Imran Aslam Sheikh
The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been protesting against what they call illegal Indian occupation since the last Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Singh temporarily acceded with India in turn of security against tribal invasion and transportation so as to escape any type of persecution at their hands. The legality of the accession has always been on the news but it is not discussed in the amount as much as it deserves. Many historians argue that Maharaja only forged this accession only to save himself from the advancing tribals. Meher Chand Mahajan’s Delhi visit to convince Nehru to send military assistance is a strong argumentation to support this point. Many believe that Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Helped Meher Chand Mahajan strike the deal with Jawaharlal Nehru.And Few persons from Jammu and Kashmir and India thus decided the fate of Millions of Kashmiris. And to whitewash their misdeeds Jawahar Lal Nehru promised Kashmiris in Lal Chowk that they will be given their birth right, the right o self determination to choose their future. Eighteen Resolutions were passed in UN recognizing Kashmir as an international Dispute. But what Kashmiris saw aftermath was just death and destruction. And from a promise of self determination the Indian leadership of both Congress and Jana Sangh shifted to the slogans of “integral Part”. Permit system was given as a goodwill coin in the begging bowls of Kashmiris which was later on abolished by India. Prime Minister was changed to Chief minister so as to simply merge Kashmir in India. One thing which remains constantly common in all those scenarios is that everybody from India to their pro indian political set up here in Kashmir have only cared about the beautiful landscape of Kashmir and their own financial status.
After witnessing a long movement of people to gain their logical goal of right to self determination from 1947 to 1980s.When people left experimenting with protesting non violently in the form of protest rallies, when people lost faith in the electoral politics when mass rigging made the popular candidates of Kashmiris lose elections and their workers beaten. Kashmiris turned to guns and from 1989 to 2016 more than 100000 people have died in armed militancy. Almost 650 graveyards of rebels have been set up across the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This move even brought much more hardships to Kashmiris with forces provided with many draconian laws like APSFA. But this also helped the Kashmir issue come out of cold storages to the spotlight. When highly educated and people from well to do families took up arms against India. Nadeem Khateeb and Yusuf Shah are among such people. While one was killed in an encounter and the other still leads an armed uprising against India under a new name Syed Salah ud Din.
Now thousands have been disappeared and lacs killed with billions of economy damaged by this conflict. Three wars were fought between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue. Human rights record is worst in Kashmir in fact it is a place where the internet gets snapped on every 15th august, 26th January, or on any festival like Eid. This happened in Kashmir in 2016 which is thought to be the century of digitalization. There have been incidents of mass rapes like Kunan Poshpora and security forces are accused to have perpetrated these heinous crimes. The resolution of Kashmir issue is very important than it has been ever been in the past. The importance of this nuclear flashpoint needs a mature leadership in India to understand the seriousness of this dispute and the intensity of the lava which is boiling inside and waiting for an eruption with a bang. This time we have two nuclear powers India and Pakistan at the loggerheads on Kashmir. They may have fought three wars in the past but during those times both the countries were not as much militarily strong as they are today. So if a war takes place between India and Pakistan during the current times I am very much sure that both the countries won’t hesitate to use a nuclear bomb against each other. This keeps a constant fear of cleaning out population of millions from both the sides. To save the human race from any such man made calamity the resolution of Kashmir issue becomes mandatory for both the survival of India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. The economy of India gets very much affected when it has to bear a heavy expense of 800000 army men installed at various parts of Kashmir. India has a very high number of malnourished children ,poverty is on the rise, farmers are committing suicides due to inflation and loans. The medical facilities of the country is not very good, the literacy rate is still very low in this age of computers and digital gadgets. I think the money of Indian tax payers shall be used at a place where it deserves the most. India shall not succumb to a pressure of egos created on her by her corrupt politicians. Kashmir has always been a liability for India if someone observes it seriously after taking out the prisms of egos and communal hatred. And as Mehbooba Mufti and many highly influential people of India like Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi, Manohar Parrikar have already said that only 5 percent of people in Kashmir are protesting against India in the streets of Srinagar then I think they have a golden opportunity right now to settle this dispute once and for all by holding a referendum under UN supervision and as India and it’s collaborators are well aware that they will get the support of 95 percent it is a sure win for India then. And this all will be done without any guns, grenades, atom bombs or stones. And hereafter when the result of the referendum gets public there won’t be any demand of a referendum or “Azadi”. And India will save her billions of dollars of money of Indian tax payer and use it for the development of India. Poverty in India will come down as the money spent in Kashmir to continue what Kashmiri’s see as a forced occupation will be used in the welfare of the people of India.
( The writer can be reached at E mail address:imu3133@gmail.com)
