Turning
Point: Has India Lost Kashmir By Sajjad Shaukat (JR119SS16)
Despite continuous employment of brutal tactics by the Indian
security forces on the innocent Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK),
war of liberation has accelerated. The Kashmiri struggle has entered the
turning point, putting the question mark, has India lost Kashmir?
With the intensity of war of liberation and Indian state
terrorism in the IOK, pressure on the Indian government led by BJP has been
mounting both domestically and internationally.
The intensity of anti-India protests in IOK has escalated to
such levels that an article in BBC questioned, “Is India losing Kashmir?”
Washington Post also pointed that “Teen girls with stones are the new threat in
India’s Kashmir conflict”. New York Times editorial “Cruelty and Cowardice in
Kashmir” also has the same shade commenting on an incident on the current
situation in the valley. The Atlantic observed that a new cycle of protests and
violent crackdowns had begun in Kashmir, as have responses to those
crackdowns–leaving dozens dead and more injured.
Former chief of Indian intelligence agency RAW A. S. Dulat
felt that unarmed uprising has worsened under the current government in terms
of atmospherics as due to alienation and the anger of youth, young Kashmiri
minds have gone out of control. “There is a sense of hopelessness. They aren’t
afraid to die. Villagers, students and even girls are coming out on the
streets. This has never happened in the past, “he said. An Indian journalist
Santosh Bhartiya in an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
published on ‘Rising Kashmir’ claimed that although “the land of Kashmir is
with us, the people of Kashmir are not with us.” He had pointed out that on
every tree, on every mobile tower, Pakistani flag swirls in Kashmir.
Calling New Delhi’s policy towards Kashmir a ‘bundle of
confusion’, former BJP senior leader Yashwant Sinha insisted that “India has
lost people of the valley emotionally. “We have lost the people emotionally.
You just have to visit the valley to realize that they have lost faith in us,”
Sinha acknowledged. He also candidly admitted that Modi and India believe in
“doctrine of State” or brutality to suppress Kashmiri people. He added that Kashmiri
people and Pakistanis observe January 5 as United Nations Commission for India
and Pakistan (UNCIP) Kashmir Resolution Day to project the occasion for
reminding the United Nations of its resolve made in 1949 to grant Kashmiris the
right to self-determination through plebiscite.
On the other side, by ignoring the ground realities, New
Delhi still wants to keep her illegitimate control in the Indian Held Kashmir
through state terrorism. Failed in suppressing the Kashmir movement, Indian
central government imposed President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir which started
from December 20, 2018. The main purpose is to accelerate atrocities on the
Kashmiris who are demanding their genuine right of self-determination. And by
creating war-hysteria against Pakistan in wake of perennial violations of the
Line of Control (LoC), Modi-led government wants to divert attention of
international community from the new phase of Intifada of Kashmiris.
As regards Indian state terrorism in the Indian control
Kashmir, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader namely Pravin Togadia demanded that the
government should carry out “carpet bombing” in Kashmir Valley to stop the
attacks on security forces. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that those
pelting stones “will have to face the consequences.” Indian Army chief Bipin
Rawat had warned youth in Kashmir saying “those who obstruct our operations
during encounters and are not supportive will be treated as over ground workers
of terrorists.” He added, “They may survive today but we will get them
tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue.”
Again, it mentionable that A. S. Dulat, former chief of RAW
in his statement, published in the magazine, ‘The Wire’ on August 27, 2016 said
“Pakistan’s role is not the only catalyst for the crisis, talks about the need
for the Indian government to start talking to separatist leaders in the
Hurriyat Conference, Pakistan, and other important political players.” His
condemnation of the Modi government for its high handedness in IOK is spot on.
He rightly concludes that the Kashmiri uprising is 100% indigenous.
Meanwhile, in response to the letter of Pakistan’s Prime
Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on August 19, 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon had deplored the killings of the Kashmiris in Indian-Held Kashmir, and
urged India and Pakistan to settle Kashmir and other issues through dialogue by
offering his “good offices”.
During his visit to Pakistan, in the joint press
conference with the then Prime Minister Sharif on
November 17, 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged for an immediate
resolution of the Kashmir dispute and stated that “the escalating tensions on
the Pakistan-India border and the atrocities in Kashmir cannot be ignored. He
elaborated, “The Turkish government and the Turkish nation stand in solidarity
with the Kashmiri people.”
Earlier, the visiting Secretary General of the Organization
of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ayad Ameen Madani in Islamabad expressed grave
concern over extra-judicial killings of people in the Indian Occupied Kashmir
and added, “OIC will support Pakistan on Kashmir issue”.
Undoubtedly, Western politicians and media have also taken
serious notice of the deteriorating situation of Kashmir. For instance, the Italian Minister for Defence, Mrs. Roberta Pinotti
who visited Pakistan said on September 19, 2016 that her country “opposes use
of force and lethal weapons against peaceful protestors in Kashmir…it cannot be
allowed to go on.” She further said that Italy will apprise the international
community about what is going on in Indian held Kashmir.
It is notable that in his address at the 73rd United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) on September 29, 2018, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, “The neighbouring country
[India] rejected the Pakistani offer of resuming peace talks on ‘flimsy
grounds…We are ready to talk to India on all issues but with respect…Kashmir
issue is the biggest obstacle to regional peace…the Indian forces subjecting
Kashmiris to atrocities for seven decades. India should not test Pakistan’s
patience…we will respond to Indian aggression…The latest UN report on the
occupied Kashmir has exposed Indian atrocities on innocent civilians…the
meeting between the Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers would’ve been a
great opportunity for dialogue. But, the Modi government chose politics over
dialogue…India would have to bear the brunt of Pakistan’s retaliation if it
makes the mistake of any misadventure on the Line of Control (LoC)”.
It is mentionable that report of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released on June 14, 2018-“Situation in Kashmir” pointed out Indian
atrocities in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
It said: “From July 2016, the High Commissioner for Human Rights has on numerous
occasions requested the governments of India and Pakistan that his Office be
given unconditional access to Kashmir to assess the human rights situation.
India rejected this request; while Pakistan offered access…The refusal to allow
unhindered access to United Nations team into Indian-Administered-Kashmir gave
rise to an idea of “Remote Monitoring”. The report was then compiled by doing
“remote monitoring” on the situation of Human Rights in Kashmir. The report by
the independent authority is an eye-opener for many. The focus of the report is
on the situation of human rights in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir from
July 2016 to April 2018. During this period ‘OHCHR’ received reports of
allegations of widespread and serious human rights violations by Indian
security forces that led to numerous civilian casualties.
Instead of redressing the grievances of the people and wars
of liberation in various regions, including Kashmir, Indian government is
depending upon ruthless force to crush these extremist and separatist
movements. Therefore, India’s unrealistic counterinsurgency strategy has badly
failed.
It is of particular attention that Indian Minister of
External affairs Jaswant Singh who served the BJP for 30 years was expelled
from the party for praising Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Founder of Pakistan) and
echoing the pain of the Indian Muslims in his book, “Jinnah: India, Partition,
Pointing out the
BJP’s attitude towards the minorities, Singh wrote: “Every Muslim that lives in
India is a loyal Indian…look into the eyes of Indian Muslims and see the pain.”
He warned in his book, if such a policy continued, “India could have third
partition.”
As a matter
fact, taking cognizance of the separatist movements in India and New Delhi’s
use of brutal force through military in suppressing them, in one way or the
other, Jaswant Singh has shown realistic approach in his book.
Nevertheless,
we, can, undoubtedly, conclude that war of liberation has accelerated; reaching
the turning point and India will fail in suppressing the struggle of Kashmiris
through brutal force.
Sajjad Shaukat
writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic
Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International
Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
