- India and Pakistan are tense neighbours.
- Their animosity has its roots in religion and history.
- Continuity of hostility hinges purely on Kashmir dispute.
- Pakistan insists upon plebiscite in Kashmir according to UN Resolutions of 1948-1949.
- India falsely claims occupied Kashmir as its integral part.
Indian Occupation of Different Princely States on Different Pretexts
- The princely states of Hyderabad and Kashmir had not acceded to Pakistan or India on 15 August 1947. Both of them fell victim to Indian aggression after the partition.
- India forcibly occupied Kashmir on 26 October 1947 and its troops landed at Sirinagar.
- Another state of Hyderabad ruled by a Muslim ruler was occupied by force in September 1948.
- Junagarh, a coastal state connected with land routes to India and ruled by a Muslim ruler was forcibly occupied by India on 9th November 1947. Earlier, it had acceded to Pakistan.
- Almost simultaneously, India occupied the states of Badariawad, Mangrol and Manavadar contigous to Junagarh.
Origin
The origin of Kashmir dispute rests in the Muslim freedom Movement in the South-Asian Sub-continent that led to the partition of British India and the establishment of two independent and sovereign states-Pakistan and Bharat. The Plan of 3rd June 1947 expounded the partition of British India on the basis of principle of ‘two-Nation theory’ which envisaged that Muslim majority areas would form part of the State of Pakistan and those of the non-Muslims as part of Bharat. This constitutional settlement between the two nations of British India- the Hindus and the Muslims - was given legal and statutory status when the British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on 18th July 1947.
Conspiracy
As regards Indian princely States, numbering five hundred and sixty two, the 3rd June Plan provisioned that Muslim majority states could accede freely to either of the two dominions. However, under a deep-laid conspiracy, the economically and strategically important Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir was made a subject of controversy primarily because its ruler was a Hindu. The accession of this state to India dashed every hope for the harmonious coexistence of the two newly born states and subsequently they thrice went to bloody wars in 1948, 1965 and 1971 and still both are in belligerent mood with their troops on high alert on the borders.
UN Resolutions
In 1948-49, the United Nations adopted resolutions calling for a Un-sponsored plebiscite in Kashmir so that Kashmiris should themselves decide about destiny of their State. India seconded the resolutions but later on backed out of its commitment and created hurdles to exhaust the atmosphere for implementation of resolutions by arguing that Kashmir was an ‘integral part’ of India and that the Kashmiris had given their decision in 1947.
Efforts To Solve The Issue
It is generally felt that if India and Pakistan settle this core issue of Kashmir, they would speedily resolve their other issues and live in harmony and peace. This thinking pushed forward both the states to come to conference table. Several times the governments of both sides held parleys that included Liaquat-Nehru, Ayub-Nehru, Ayub-Shastri, Bhutto-Sawarn Singh, Bhutto-Indira, Zia-Rajiv, Benazi-Rajiv, Nawaz Sharif-V.P. Singh, Nawaz Sharif-Narsimha Rao, Nawaz Vajpayee, and Musharaf Vajpayee talks. Besides these, seven rounds of secretary - level talks from July 1990 to January 1994 have also taken place. In March 1997, the two rivals opened up the parleys once again and as a result three rounds of Foreign-Secretary level talks were held and thrice the Prime Ministers of both states have met but there is still a stalemate continuing due to India’s old and known bullying tactic of backing out, from all her previous commitments since 1948.
Dialogue with India
Dialogue with India is not a new phenomenon. Every serious effort in past got setback by India’s intransigent response on Kashmir and even very recently at Agra, India has repeated the same. How funny it is that India is keen to improve the cultural and trade links with Pakistan, while keeping aside the Kashmir issue. But needles to say, Kashmir is a key to all issues between India and Pakistan. Trade is a matter of trust and without a just solution of the Kashmir dispute, trust can not be established between India and Pakistan and to some extent in South Asia even. Once the Kashmir issue is resolved on the basis of principles and in accordance with the UN-resolutions, Indo-Pak relations and cooperation in other fields will follow.
India’s inhuman attitude in Kashmir
Through ever confusing signals from Indian side, it seems that New Delhi is not serious at all about the finding of a solution of Kashmir. India’s inhuman attitude towards Kashmiris continues more cruelly. The incidents of custodial killings are multiplying. From 1997 onwards thousands of civilians and freedom fighters have been killed. Ironically, while Pakistan is opening up the windows to India to explore avenues for settling all the outstanding Issues, India seems shutting them down by its strident rhetoric on Kashmir and not restraining its military from its buchery of the helpless Kashmiris in the valley and its provocative activities against Pakistan.
By showing the intransigent behaviour over the Kashmir dispute, India is diminishing the hopes of an amicable settlement. Islamabad will surely find it hard to go along if New Delhi keeps conference room bogged down with irrational polemic and procedural fooling while outside, Indian military keeps spilling the Kashmiris blood in the valley streets, raping and molesting their women and maiming and killing their youth in the torture cells.
Indian Army's Atrocities In Kashmir
Since 1989, Kashmiris have started indigenous struggle to get rid of Indian slavery. No less than 7,00,000/- troops (about one third of the Indian Army) have been deployed in the valley by India to suppress the freedom movement. Never in the history of any country such a large armed force has remained engaged for such a long period as Indian Army in Kashmir. The Indian Security Forces have broken all records of their inhuman atrocity, brutalities and violations of human rights. During the last decade, Indian army has killed over 80,000 Kashmiris, injured over 86,000 about 7000 maimed over 2000 abducted, and killed many extra judicially in torture camps. Thousands of women have been raped and humiliated, about 28,000 buildings, houses, shops and schools have been burnt and hundreds of mosques and tombs razed to the ground by the Indian army.
By Dr. Sarfaraz Hussain Mirza
|