BULLETS SLAY the flesh. Thoughts can erase a race. Sure, there were bullets as the 1990s began with the separatist Kashmir movement. But there were even more of the normal things, stuff that is not often associated with menace. There were whispers, posters, slogans and loudspeakers. “Hum kya chahte? Azaadi, azaadi (What do we want? Freedom, freedom).” “Sarhad paar jaayenge, Kalashnikov laayenge (We’ll cross the border, get the Kalashnikov).” And the appalling “Batao roas te Batanev san, iss banao Pakistan (Without the Pandit, with his wife; we’ll make Pakistan).”
For last 38 days, the region of Jammu has been burning. Well, you have already read enough about it… and probably already formed your own firm opinion about it. And if you have been following it in the national media – well most probably you are already a victim of the pseudo-secular campaign…
But then if anyone reading this post believes they have a clear idea on what the problem is – please enlighten me.
Enlighten me – because the explanations and stories perpetrated by the leadership from Kashmir valley – Mehbooba, Mirwaiz Umar, Yasin Malik or Omar Abdullah’s – has a lot of politically suave rhetoric and well crafted statements – but no logic nor any real answers. Unfortunately, the national media – both electronic (NDTV, IBN-CNN, etc) and the press are too over-awed by the separatists and blinded by their word – that the real reasons don’t hit their ear drums. The NDTV, TIMES NOW and CNN-IBN’s are busy branding the agitating masses of Jammu as communal.
Irony of modern India – people holding aloft Indian tri-colour and demanding justice are shot at with contempt.
Yesterday, I asked the very same question – what is the problem – to Omar Abdullah on his post about the issue. This morning – I realize he has decided to step out of the blogosphere – to avoid any such uncomfortable questions. I challenge Omar to republish those comments and questions in his blog again – if he has the honesty to prove that there was a single word of personal abuse in those questions.Maybe Omar realized that its easy to sermonize on TV and in Parliament – where no one cross questions you and no one calls your bluff. The TV anchors are more concerned about their image and the next TV awards – and thus there is a urge for competitive pseudo-secularist journalism. After all, Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep wouldn’t be getting stars and brownies from pseudo-intellectuals if they were to cross question the terrorists of the valley – Yasin Malik and Umar Farooq’s – on their self-certification of secularism. Only in India – can a Shabir Shah or a Yasin Malik come on national TV and claim that the Kashmiri Muslim is secular by nature – after having silently eliminated all of Kashmiri Pandit population from the valley 20 years ago.
The beginning
We all know how we got to the current situation. So I am not going to waste more bytes going through the chronology of events.
The PDP-Congress govt issued the order for temporary allocation of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for use of creating facilities on a temporary basis for the yatris.
The fundamentalists in the valley felt infuriated by any attention being paid to a Hindu cause – something the Talibani element of the valley has already been working against right from the days of ethnic cleansing of the valley – when they purged all the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in 1990. They have so meticulously been working on destruction of all temples and Hindu religious establishments in the valley in last two decades, completing the Talibanization of the valley. (Read more about that…)
The objections of the jihadi elements were taken up by Hurriyat – who promptly went onto the streets in the valley protesting against a mere 40 hectares of land being allocated for the yatra.
Why? What was the argument they were protesting against – None!
Well – they tried many illogical reasons and arguments – as Lalit has dissected and proven how absurb each of them are in his write up here
With Hurriyat taking a lead on this issue, PDP was forced to eat its own words and do a volte-face on something they were responsible for. Typical of PDP anyways, isn’t it. Mufti has always been hand in glove with the terrorists – right from the days of his Home Minister-ship – when the much doubted drama of his daughters adduction was enacted to facilitate the release of terrorists. Mufti could not be seen doing something terrorists don’t approve of. So on went Mehbooba and other PDP leaders – sharing space with other terrorists and separatist leaders – Geelani, Mirwaiz and Yasin Malik etc…
Well, with PDP grabbing the vote bank so fast in the valley – Omar Abdullah and his National Conference was too forced to compete for the communal agenda. Didn’t matter that it was NC government and act led by his father – who instituted the SASB…
Well… when it comes to competitive appeasement of Muslims – how can Congress governments be seen lagging behind - and so Ghulam Nabi Azad withdrew the order – and succumbed to the communal terrorists and separatists without a fight.
Talibanisation 1 – Secularism 0
And the valley celebrated – the whole of India saw the celebrations on the withdrawal of the orders. It was hailed as the victory of Kashmiri Nationalism.
What? Yes, you read it right…
No one dared question and ask – what victory and for what issue? Least expected from the Indian media anyways…
So – again – if you think you know what the problem with the land transfer is – please enlighten me. Because even Omar Abdullah doesn’t seem to know.
So as a last resort came out the diatribe of Kashmiri nationalism - as Omar and many other politicians from the valley have parroted –
‘It’s a matter of our land. We won’t give land for the yatra’
And this was the crux of their Kashmiriyat and Kashmiri Nationalism. Omar said this in the parliament and Mehbooba and others several times in the media. “We wont give our land”. But who is this ‘we’. The land of Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t belong to Kashmiri Muslims alone. So how did the government of the day unilaterally assume that the objection to the transfer by muslims of the valley was the objection of the whole state. The Kashmiri Muslim leaders – mainstream and terrorists alike – didn’t give a damn about the sentiments of the Kashmiri Pandit’s – already bruised and hurt by their ethnic cleansing – or that of other Hindu population of the state.
Who is this ‘we’ when they talk of this land ownership? Its only a segment of the Kashmiri Muslims – no one else and the objection is purely religious bias. Then how is it that they are not branded communal? The problem was communalized by the valley from day one… Yet no one will dare call spade a spade.
What is this objection of letting Shri Amarnath Shrine Board use the land -for even just two months of the yatra duration at a cost? Its not about environment, its not about settlements – its purely about letting life to a last Hindu vestige in the valley.
The Talibani elements so prevalent within the valley – in form of Hurriyat and others – have almost completed the Nizam-e-Mustafa agenda. Allowing revival of any Hindu symbols is totally unacceptable. They have been already pushing for curtailing of the yatra – which Mufti has been on record for demanding. Mufti has for years been pushing for cutting down the yatra to 15 days – in garb of Nitesh Sengupta recommendation. Yet, he and rest of them have a problem allowing land under the same commission’s recommendation.
I asked Omar the very same questions yesterday – what is the problem with the use of land. Answers he had none.
‘The yatra is already going on and uses 32 km route along the way. Then what is the need for 40 hectares of land. Let the state govt provide the facilities – why do you need the Shrine board?’
But what Omar argued instead was – what’s the need for 800 kanals to be set aside for creating facilities, when the yatra has been going on for so many years – and using 4000 kanals.
True – the yatra has been going on – and been using the entire route from Lakhinpur in Jammu to the sacred cave…not the 32 km route from Pahalgam to the shrine or the 14km route from Baltal, along the route. And something the Kashmiri Muslims readily take credit for allowing even today… Should the Indians be grateful for them for having allowed the yatra so far? Maybe, that’s what they imply…
The 40 hectares of land were meant to provide temporary pre-fabricated shelters to the yatris’ – along the treacherous route which is prone to hostile weather every year. Facilities which don’t exist today – or have been abysmally insufficient. If the state govt were capable and interested in providing these – they would have done so already. But that has not happened. And that was not the case either in 1996, when 256 people died in hailstorms and snow during the yatra – due to lack of proper shelters and medical facilities. We all know how pathetic JKTDC is in its existing role – and entrusting them with taking care of yatra would be absolutely ridiculous.
Forget 1996, even last month – three people died on the yatra route due to weather calamities – forcing the suspension of yatra for some days. Had those ‘facilities’ already been existing as claimed by these leaders – these lives wouldn’t have been lost.
The 40 hectares or 800 kanals are meant for improvement and better facilities – but seems the leaders of the valley can not digest anything better for this purpose. Either they want repeats of the 1996 tragedy to happen often or are too scared to see something new done in name of a Hindu religious sentiment.
Even if one were to concede that these facilities can be provided by JKTDC instead of SASB – is the JKTDC going to build the shelters in thin air? They would still need to use the land – unless the promise of JKTDC is a mere eye-wash and a time-wasting argument. Then what is the problem letting SASB use the same land on temporary basis – for 2 months. SASB is formed of officials of the state government machinery and most of the members of last board were state-subjects as well. The land was not be transferred permanently nor was any board member being endowed land for personal use – nor were they going to pocket the land and smuggle the land out of the valley.
Then what is the problem with the land transfer?
For a moment – lets assume the transfer is needless – and that the cabinet ministers of PDP were stupid in approving the transfer admitting the need after spending 3 years investigating the need, and that the same facilities do exist or can be provided by JKTDC…In short – the demand is needless.
Fine – if it’s needless, so be it. But what is the problem?
And there is a fine and serious difference I want you to identify. There are scores of needless things governments do in India or in whole of Indian-subcontinent for that matter. Scrores of needless committees, boards, organizations and cabinet posts exist… and that’s true of J&K too. But have you ever heard of people protesting so zealously about something needless – as did the muslims in valley in June. So the argument that’s its needless isn’t what incensed that crowd either.
The leaders of Kashmir have been for years pretending that they yearn for the return of Kashmiri Pandits. Mufti enacted a lot of drama around it in his tenure as well. How do they expect a Kashmiri Pandit to trust them – when they can not digest a temporary use of land for a reason so emotionally close to every pandit’s heart.
Can I trust Mufti or Omar to support me in the valley when I return to my roots – when they are aiming their guns at me for demanding a mere 40 hectares of land?
Media role
Each channel today – is busy analyzing how communal the people of Jammu are… No wonder they have to be communal – after all they are asking for land for a Hindu shrine. Anything Hindu = communal. Does not matter that the Sikhs, Muslims, Gujjars and bakrwals of the Jammu region are agitating alongside with the Hindus in Jammu.
But not one of these media honcho’s dared call – a Geelani or a Yasin Malik or a Umar Farooq or a Mehbooba Mufti communal – when they blatantly and brazenly turned down land use for a Hindu shrine. But Pranoy’s and Barkha’s IQ is lower than that of a Panchvi-pass – so its tough to expect them to understand this.The valley protested against the land allotment on religious basis in June – they objected to the land transfer for Amarnath Shrine board – something they never did for any earlier land transfers done to other agencies earlier for building railways, power projects or telecom towers in the state. But if a Muslim protests – its not communal. Its Kashmiri Nationalism and that’s all kosher…
Whether its CNN-IBN or Times Now or NDTV, they have been gulping the dramatically scripted sound bytes of the separatist leaders – without even caring to do an iota of homework…
Not one of these journo’s have so far asked any of Omar/Mufti/ Mehbooba/Mirwaiz/ Yasin Malik or Shabir Shah’s – all of whom are their revered guests all the time…
What the problem is?
How can they claim that the Kashmiri Muslim demand is secular and Jammu is communal – when they started objecting along communal lines first?
How can they claim self-certification of Kashmir as being secular by nature – when they forced the half a million Pandit out of the valley 18 years ago?
How are the claims of “we welcome the yatris” justified when there is an open fatwa in the valley – against which none of them has raised a voice – demanding all non-Kashmiri’s leave the valley. How is it that none of these leaders have so far said a word of condemnation against the fatwa issued on exiled Pandits by Ahsan Dar?
How are the claims of “not a single yatri has been touched?” even after attacks on yatris at Banihall, Kangan, Phalagam and Gulmarg amongst other places in the valley?
10,000 forest trees are chopped down to build Mughal road in Kashmir; no one makes a noise.
Acres of land in the Kashmir valley are given to Reliance telecom to install mobile phone towers; no one screams.
Acres and acres of land in the Kashmir valley are allotted to works departments to lay sewage and drinking water pipes; no one objects.
But when 40 hectares of uninhabitable land is handed over to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for providing better facilities to Holy Amarnath pilgrims, all hell breaks loose.
Why? Because Shri Amarnath Shrine Board caters to Hindu pilgrims who want to visit the Holy shrine of Amarnath in the valley of Kashmir. It is as simple as that.
Politically-correct politicians, policy-makers, and administrators might try to tell you that it is not about religion, but the fact of the matter is that it is all about religion. It is a sinister design by communal forces within the valley to completely Islamisize the valley by removing every symbol of Hinduism and other faiths from the valley. Today, these communal forces are preventing the setting up of facilities for the yatra, tomorrow they will even go to the extent of banning the yatra altogether. And the government of the day at that time will not lose a second to legitimize that ban. None of this is new. In past yatras, many pilgrims have been killed by the Islamic terrorist forces and the objective has always been the same - complete ethnic cleansing of the faiths other than Islam, in the valley.
The land transfer fiasco has already consumed the Azad-led Congress government and is on its way to now adversely damage the state’s economy. The fear psychosis created by the terrorist forces has already resulted in a sharp decline of tourists to the valley. The counter-strikes and bandhs announced by the pro-land-transfer parties within the Jammu province have paralyzed the life in that part of the state as well. So far it has been a win-lose situation in favor of terrorist and communal forces in the valley.
Let us first take a hard look at the frivolous arguments presented by the local valley Muslims, who have opposed the transfer of land:
First argument is that the allotment would have adversely affected the environment around the area. One wonders where these tree-hugging environmentalists were when the same government allowed the felling of 10,000 forest trees to build the 89 Kms long Mughal road. 40 Hectares of land that was going to be used to provide temporary shelters and night-time facilities to pilgrims was in fact going to help in proper maintenance of the current-day waste that actually pollutes the environment. But who can argue with the senseless politicians, who instigate the common folks to come out on the streets?
Second argument is that the allotment is the government’s ploy to settle Hindus from outside of the state to change the demographics of the valley. Look who is talking! One has to only go back 18 years in the history and check who changed the demographics of the valley. It was the Islamic terrorists who changed the demographics of the valley by ethnically cleansing the Kashmiri Hindus from the valley. I wonder where these we-do-not-want-to-change-demographics-folks were when Kashmiri Hindus were getting slaughtered by Islamic terrorists and valley’s demographics were being altered. Or should I assume that it was OK as long as Kashmiri Hindus were getting killed which in turn would make the valley 100% Muslim? Isn’t that what Sheikh Abdullah’s concept of ‘Naya Kashmir’ was? Isn’t that what Islamists in the valley wanted when they were screaming “Nizam-e-Mustafa” from the rooftops of the mosques? One would like to ask few simple questions: (a) Is 40 hectares of land enough to settle so many Hindus that it would change the demographics of the valley? (b) By putting this argument of demographic change, are valley’s Muslims implying that Hindus are not welcome in the valley anymore? And I do not mean the Hindus from outside of Kashmir. I mean the Hindus from the state of Jammu & Kashmir itself. What if the Hindus, who hold the state subject certificate of J&K state and are legally, allowed to purchase land in any part of the state, want to purchase land in the area around the Holy Amarnath? Are these valley Muslims saying that those Hindus cannot buy the land there and cannot settle there? Is that what they are implying? Are they trying to protect the environment by preventing the Hindus from settling in the valley?
Another argument Kashmiri Muslims present is that the land cannot be allotted to Shrine Board because Article 370 does not allow anyone outside of J&K state to own the land. Their argument is that since J&K Governor is the Chairman of the board and he is an outsider, this transfer of land is illegal. How dumb one has to be to understand that the land is transferred to the Shrine Board which is an institution based in the state of J&K and created by the J&K government. The land is not transferred to the Chairman or the CEO of the board per se. Only a dumb person would make that argument and only a dumber person would even buy that argument.
Having touched upon the outlandish arguments of those who oppose the allotment of land, now let us take a look at some facts and the real story behind the story:
It was during the first three years of the Mufti-Azad PDP-Congress coalition government that the original proposal of land transfer was initiated and cleared. It was under Mufti Sayeed’s leadership that his forest minister Qazi Mohd. Afzal and law minister Muzzafar Hussain Baig originally cleared the proposal. It just so happened that due to the red-tape the proposal was finally approved by the cabinet when Azad had taken over as the Chief Minister during the second three-year part of the six-year term. The same PDP led by same Mufti Sayeed was originally OK with this whole proposal. But as soon as PDP (a) smelt that the terrorist outfits like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were not in favor of allotment of land and (b) realized that it could become a polarizing issue to whip up the sentiments and thus garner votes in the upcoming elections, it backtracked, joined hands with terrorist outfits and other separatists (Hurriyat factions) to communalize the issue and brought common Kashmiri Muslims on the road to protest against the government’s (government that PDP was part of) order of allotment of land to SASB. Since it is an election year, National Conference and other smaller political parties would not let PDP and Mufti cash this opportunity alone and thus jumped into the fray as well and whipped up the communal sentiments by fooling the local Kashmiri Muslims. And that leaves Congress. How could Congress not try to cash in on this polarizing issue in an election year? So CM Azad did not waste any time and revoked his own cabinet decision to appease the local Kashmiri Muslim vote bank. He did not just stop there. In addition to revoking his own order, he also effectively disbanded the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Now that is some level of appeasement! That is the real story behind the story. It is an issue created by Mufti Sayeed to polarize the vote banks during an election year. It is his dangerous design of playing politics with religious sentiments of lakhs of Hindus from all over the country. It is the continuation of his ethnic cleansing tactics that he initiated and promoted way back on Feruary 21, 1986 when 100s of Kashmiri Hindu houses were torched and about 40 Hindu temples were desecrated in the town of Anantnag. It is the same Mufti Sayeed who while being the Home Minister in the V.P. Singh’s union government allegedly engineered the abduction of his daughter Rubiya Sayeed and eventually freed dreaded terrorists in exchange for his daughter’s release. Such is the political game in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Now that we know the real story behind the story, how about the Hindu pilgrims who want to visit the Holy Shrine and what about their fundamental rights to practice their religion with complete security, dignity and honor? Isn’t it a shame that Hindus living in India, where 80% of population is Hindu, cannot freely visit the Holy shrine of Amarnath and expect better facilities? It is only in India that the majority community has to make all the sacrifices in favor of minorities because our politicians believe in appeasing minority Muslims at the cost of majority Hindus. Indian politicians have always taken Hindus for granted and thus created an environment wherein the minority Muslims have become so emboldened that they now have the audacity to dictate terms to majority population. What happened to the concept of equality and fairness for one and all?
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in a TV debate on this issue asked why is there a need for land and new facilities when the pilgrimage has been going on for many years. Does Omar Abdullah mean to say that there is no need to improve the facilities provided during the treacherous pilgrimage? Is he implying that if yatris were OK for last so many hundred years, then why change and improve the facilities? I have never heard him say such things with regards to Haj pilgrimage. Every year Muslims from Kashmir as well as rest of the country want better and better facilities and subsidies for Haj pilgrims. But when it comes to providing better facilities to Shri Amarnath pilgrims, it becomes a sore point for Kashmiri Muslims and their leaders. Heavy rains, snowstorms, landslides and hostile environment took away 256 lives during the yatra in 1996. And Omar Abdullah has the audacity to promote status quo!
Some of you might argue that it was not the valley Muslims but the political parties and terrorists who opposed the land transfer order and forced the valley folks to come out on the streets. I can buy that argument but that does not absolve the valley’s common folks from their responsibility. They cannot always support these fundamentalist forces and then at the same time claim innocence. They did the same back in 1989 and early 90s when they either stood as mute spectators or as vocal supporters while Kashmiri Hindus were getting ethnically cleansed. As a good citizen, it is incumbent upon them to raise their voice against these dreaded forces and stop this madness. If they sincerely believe in peace, then they need to stand up and reject these terrorist outfits and their masters. Conversely, if they don’t then they are as much party to the madness as the principals and thus need to be held accountable. They cannot have it both ways.
This ugly episode in the history of Jammu & Kashmir has clearly exposed the nexus between all the terrorist outfits, separatists’ outfits and three major parties operating in the valley namely National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress. One has to simply pause and think what really bound them all together. Since their political ideology is apparently different, it was only the religion that brought them together. It was the Nizam-e-Mustafa that brought them under one umbrella and motivated them to threaten the government. And the saddest part is that the government caved in. It not only caved in to appease Muslim vote bank but set a dangerous precedent in which now onwards every policy decision within the state will have to be ratified by Islamic terrorists, separatists and anti-India forces. What could be worse than that for a sovereign country?
When Indians carrying Indian Tiranga protest against the revocation of the land transfer order, they get beaten up and arrested by the Indian police. But when the valley Muslims carrying Pakistani flags come on the roads shouting anti-India, pro-Pakistan slogans, they get police protection. This is all the result of appeasement policies adopted by all the successive governments in India. Appeasement policies are never good for a nation, particularly for a nation like India that is so diverse in ethnicity and culture. Whether it is the appeasement of amending the constitution during Shah Bano case, or appeasement of releasing dreaded terrorists during Rubiya Sayeed kidnapping case, or appeasement of letting go of three key Islamic terrorists during IC-814 airline hijacking, or appeasement of allowing separate Muslim Personal law, or appeasement of continuing the temporary constitutional provision of Article 370, all such appeasement policies are one day going to result in nation’s doom. It is incumbent upon the leaders of the nation as well as the citizenry to be on guard and not allow such appeasement policies to take effect in a nation that is based on the concept of secularism, democracy and fairness to one and all.
The writer is the President of Indo-American Kashmir Forum (www.iakf.org), a US based advocacy group.
"...tectonic shift in the Hindu mind, a shift that has been going on for 200 years, which is being underestimated. The thousand years of domination and savage oppression by rulers of other religions; domination and oppression which were exercised in the name of and for the glory of and for establishing the sway of those religions, evinced a variety of responses from the Hindus. Armed resistance for centuries... When at last such resistance became totally impossible, the revival of bhakti by the great poets... When public performance even of bhakti became perilous, sullen withdrawal, preserving the tradition by oneself, almost in secrecy: I remember being told in South Goa how families sustained their devotion by painting images of our gods and goddesses inside the tin trunks in which sheets and clothing were kept. The example of individuals: recall how the utter simplicity and manifest aura of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa negated the efforts of the missionaries, how his devotion to the image of the Goddess at Dakshineshwar restored respectability to the idolatry that the missionaries and others were traducing..."
"......It has almost become routine to slight Hindu sentiments — our smart-set do not even notice the slights they administer. Recall the jibe of decades: ‘the Hindu rate of growth’. When, because of those very socialist policies that their kind had swallowed and imposed on the country, our growth was held down to 3-4 per cent, it was dubbed — with much glee — as ‘the Hindu rate of growth’. Today, we are growing at 9 per cent. And, if you are to believe the nonsense in Sachar’s report, the minorities are not growing at all. So, who is responsible for this higher rate of growth? The Hindus! How come no one calls this higher rate of growth ‘the Hindu rate of growth’? Simple: dubbing the low rate as the Hindu one established you to be secular; not acknowledging the higher one as the Hindu rate establishes you to be secular!...."
"...How come no one objects when for years a Muslim politician keeps publishing maps of constituencies in which Muslims as Muslims can determine the outcome, and exhorting them to do so? When, not just an individual politician but entire political parties — from the Congress to the Left parties — stir Muslims up as a vote bank. When Muslims start behaving like a vote bank, you can be certain that someone will get the idea that Hindus too should be welded into a vote bank, and eventually they will get welded into one. Why is stoking Muslims ‘secular’ and stoking Hindus ‘communal’?...."
The so-called ‘Tehelka expose’ has, in fact, exposed the hollowness of pseudo-secularists, who flourish on such ‘gossip’. Such loose discussions, brought to the fore repeatedly, should be put to an end once for all. The drum-beaters of secularism are deliberately orchestrating of what they call ‘sting operation’, when the Assembly elections in Gujarat are approaching. It is the height of stupidity to claim that the ‘expose’ just ‘coincided’ with the announcement of the Assembly poll in Gujarat.
Seek help in getting IDP status for the Pandit community
The European Union Delegation which had last month visited Jammu and Kashmir for an on ground assessment of the Kashmir issue today met up with representatives of the Kashmiri Pandits. The European Union delegation had invited representatives of Roots in Kashmir for a dialogue in order to understand the perspective of the Kashmiri Pandits with regard to the Kashmir issue. Roots in Kashmir co-ordinators’ Pawan Durani and Rashneek Kher had an hour long meeting with the EU representatives,The Ambassador of Portugal, Mr.Mendes,Charge’D’Affaires A.I of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Miklavz Borstnik and Dr.Alexander SPACHIS,Minister-Counseller,Political Affairs and Co-ordination,European Union. The Roots in Kashmir delegates appraised the EU delegation about the ground reality and the plight of Pandits.The EU delegation was also made aware of the reasons for forced exodus and lack of social and political dispensation to the Pandits said Pawan Durani. The EU delegation was briefed on the rather apathetic role of State and Central Governments in rehabilitation of the Pandits. The RIK representatives submitted a 7 page memorandum to the EU delegation the theme of which was to recognize the rights of Kashmiri Pandits and declare them as Internally Displaced People(IDP’s). Roots in Kashmir appealed to the European Union to recognize Kashmiri Pandits as Internally Displaced People as per the charter of the UNHRC. We also requested the EU delegation to impress upon the Indian Government to declare Kashmiri Pandits as Internally Displaced People since we are not migrants as Govt of India calls us said Rashneek Kher. The EU delegation enquired about the present status of Pandits and their position in the present geo-political environment. They were also surprised to note that though the Peace initiatives were on the anvil yet not even one Kashmiri Pandit was allowed to visit Pakistan held Kashmir. The EU delegation very patiently heard and understood the Pandit perspective in the Kashmir issue. A plea by the Pandit delegation that no solution of Kashmir issue be carried out without the involvement of Pandits was also well received by the EU delegation.
Vatican admonishing and sermonizing the Islamic world about their tolerance towards other religions and advising them to be inclusive and respectful of other religious beliefs is a laughable thought in itself.
Both the religious theories are strongly rooted in 'Our belief is the absolute truth and everyone else is stupid...so they better be converted to our faith' doctrine. Both religions have spread on the back of armed invasions and conversions by force, lure and deceit.
'Azadi' was at one time my junoon and it took me across the border to ISI camps in Pakistan, where I was trained to kill, plunder, loot - all in the name of Islam, I returned with power flowing from the barrel of the gun. I was trained by my "masters" in Pakistan to record the violence in such a manner that the blame shifted from the militants to the security forces.
To read full article by an ex-terrorist Javaid Hussain Shah - click here or here.
Since my comments/rebuttals to Sanjay Kak’s post about Jash-e-Azadi couldn’t pass the filters of moderation, I am posting my note/open letter and five questions to Sanjay Kak here. Hope Sanjay would oblige with some words of wisdom?
Sanjay
This post of yours gives an impression that it’s the Kashmiri Pandit’s who are the tormentors here. Applaud-able play of words...Indeed you do have some creative flame...I can gather that much from this post, even without seeing your movie.
Your play of words in dissociating from Yasin Malik - the terrorist turned political torchbearer, was impressive.
Mr Kak, would you kindly oblige and set straight your opinion on Yasin Malik. Do you consider him a hero or a villain...? Do you deny his role in numerous cold blooded killings and terror acts? Do you condone or condemn those acts? Given the prowess with words and truck-loads of judicious opinions you are loaded with - NO comments or avoidance isnt an option for you.
Your movie gives a colour to the protestors- that of vindictive, rampaging hooligans. Did you even care to figure out and approach these guys and girls... who otherwise have no political or criminal background? You find those who have led shootouts and bombings as inspirational leaders and guides, and a bunch of young teachers, professionals, students as hooligans just because they dared ask you questions about your motive of making a purely one-sided document.
Your words that "Issue of Kashmiri Pandits is a separate topic" don't go well with any rationale...
How can you talk of violence in Kashmir, without talking in as much detail about half-a-million populace impacted by the violence perpetrated by the Jehadi machinery?
How can you talk of the death and destruction without talking of the thousands who were kicked out of their homes?
How can you talk of Human Rights - totally ignoring the human rights of the minority totally trampled upon just because they belonged to a different religion?
How can you talk of self-determination totally ignoring the plight of the thousands who got uprooted purely because their self-determination was to stick to their Indian identity?
How can you talk of Jashn-e-Azadi and ignore the dard of being be-ghar (homeless) of the Pandits?
Sanjay ji, I am yet to fathom your motive behind painting a purely one-sided picture...Each coin has two faces. A one-faced coin is just a counterfeit and ought to be rejected.
-A Soul in Exile
A victim of the Jehadi' terrorists you think are hero's...
Dear Friends,As you are aware that 20th June is observed as WorldRefugee Day. In order to mark this day,Roots inKashmir(An Initiative of Kashmiri Youth) is screeningthe critically acclaimed documentary titled "And theWorld Remained Silent"
The screening shall be followed by a panel discussionon the topic ”Why the Nation Remains Silent”. Thepanelists shall include Swapan Das Gupta(EminentJournalist) Vivek Tankha(Noted Criminal Lawyer) ZafarMeraj(Freelance Journalist and KashmirExpert) Dr.Agnishekhar(Convenor-Panun Kashmir) andSandhya Jain(Intellectual and Columnist).
We request your presence at the screening. Cards/Passes shall be available at the venue itself. Venue: Main Auditorium, Sri Satya Sai InternationalCentre,Pragati Vihar,Lodhi Road, New Delhi Date:20th June,07Time:6.30 PM
Aaatankvaadiyon ne mujhe 'kaafir' kaha, Bharat sarkar nay mujhe 'migrant' kaha, Mere bandhuon ne mujhe 'sharnarthi' kaha. Aakhir, kaun hoon main?
Swatantar Bharat ka ek swatantar nagrik? Ya is ke shatranj ki bisaat pe ek mohra?
Every year, June 20 is observed as World Refugee Day all over the world. As is the practice, this year too, this day will be observed in India as well. Various political leaders will make symbolic speeches. Various NGO activists will organise sit-ins, memorial services and make passionate appeals. The next day, mainstream newspapers may print brief news items about these events on page 21 below the fold. And then we will wait for June 20, 2008.
And the cycle will continue.
While politicians and NGO activists go through this ritual, the actual sufferers -- the refugees for whom this day is actually observed continue to fight for their survival. Right here in India, for the last 17 years, we have more than 400,000 Kashmiri Hindus languishing as refugees in their own country.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Islamic terrorists ethnically cleansed the whole Kashmiri Hindu community from the Kashmir valley by engaging in selective and targeted killings and the world remained silent.
Seventeen World Refugee Days have been observed since this forsaken community was forced to go through the seventh mass exodus in its history but the community is still without a home.
Seventeen World Refugee Days have been observed since the brutal and cruel killings of Kashmiri Hindus prompted the ugly displacement of this community, but the refugee families still live in sub-standard inhumane conditions in single 10x10 refugee camp rooms in the scorching heat of Jammu plains. What a shame!
It is shocking that while Kashmiri Hindu refugees are living, rather dying under appalling conditions, Jammu and Kashmir [Images] Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is getting royal treatment. He is soon going to live in a 66-room palace, which has 15 presidential suites overlooking the famous Dal Lake.
This new official residence is going to be renovated by the state government at a cost of a whopping Rs 11 crore (Rs 100 million).
This is the sixth chief minister's official residence in the state of Jammu & Kashmir that is being renovated using taxpayer's money since an elected government returned to power in J&K in 1996. What a shame!
It is a shame that in a country that is based on the principles of secularism, democracy and equal rights for all, there are more than 400,000 Indians-by-birth languishing as refugees in their own country. What a shame!
It has become fashionable for political parties and NGOs to organise such observance days like World Refugee Day. For them, these are photo-ops to promote themselves but they do not realise that such events reopen the wounds that these refugees have been trying hard to fill. These wounds are deep-rooted and will take generations to heal but try these refugees do. But every year, these camera-hugging politicians and NGOs make a point of reopening those wounds. What a shame!
In the absence of any appreciable support from any governmental agency, mainstream media outlets, political parties, NGOs, and Human Rights organisations, Kashmiri Hindu youth have taken it upon themselves to make the world aware of their status -- the status in which they have absolutely no fundamental rights, no rights to live freely in their own homeland, no rights to practice the religion of their choice, no economic and political rights.
These youth have initiated a movement to connect back to their roots -- roots that are waiting for them in the vale of Kashmir.
These young and progressive minds are organising an event on World Refugee Day, not to promote World Refugee Day, but to create awareness about the denial of fundamental rights to this refugee community of Kashmiri Hindus. This shall be the one event in Delhi that will go where those facades' from NGOs and political parties will not go.
This event will showcase a documentary And the World Remained Silent, produced and directed by filmmaker Ashoke Pandit. This documentary depicts the conditions that were created in Kashmir in 1989-1990 to bring the Kashmiri Hindu community to the verge of extinction. It shows the harsh and dark realities about how one community got annihilated while the world remained silent.
It will also screen two key videos featuring Yasin Malik and Bitta Karate (Farooq Ahmed Dar), where they acknowledge their roles.
And guess what? Yasin Malik is these days free and as a senior member of the Hurriyat Conference working towards Jammu and Kashmir's secession from India. Bitta Karate is also free and practicing politics in Kashmir after he was released by the Government of India because the prosecution could not build a case against him.
Only in India can you have someone admitting, on camera, his role and the prosecution not able to build a case against him. What a shame!
If you believe in securing the nation -- the nation of Bharata, then spend some time visiting the blog to understand what Kashmiri Hindus have suffered and then be part of this event on June 20 (event details below).
It is time for all of us to stand up for Kashmiri Hindu refugees and send a strong, loud and clear signal to the government that we will not allow our nation to become a banana republic where terrorists roam free with Z-level official security while Indian Kashmiri Hindus, who believe in India and the Indian flag, live like refugees with no home that they can call their own.
Do we stand up for those whose human rights get violated?
Do we fight for fair and timely justice?
Do we make our voices heard?
Do we become the change that we want to bring about?
Do we want to be part of a movement that will secure the pillars of our nation?
Or
Do we stand as mute spectators in our society?
The answer lies within us and the choice is ours.
Event Details:
Date: June 20, 2007 Time: 6.30 PM
Venue: Main Auditorium, Sri Satya Sai International Centre, Pragati Vihar, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
Pseudo secular Media is the curse of Indian Society. Media barons who act on behalf Christians, Jehadis and Communists are in the payroll of these anti national forces. Most of the Indian media presents fabricated and distorted news to serve the anti Hindu propaganda. Several instances clearly indicate the fabricated and distorted news. Here are some examples:
Ø News Headlines / Flash News used to says - 20 people of a ‘particular community’ shot dead in Doda Kashmir- how many of you know that they were all Hindus?.
When the recent unrest took place in Vadodara, the headline flashed as - 'Muslim boy shot to death in vadodara, unrest deepens'. Please compare the deliberate psychological game and mind manipulation in these two reports..
Ø Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus will be reported as "death of minority". But if it is the death of a Kashmiri Muslim, Media headlines goes like this - "Militants begin targeting Kashmiri Muslims"!.
Ø More than two lakhs Kashmiri Hindus have been exterminated, yet no media or politicians are aware about it nor finds time to shed a single tear for them. When 2000 Gujarati Muslims were died in riots, Media and Politicians wake up from their self imposed denial and make huge hue and cry. For them, 2000 Muslim lives are more valuable than 200,000 Hindus!.
Ø When Muslim riots took place in Gujarat, every Media wanted to chop off the head of Sangh Parivar leaders, but when Jihadi Terrorists attacked Akshardam Temple, Varanasi, New Delhi, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Marad, & Mumbai, Media and pseudo secularists appealed for peace and communal harmony!
Ø Television channel, especially Communist control NDTV showcase the plight of Muslims in Gujarat every now and then. But why no single media in India is concerned about the plight of Kashmiri Hindus?
Ø Photograph of a Muslim crying in front of the police with his hands folded is widely circulated after Gujarat riots. But how many of us saw the photographs of the burnt bodies of 20 Hindu children in the Godhra attack?. Media were never interested in showing any reports or photographs of the Parents / Widows / Children of the innocent Hindus being killed by the Islamic terrorists in Godhra, Kashmir, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kerala, Hyderabad and Coimbatore etc..
Ø 30,000 temples were destroyed during the Mughal regimes and it is not an issue for biased Indian media, but when Hindus wanted to reconstruct temples in Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura, the media twists it is an attempt to communalize Indian society!
Ø About the recent Vadodara unrest. 14 temples blocking the road were demolished, no objection from any Hindus. One similar Dargah was demolished became a national problem!. All the prominent medias called for Narendra Modi to resign following this incident and became the headlines in all the national Medias.
Ø Finally, the recent Mumbai blasts. Communist sponsored English newspaper THE HINDU was busy in highlighting the rescue operations carried out by the Muslims and the number of Muslims attended in blood donation camps after terrorist attack. But THE HINDU journalist who reported this news deliberately ignored selfless services of Hindu Organizations in Mumbai.
It must be that the media take pleasure in spreading persistent, pervasive lies about Hindus. What else could explain the credulous acceptance of lies, half-truths and distortion of news about Hindus and selfless services of nationalist Hindu organizations?.
The inconsistencies, deceptions, and outright falsehoods about the reports are obvious. It is profoundly disturbing to note that the picture that continues to emerge from the media about Hindus, in which passive, peace loving, tolerant, nationalist Hindus come out as aggressive, militant, fundamentalists, and the violent, non compromising Muslim and Christian gangs come out as victims.
The hysteria emanating from the journalists is so persistent that the innocent readers may get a negative image of Hindus. This psycho-linguistic programming of the media and deliberate false reporting is not only patently false but also encourage Muslim, Christian and Communist terrorists to continue their deadly, terrorist, and irrational anti national activities.
Hindus must wake up from complacency, and denial, take affairs into their own hands and shape their own destinies. Hindus must unite, reassess themselves, address the media bias and voice their feelings forcefully and assertively with the hostile media.
Hindus must tell the media in strong words and actions that they should not be trifled with.
Slightly off the flow article - never the least I found its analysis of the thousands years of highs and lows of Kashmir history rather interesting and concerning....
The author/source is not known - got it forwarded by someone, who thought I might be interested in reading this... If you know the author/source - please let me know for due credits to be accorded.
Article reproduced verbatim below - (with just some minor spelling corrections)
Kashmir" - it has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan over the last sixty years. Accusing fingers have been raised at individuals and leaders since 1947. The non- resolution character of the issue springs from the fact that it was an emotional affinity for the inherited property of 'two estranged brothers'. And its HISTORY has played a very vital role which none of the parties involved wants to understand.
Kashmir is also called the land of 'Neela Nag'--Son of 'KASHYAP'--a wandering sage and his wife 'KUDRU'-a supposedly serpent girl, who produced 'half-human' and a 'half-Snake' children. Incidentally, 'Kashmir' is the name derived from Kashyap i.e. 'Kashyap Mar'(KASHYAP's STRIKE). Legend has it that SAGE KASHYAP worshipped and made prayers to LORD VISHNU for 1000 years to let the valley be rid of a monster called JALDEVA-who was a son of SANGHRASUR- an ASURA. The beautiful valley of River Vitasta (Jhelum) of Vedic name has no one to blame but its own history for its current miseries. If it is now in the centre stage of current Indo-Pak face off, it is the handiwork of its history.
Frankly speaking, since 1820, Kashmir has been under the spell of the curse of its own history. And the cure will also come from its history only! I bet you will dismiss this as a joke. But recorded facts are otherwise. This logic (or truth!) of history of Kashmir was revealed to me, some eight years back, by an illiterate 'Kashmiri Guzzar' of North Kashmir, when I had gone there to study the Kargil-99 Episode. My friend, K****din, was convinced about it and I was stunned by it. And more I read about its history, more I am enamoured by the sheer veracity of this logic. Here are some of the key points of my friend, K****din's theory of 'Grand-Cycles-of-Kashmir-History': -
ØEvery 780-800 years of Kashmir's recorded history, it has been under the domination of a particular religion. This period of 780-800 years is called 'Grand Cycle of History'.
ØEvery Grand Cycle is further subdivided into three sub-cycles of 265-275 years each.
ØFirst Sub- cycle of each Grand Cycle relates to emergence, development and progress of a particular religion.
ØSecond Sub- Cycle pertains to consolidation andprosperity of the religion.
ØThe first two sub cycles of 530-550 years, as above, make the 'Golden Period of Domination of a Religion in Kashmir'.
ØThe Third Sub Cycle leads to decay and degeneration ofthe predominant religion and ushers the era of emergence of a new religious philosophy, which shall dominate for other 530-550 years.
ØThe term ' Religious Domination' is to be read as 'State
ØPatronization' of the philosophy of 'Worship and rituals' byhuman beings in a particular manner.
Keeping the above in mind, let us have a brief glance at the recorded history of Kashmir. The best sources are RAJTARANGNI by Kalhan and 'Nilamat Puran' of 2nd century AD. I MUST HERE GIVE YOU A BACKGROUNDER ON THE RECORDED HISTORY OF KASHMIR. Succeeding paragraphs will endeavour to condense a long winding story- beginning with KALHANA'S book 'RAJTARINGANI'.
'Rajtarangini' begins with the year 1184 BC when Gonanda-I, a 'Shaivite'(Followers of Lord SHIVA!) king was ruling Kashmir. It roughly relates to 'Mahabharta Period'-the great 'HINDU Epic'. The grand son of Gonanda-I was Gonanda-II who was deposed by one -Haran Deva, a brother of 'Janamejya' and Grandson of Arjun (Great Arjuna of Mahabharata War). Most Western and Indian Historians agree that Mahabharta War took place around 1000-1100 BC, although some Indian scholars put the date around 3000 BC. We will go by the majority opinion.
It will be interesting to note, prior to the coming of Aryans, the VAISHNAVITES (Worshippers of Lord Vishnu-the Vegetarians), major portion of Northern South Asian sub continent (Present day India, Pakistan, Bangla Desh etc) was inhabited by "SHAIVITES" (Worshippers of Lord Shiva - the Non Vegetarians). Look at the old ancient 'Shiva Temples' spread along the length and breadth of the sub continent.
'Shaivism' and 'Vaishnavism' were different temporal philosophies-one stressed on Non-Vegetarian food the other on pure vegetarian food. Shaivism insisted on 'ENJOYING THE PRESENT'; whereas Vaishanavism preached on 'IMPROVING YOUR TOMORROW'. These were the practising faiths of the people of this region. There was nothing known as 'HINDUISM' till 530 AD. The 'two' were altogether different cults or what you call religions today. We will call them 'separate religions' to understand the issue properly.
Let us, now, look at the five GRAND CYCLES of different dominating religions in the recorded history of Kashmir. They are: -
ØThe FIRST CYCLE belongs to 'SHAIVISM'. This GRAND CYCLE PERIOD in Kashmir ended with the deposition of Gonanda-II by Harandeva, a VAISHNAVITE. This was the end of 1st Grand Cycle of its history. It was around 1050 BC. We do not have any recorded version of history prior to this. There are only mythological tales. RAJTARANGINI says there were some 108 kings before GONANDA-1, who were the descendants of one DAYA KARAN. But all legends tell us it was the abode of Lord Shiva and his followers were of 'Naga Race'. Remember, Prince Takshak, who killed Parikshat- Arjun's son. He was a Naga. It is a different matter Aryan literature dubbed him as a 'Nag'- a 'Serpent'-a 'Cobra'.
ØThe Second Grand Cycle of Kashmir began around 1030-1050 BC. 'Vaishnavism' dominated it and it ended around 250 BC when great 'Ashoka' came to Kashmir and founded SRI NAGAR in honour of goddess LAXMI (Approximately 800 years). Note, he was a Buddhist king and he established a city in the name of VAISHNAV goddess. It explains that cults (or so called religions of today) had no separate identity. They were intermixing and inter-mingling. They made a composite culture of the region.
ØThe Third Grand Cycle heralded BUDHISM in Kashmir and ruled the roost from 250 BC to 530 AD. 'Kushan' kings patronized it. 'Kushans' came to Kashmir from China around 260 BC. They were followed by Shakas and Huns. This grand cycle ended with the emergence of Huns (a Chinese tribe), whose first king of Kashmir was MIHIRKULA ? a known tyrant in history (Approximately 780 years).
ØThe Fourth Grand Cycle, which established ' Hinduism', began around 530 AD, when Gopal Ditya, Mihirkula's son, came to throne. It is he, who gave religious recognition to the term 'HINDUISM' as we know it today. Here-to-fore, the term 'Hindu' was used only as a geographical identity for the land East of 'River Indus'. It is pertinent to note the word 'Hindu' has a Persian origin and derived from 'Sindhu'- a 'Sanskrit' word. 'Sindhu' was the name given to River Indus (From Sindhu it became 'Hindu' in Persian and from Hindu it became 'Indus', Indic or Indi in Greek). As ancient Persians pronounced 'S' - as an aspirate 'h', so 'Sindhu' became 'Hindu'. No Vedic literature or religious scriptures mention the word 'Hindu', whether it is 'Vedas', 'Upanishads' or the great epics. In the written form, first time the word 'Hindu' appears on a tablet dated back to 518 BC when king Darius- I was ruling Persia. He used it to describe the geographical extent of his kingdom upto and beyond River Hindu (or Sindhu or Indus). Anyway, to cut the story short, till Gopalditya became king in Kashmir in 530 AD, the term 'Hindu' had only a geographical identity for the people living East of River Indus. To Gopalditya, these people were a Curious mix of conflicting beliefs and ideologies but with traits of liberal tolerance and peaceful co-existence. He, therefore, saw 'Shaivites', 'Vaishnavites' and 'Buddhists' as a composite mix of a larger philosophy. He termed it as 'Hinduism' and converted himself to it. Thus, it was a Chinese Hun, who gave 'Hinduism' its religious identity as a composite 'Culture of the Way of Living' of people. This Grand cycle of 'Hinduism' flourished between 530 AD to 1325 AD. (Approximately 795 years). It ended when Rinchen Shah, a Tibetan prince, came to power after marrying Rani KOTA DEVI, whose husband had run away when the Turks invaded Kashmir in 1324 AD.
ØThe Fifth Grand Cycle, which brought in ISLAM, began around 1325 AD when Rinchen Shah, the King, converted to Islam as he was snubbed by a Brahmin Mr. Dev swami, who stopped him from converting to Hinduism. An outsider, Gopalditya-a Hun, had initiated the reign of HINDUISM in KASHMIR, but another outsider was prevented and he brought in Islam. Even before this, all famous Buddhist kings of Kashmir had been outsiders- Kushans from china ? such as Jalushka, Haluska and Kanishka. Do not forget Harandeva (A Great Grandson of Arjuna of Mahabharta) - an Aryan, was an also outsider.
ØThe golden period of 500 years of Islam in Kashmir was up to 1820 AD - when it was annexed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The third sub-cycle of this grand cycle began around 1820 AD. This sub cycle is of decay and degeneration. If you add other 265- -275 years to the 1820 AD, this grand cycle will close around 2085 to2095 AD.
ØIn other words, by the end of 21st century, the SIXTH GRAND CYCLE will take over. What will be its characteristics? It could be more liberalized 'Secularism' or 'Globalism'. I RECKON, BY THEN, THE MANKIND WOULD HAVE GOT RID OF THE GRIP OF RELIGIONS OVER IT AND THE MAN WOULD HAVE ENTERED THE 'COSMIC AGE'. We would have left THREE WAVES of Agriculture, Industrial and Information / Knowledge waves far behind. The last wave of KNOWLEDGE will drive away religion to the privacy of our homes only. I suppose it will take another90- 100 years for COSMIC MAN to emerge on the scene. COSMIC MAN will live in the GLOBAL VILLAGE and work in the SPACE interacting with EXTRA TERRESTIAL(ET) INTELLIGENCE. This is there on the cards. Read the writing on the wall. KASHMIR, then, like any other region or place, will be an interconnected and interfaced as a micro- dot on the GLOBAL CHIP. When the concept of NATION-STATE becomes redundant---many large nations will meet the fate of 'lost civilisations'. But till it happens, the Kashmir pot will keep boiling? History itself will seek answer for the problem which has roots in its annals. Rests, all of them are mere actors in this drama of history.
Having said this much, let me also make two points on the current day problem of Kashmir. First of all, it is a misnomer to equate Kashmir with the erstwhile territories of the state of J&K of Maharaja Hari Singh. The J&K territories of Maharaja Hari Singh comprised six different regions, which historically, ethnically, geographically and linguistically had nothing in common except a lose central control of 100 years by the descendants of Raja Gulab Singh. These regions were Jammu, Laddakh, Kashmir, Baltistan, Dardistan, and 'Naushehra-Poonch-URI-Mirpur' extension of Western Punjab. While Jammu, Laddakh and KashmirValley are with India; Baltistan, Dardistan (both making Northern areas of Pakistan) and 'Naushehra-Mirpur' extension of Western Punjab (NOW POK) are with Pakistan. It is misunderstood and lost identity of other five regions and confused synonym of Kashmir with J&K which is the cause of problem between India and Pakistan. J&K is not Kashmir but Kashmir is part of it. To find a solution to this problem, Kashmir must be de-linked from other regions.
My second point emerges from this. If India committed blunders in 1947-1950, so has Pakistan. If only Pakistan had not forced the hands of Maharaja Hari Singh by sending tribal raiders in Sept 1947, the history would have been entirely different. This was the biggest blunder of MA Jinnah who acted on the ill - timed advice of his military advisor, Major General Akbar Khan (The infamous General Tariq of Tribal Raiders in Kashmir in 1947). Mountbatten, a so-called friend of India, had ensured that Indian leadership of the time, remained drowned in its self-created sea of moralities. But Jinnah lacked patience or time (he was dying of cancer!).
However, Jinnah and Nehru could do nothing about it as 'History of Kashmir' had scripted their roles as much. Ordained by History, events in Kashmir moved, as it desired. All these Gilainis, Bhatts, Salahuddins, Yasin Maliks, Javed Mirs, Omar Farouks, Dhars, Sheikh Abdullahs, are pawns in the hands of the history of Kashmir. Kashmir had known tyrants (terrorists!) in its history: from 'Jaldevs' in the ancient times to 'Mihirkulas' in the medieval times. All were outsiders. Today's Salahuddins, Azhar Masouds, and their elk are the replicas of yesteryears 'Jaldevs' and 'Mihirculas'. History of Kashmir is using these terror groups to move on its pre-ordained path. Right Sir, history will find a cure at the right time. Wait till the end of the century.
One passing remark I will make. Looking for a solution to Kashmir problem? Are you? Then, India and Pakistan must get out of the vicious grip of history. In simple terms, 1947 is not 2007 as 2007 will not be 2099. And today's solution is that LOC must be accepted as 'INTERIM IB'. Leave the rest to future generations. Do they have the courage to do so? If not, then, keep playing into the hands of history.
Simla agreement of 1972; Lahore Declaration of 1999, saw the vision of such a possibility but it got scuttled because Nawaz Sharief & CO, realizing this possibility at a future date, pre-maturely ventured into 'LOC-Nibbling- Act' in Kargil in 1999. His Kargil misadventure was aimed at occupying important heights in Kargil before LOC became accepted as IB. Basically, it was to safeguard his 'Northern Areas'-where a problem of independence is brewing up.
But history outsmarted him through his generals, who enlarged the scope of 'Nibbling-Act' to a total "Misadventure". And it derailed the whole process. History of Kashmir is too strong to allow anyone to tinker with its well-charted course. You need men of steel nerves on both sides of the fence to override her wishes. Lawlessness (read TERRORISM) in Kashmir, sir, is a creation of history and it will die when it would have served her purpose. Till then live with it or make its mother infertile. It needs men of vision on both sides to understand this alternative option.
