happen in India... all in name of being secular, democratic and humanitarian.

Indian judiciary needs some reality check. If you can allow Bitta Karate to walk free... what hope do Jessica' Lal or Priyadarshini Mattoo's of this nation have?

What more do the courts want? Isn't killing 20+ innocent people enough for the courts to convict him. I feel all the more ashamed of people like Bhim Singh - who can go to any extent to make political brownie points. Bhim Singh can barely win any elections in his home area anymore - and unfortunately he also professes to be a supporter of Kashmiri Pandit cause. He however has come to realize what all other political parties have known for decades - Kashmiri Pandits are no vote bank. They can't help you get to power - so its better to champion the case of the terrorists. They are far more powerful - and strengthen your image of a (pseudo) humanitarian, a (pseudo) secular.

What next - Mr. Bhim Singh - who else are you going to get exonerated - Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon or maybe even Masood Azhar and Bin Laden. And as long as you have the blind lady holding the scales there - any of these folks can be proved to be as innocent as a newborn.

Andha Kanoon - indeed...

Bitta Karate's interview video - Coutersy: www.radiokashmir.org