THE ON-GOING KASHMIR WAR IN
A NATIONAL LIBERATION PERSPECTS.
The struggle of suppressed people
against tyranny and exploitation is as old as human history. In some places,
this war was fought by individuals whose names became immortal. The struggle
against tyranny became organized as man’s political consciousness grew and
people’s power overcame state tyranny through organized parties. That is how
North American, Asian, African and west Asian nations and countries liberated
themselves from imperialist strangulation. In our own times there are examples
of Vietnam and Algeria. These two countries defeated two big world powers
because they fought from the platform of organized political parties. Nowhere
was any struggle carried on in the name of religion or accession. In
Afghanistan the United States and Pakistan made the Afghans fight in the name
of religion. The results are before us. Religious fanatics are shedding one
another’s blood in that country.
Regional and Sub-regionalism
Unfortunately the Kashmiri nation (all those who
reside in the rest while state of Jammu and Kashmir) has not been told till
this day the real meaning of national independence or of nationhood. But
politicians in pursuance of their vested interest have exploited religion and
communities. The people of Kotli considered Mirpuri and the muzaffarabadis
consider the poonchis as their enemies. In Jammu and Ladakh, hatred was
generated against the people of the valley resulting in intellectual
backwardness. Unfortunately, our so called politicians and intelligentsia also
talked of regionalism. As a result, we see poonch dismembered to create the
district of Bagh; Muzaffarabad has been divided between the local and refugees.
Kashmiris settled in Pakistan are divided into segments from the valley and from
Jammu. The tragedy is that the people of the valley are not willing to accept
non- valley people in Kashmir and they are called “ naqli” meaning fake
kashmiris.
Sectarian Insanity.
In the same strain, the people of
Jammu have their own perception of the people of the valley. The people of
Gilgit and Baltistan have nicknamed Kashmiris as ‘ganja’ meaning tonsured.
Colonial forces in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and their agents have practically
divided Kashmir on the India side into many parts. I am reminded of a speech of
late K.H Khurshid in which he told his listerners,” you have heard my speech
but you would give your vote to sardar
Ibrahim.” It may be mentioned here that late K.H Khurshid belonged to the
valley. On the Indian side, the Kashmiri politicians in the valley taught
hatred and individualism in the name of religion and accession. The people of
Ladak were told to hate the valley people. In other words, in all the three
regions the politicians preached hatred and regionalism only to ensure vote banks
for themselves. Today although we shout at the top of our voice that the state
of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be divided, the ground realities are that we have
divided it ourselves on communal, regional and religious basis.
It is tragic that self styled
nationalist Amanullah Khan and some of his supporters started the present
struggle in Kashmir in league with the ISI. A man with common sense can
understand that any movement started in a Muslim majority area with the help of
Pakistan military intelligence will eventually mean a religious struggle.
Therefore,
in 1984 when ISI Generals and Brigadiers approached me with the offer”get us
young people for training from the valey so that they could fight India on
their return “, I said,” we believe in a free Kashmir and we have our eyes on
Gilgit and Baltistan and we regard Azad Kashmir as occupied. You yourself are
an occupying force and you want to give us arms against another occupying
force. Such a struggle can only serve your objectives. We will not be a party
to any such scheme which would destroy my nation and use our young people as
fodder for guns and further divide Kashmir with hatred.”
It is long story of how I had to flee Pakistan and
go in a self imposed exile along with my family because the ISI and its agents
were after my blood. Today, after ten years my fears have proved correct. The
military establishment then picked up Amanullah Khan from a tiny village in
Gilgit to carry out the task they wanted me to do. According to Altaf Indrabi
who was once Amanullah’s comrade but later on returned to the Muhaz-e-
Azzadi)”ISI needed a man who hated the valley. Amanullah spent his childhood in
his sister’s house in the valley and owing to his unimpressive features and
dwarfish stature suffered from inferiority complex. Perhaps it was because of
this complex that he ran away back to Gilgit from S.P College in Srinagar and
always hated the youth of the valley.’
In the light of Indrabi’s assessment
we will have to take note of the fact that in the beginning Amanullah received
weapons and funds from the ISI to lure Kashmiri (to Azad Kashmir) for training.
There was no talk of liberation of Gilgit and Baltistan and Pakistan occupied
Kashmir. There are colleges’ university medical and technical colleges in the
valley whereas in Astor and in Gilgit from where Amanullah comes, there is not
even a middle school in his village till this day nor have the people the right
to vote. There is no high court or Supreme Court there. Till today Amanullah’s
JKLF has not organized a public meeting or a procession there to demand
democratic rights for the people. Amanullah proved that he was an agent of the
ISI when he kept away along with the people party, Liberation League, Muslim conference
and Tehrik-e- Amal party from Azad Kashmir high courts proceedings which
delivered its judgment on March 8, 1993.
Amanullah under instructions from the
ISI got the Kashmiri youth from the valley for training , but never talked of
the liberation of POK. On March 8 1993 when the Azad Kashmir High court gave
its verdict about (the ownership) of Gilgit and Baltistan, the writ exposed
Amanullah as the man of the ISI or military establishment. The chief Justice
wrote on page 10 of the verdict as this: “ people’s party Liberation League
,Muslim conference, Tehrik-e-Amal Party and JKLF did not present themselves it
appeared they all had migrated although Amanullah only once put up his
appearance during cross examination”. The court then said,” (they) failed to
turn up. The proceedings were exparte.”
If today in the Valley any one has any
doubts, he should see the writ petition No.51/1990 of March 8 1993 already
alluded to. The JKLF did not launch a struggle against the occupation force in
occupied Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan even though the Pakistani rulers and
politicians had made clear their stand
on Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, and Nawabazadeh Nasrullah Khan openly
condemned pro-independence elements as “Indian Agents”.
The Liberation Front youth in the
Valley must note that the JKLF did not protest even after the killing of nine
youth by the Pakistani army on February 11, 1993. They only arm the youth of
the valley and tell them to go back to the valley and fight the Indians. This
drama was staged by the ISI (which remained in the background) toescape America
declaring Pakistan a terrorist state. This was revealed by Raja Muzaffar Khan
at a press conference. About this, Azam Inquilabi wrote in the June issue of
Wahdat that “as far as politicians of Azad Kashmir are concerned, they are more
interested in establishing their influence than in the liberation of Kashmir.”
The Liberation Front youth in the
valley must note that the JKLF did not protest even after the killing of nine
youths by the Pakistani army on February 11 -1993. They only arm the youth of
the valley and tell them to go back to the valley and fight the Indians. This
drama was staged by the ISI (which remained in the background) to escape
America declaring’ Pakistan a terrorist state. This was revealed by Raja Muzaffar
Khan at a press conference. About this Azam Inquilabi wrote in the June issue
of Wahdat that “as far as politicians of Azad Kashmir are concerned, they are
more interested in establishing their influence than in all liberation of
Kashmir.”
He tells leaders and politicians of
Azad Kashmir, “You are not interested in helping mujahideen and those affected.
Yes, you are interested in sending only money and guns to put Kashmir on fire,
not to liberate it. Kashmiri youth are killing one another with these guns. If
one must fight in the name of ideological difference then why do not the supporters
and opponents of accession and independence fight among themselves in
Muzaffarabad? Why have you destroyed Kashmir with this dissension and abuse?”
In other words, the so called Kasmiri
nationalists have exploited the Kashmiri youth right from the beginning for
objectives which include fame and wealth. For these objectives Amanullah andhis followers were not ashamed
of working as agents of the ISI. They called themselves patriots and described
those who resented control of the Liberation Front by the ISI as Indian agents
although they themselves are ISI agents. When Pakistani agencies managed to
entrench themselves in Kashmir they began sermonizing the Liberation Front
youth and establishing new groups by different names.
Maulavi Farooq’s Murder
As a result a time came when Kashmir had 156
groups. Even now there are about 76 of them. The ISI pushed aside the
nationalists and began giving material help to pro- Pakistan group and ordered
the assassination of all those in the valley who could push the movement
towards national independence. A family friend of Maulavi Farooq told me that
Maulavi Farooq was martyred just because he preached three things (a) now when
you have taken up the gun, raise only the slogan of independence (b) you will
not get international support if you raise the slogan of accession to Pakistan
and of Nizam-e- Mustafa (c) protect minorities especially the Kashmiri Pandits
so that the movement does not get a communal colour. Maulavi Farooq was
assassinated for these reasons. The ISI ran this movement on communal lines
right from the beginning and for that Amanullah and his underlings became its
agents.
The movement was introduced in the
valley and from there young men were brought to Azad Kashmir for training although
there are also slaves in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan.
Had Amanullah or the nationalist forces’ in Pakistan occupied Kashmir been
really nationalists they would have fought in their own areas like the Kurs who
fight those who have occupied their land in the countries where they are
living. For example, the Kurds living in Syria are fighting the Syria
government against the occupation of their land, those living in Turkey are
fighting the Turkish government and those living in Iraq are fighting against
the Iranian government, in Iraq against the Iraqi government. But this did not
happen in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
When I visited Pakistan and the
so-called Azad Kashmir in 1993 for two months, I was ashamed to learn that
except a few of them, all so called nationalists were eager to become the
agents of ISI or some other intelligence agency. I found everybody enslaved in
the name of independence movement in the valley and the young people who have
been subjected to educational and economic deprivation and political
exploitation for the last 50 years. Those who tried to expound true nationalism
in Azad Kashmir were branded by Amanullah and his henchmen as Indian agents.
Now let us examine what these real
nationalists have to say. They say national independence presupposes people in
the five regions to be first mentally prepared for complete independence of
Jammu and Kashmir. They say that this struggle should not be on a religious basis.
Then if the people of POK accept support from Indian agencies like RAW and IB
against Pakistan, they would not be called patriots. Likewise if anybody living
in Indian occupied Kashmir becomes an ISI instrument for achieving
independence, he would not be a patriot.
It is difficult to speak this truth in
the present atmosphere in Kashmir. Those who call themselves nationalists would
only hate this truth. They try to cover up their own role (as instruments of
the ISI) by accusing true nationalists. I have no compunction in saying this. I
congratulate the ISI and other Pakistani agencies for very cleverly diverting
the rising resentment against political and economic exploitation in “Azad”
Kashmir (POK) Gilgit and Baltistan towards the movement in the valley with the
help of their agents. The defeat Pakistan met with in East Pakistan at the
hands of India is being averaged with the blood of Kashmiri youth, with the
honour of kashmiri women and through the destruction of our property.
Azam Indquilabui supports my stands In
his article in Wahdat of June. He write” Is it not true that you ingrained in
the minds of kashmiri youth that kashmiris acted as traitors in 1947 and in
1965. Is it not true that at times friendly officers’ in a fit of anger told
innocent youth’ we are wrecking vengeance on you for (your treachery in) 1965.
Our mujahideen themselves heard these remarks but swallowed the humiliation.”
The
Truth
The youth who returned from Azad
Kashmir (POK) and Pakistan now know the conditions in Pakistani Occupied
Kashmir, also called Azad Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan. There is unemployment
and young people go to England and to West Asian countries in search of a job.
They have exploited the ongoing struggle in the valley for getting political
asylum in European countries. Job opportunities in Azad Kashmir are just non-
existent.
These Kashmiris, settled abroad took
out processions for the independence of Kashmir at the behest of Pakistan but
they never protested against Pakistan’s occupation of Kashmir and Gilgit and
Baltisran. Recently, Chairman of Kashmir Committee, Nawabzadeh Nasrullah Khan
said, those who demanded independent Kashmir were the agents of India”. Mrs.
Benazir Bhtoo has reportedly said that” there are only two options, accession
with India or with Pakistan.”
Instead of implementing the verdict of
the High Court of Azad Kashmir (POK) that Gilgit and Balttistan were part of Kashmir,
Pakistan government approached the Supremen court ofr the reversal of this order
on technical grounds. No nationalist organization in Azad Kashmir protested
against this step of Islamabad. They did not demonstrate in front of any
foreign embassy (as the valley based dissident leadership generally does in New
Delhi) when the Government of Pakistan announced a package of reforms
strengthening the grip of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs over them. Amanullah
or his Liberation Front, too, did not protest although he himself comes from
Gilgit.
Accession
to Pakistan
It is for this reason that our
national movement couldn’t receive any support from international organizations
or from the press as was the case with the Palestinians or other national
movements in the world. We did not run our movement along the lines of national
struggle. In England, the Palestinian representative is a Christian and is the
lady who represented Palestine at the talks with Israel.
As compared to this we said that our
case was Islamic and that was the basis of our demand for joining Pakistan. The
Kashmir Committee is packed with Pakistanis and so are all the delegations
which go abroad to plead Pakistan stand don Kashmir issue. Pakistan, as a
gesture of kindness to the people of occupied Kashmir, will include some
members of the Jamaat-e- Islami or the Muslim conference in these delegations
because they stand for Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan.
Ghulam Qadir wani said in Muzaffarabad
on April 20- 1993, “we had launched a perfect freedom movement, but it was
hijacking and converted into an insurgency; and now the inner independent
character of the movement is being eliminated. That has created psychological,
social and political problems. Today, the entire Kashmiri nation, particularly
the youth is psychologically ailing; it is being deprived of its future and its
self- respect is being trampled, it is being bartered away or put on auction.
The problem of dedication and sacrifice has come to a naught and loyalties are
being purchased in the open market.
“This is
the same nation that demonstrated unprecedented unity during the holy relic
episode. Did not this nation initiate a movement from the common platform of
Muslim United Front for recovering its usurped rights? Did not this nation
bring into existence the unity in the freedom movement of Kashmir? In the
beginning of the on-going movement, this nation demonstrated unparallel example
of fraternity, love, unity, sympathy and dedication. But those determined to
play with these sentiments made this nation a laboratory for their experiments.
They first used it in the name of freedom and self-determination and delivered
sermons of accessions. In this way they manipulated confrontation between the
people of these two streams of thought which consumed people like Maulana
Farooq, Dr. Abdul Ahad Guru, Prof Abdul Ahad Wani, Muhammad Maqbool Malik,
Ghulam Mohd Rather and Ghulam Mohd Ganai”He
added.”
We have never heard of clashes between
group in Azad Kashmir who are pro and anti accession with Pakistan. Why do
these clashed take place in a region where the unfortunate people are exposed
to ethnic cleansing by the Indian security forces? The answer is that the
majority of self- determinists in Azad Kashmir is on the pay roll of the ISI
and other agencies and pro- pak accessionists are a part of them. Raja Muzaffar
Khan received a cheque of 17- 73 lakh rupees from sardar Qayyum Khan in May
1990. Why then should these people launch any movement for freedom of AK? The
pro and anti accession group in Azad Kashmir are thriving at the expense of
Kashmir youth and the honour of our sisters and daughters in Kashmir. These
groups will lose their political status and bread and butter if they fight
among themselves.
Dr.Ghulam Qadir wani lived in AK and
Pakistan. He had gained experience of how ISI functioned. On the basis of his
experience he cried at the top of his voice and under an impulse of patriotism
as this “we want to maintain the identity of Kashmir liberation movement only
as a native and people movement for total freedom. But here experience has
taught us that people movement has been hijacking through money and muscle
power and is being used as an instrument for exploitative purposes as did the
East India Company. It degenerates into an insurgency and its reins are no
longer in the hands of its initiators.”
Wounded Hearts.
Farooq Rahmani has been, for the whole of his life,
an ardent supporter of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan. He fanatically held on
to this view point. In the second introduction to his book Azaadi Ki Talash he
writes.’ For the last three years, I am in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. But even
to this day, I consider myself a traveler and the travel of jehad continues.
The scars of being a stranger (in this land) are fresh. I had come (to AK and
Pakistan) in the belief that Azad Kashmir is our own part and that Pakistan is our
native land. I had thought here I would work for the liberation of entire
Kashmir from the clutches of foreigners.
Alas!
In AK we are considered foreigners and in order to prove our citizenship and
kashmiriyat we have to approach the courts. Our dreams were shattered, dreams
which we had been nursing for many years in our wounded breasts. Those wounds
are still fresh and love is still abiding. But I am being forced to abandon my
love. Should I curse this love to the full ?”
Addressing the Pakistanis, he writes.” how come the
kashmiris who despite being far away from you, were close to you. But today
despite being close to you, are far away from you. There was no distance then
between hearts but wherefore have these appeared now and who created” Farooq
Rahmani who had been dancing to the tune of Pakistan throughout his life,
discloses the real picture of Pakistan in these words,
“Ideologically
and functionally Pakistan is an Islamic welfare and democratic state but
feudalism continues to exist, Capitalism is flourishing and western cultural
dominate society.”
He endorsees my stand in these words,”
The movement for freedom and Islam demand that no leadership should be imposed
on people through the use of gun or opportunism or guile. Today, we feel that
despite political freedom this is a helpless and destitute nation, suspended
between the earth and the sky. For several years in the past, Pakistan has been
unmaking the system of search for leadership in Kashmir. The region of Azad Kashmir
has been going along the same path for many years in the past. It has no
sensitivity of gain or loss or of the pure and defiled… today when the freedom
movement has reached the midday of its life, various freedom loving parties,
mujahideen and activists have become one another sworn enemies.”
Farooq
Rahmani Iaments !
“The way the
means of jihad movement is being used for making and breaking, is a phenomenon
the like of which is not to be found in several decades in the past. We wish we
had known the type of persons who occupy positions here. Then our youth would
not have ventured to risk their lives over snow clad peaks to come here.they
would have carried on their struggle against india with their own resources. By
deciding to take the path leading across the cease- fire line, our policies
slipped out of our hands. Our youth became toys in the hands of other people
and our policies instead of becoming guiding principle became the source of
earning money, one major benefit which we desired from our sallies from
occupied Kashmir to Azad Kashmir is that the presence of heaps of filthy
politics was confirmed. Its stink has made the life of locals a virtual hell.”
The conclusions drawn by Farooq Rahmani are as these: 1. Material and political
support given for the struggle for liberation is apparently moral and
humanitarian but practically it is all conditional. 2. Regimes and parties in
Pakistan and Azad Kashmir will be demonstrating different identities and will
be raising emotive slogan but all this rhetoric will be for self preservation
because both feel endangered.
Destruction of Kashmir`s Heritage
Farooq Rehmani spent all his life in Indian
Occupied Kashmir raising the slogan of accession to Pakistan. He has been
honest in his convictions and sacrificed everything for the same without any
remuneration. After three years of experimentation, he has reached the same
conclusion at which Maqbool butt the martyr, and I had reached after two and a
half months internment in the Shahi qila of Lahore what Farooq Rahmani writes
today was written by me five years ago. But then as today the paid agents of
ISI labeled all those persons as Indian agents who spoke the truth. At this
point let me once again quote Dr, Ghulam Qadir Wani. In the Urdu magazine
called Wahdat of June 1994, he wrote an article under the heading Wuh gul hun
mein khazan hargul ki hai goya khazan meri. He said ; “Influential capitalists gave funds to various
organizations as donations in order to undertake illegal constructions and
encroachments in Dal lake which made it shrink considerably. It speaks of our
insensitivity. One does not see the like of such destruction of nature`s beauty
and ungratefulness for her bounty. The consequences of this thanklessness,
crudeness and insensitivity can be very harsh, on the one side Dal lake is
shrinking and on the other side the tall and beautiful deodar trees are felled.
The forests are mercilessly destroyed. From the heights of Khilan marg to the
foothills of Harmukh and the virgin woods of pahalgam have become the targets
of this large scale vandalism. The rising fir trees in the valley of Lolab and
on the upland of Bandipor cry aloud against their molestation. Are we inviting
famine like Somalia? Isn`t it that at the behest of somebody we has embarked on
stealing Kashmir of her prestine beauty, her rich forests and her resources so
that all possibilities of her existence as a free country are eliminated.
Panchayat houses have been burnt; beautiful buildings have been turned into
ruins. The people of Kashmir had with much labour and with the cooperation of
locals built imposing buildings from funds raised voluntarily to house schools and
teaching institutions. No trace of these is to be found. The grand building of
Islamia College, its laboratory and its enviable library all have been reduced
to ashes. And what has been the benefit? Why this funeral of knowledge,
literature, culture and civilization? If it is a part of the jehad movement,
then why has it remained restricted only to the valley?
I have quoted from the writing and
speeches of Azam Inquilabi Dr. Ghulam Wani and Farooq Rahmani for the specific
reason that these three gentlemen remained associated with the ongoing movement
from the very beginning and were openly cooperating with Pakistan institutions.
But they also love the motherland Kashmir. As such they are also expressing the
same truth which the martyr Maqbool Butt and I have been expressing thought out
our lives. Azam Inquilabi these confessions in an open letter he wrote to Maqbool
Butt which was published in the Wahdat of June 1994.he said,
“When
you need to express your acute hatred against exploitation and divisive
politics in the free atmosphere of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. I was at a loss
to understand what relation could be there between the words exploitation and
divisiveness in the free atmosphere that prevailed here( Pakistan and AK) but
today I fully understand how auspicious and virtuous it is to fight against the
exploitative feudalism, capitalism and oppressive system existing here(
Pakistan and AK).”
Massacro of
Kashmiri Nation
Now about the movement- where it
stands about mental physical, economic and political destruction which
Kashmiris has suffered the real and eye opening picture is available in the
writings of Azam Inquilabi, Farooq Rahmani and Dr. Ghulam Qadir wani. Let me
remind my readers that these three gentlemen along with their parties are the
components of APHC.
The groups and parties in the valley
of Kashmir claiming to fight under attractive slogans of freedom or even jehad
generally murder their own brethren for telling the truth. Newspapers are
threatened for giving the true news or information to the public about rival
groups. Offices and official properties are destroyed with bomb blast,
newspapers are set on fire. Who destroyed the bridges on the river Jhelum or
those linking villages with one another? Who is selling forest timber
clandestinely? Can we find a more lamentable example of collective national
suicide by a nation claiming to be engaged in liberation struggle but actually
indulging in fratricide, in burning schools and buildings, bridges and public structures?
What loss does it inflict on India? It is the people of Kashmir who are facing
difficulties in communication, lack of educational facilities and illiteracy
entering into each house.
Is it not the time that kashmiri
intellectual, educationists, politician’s journalists and jurists students and
teachers one and all who have any love for Kashmir review the five years old
struggle and make a positive analysis. They must examine whether we kashmiris
have been able to win any support at the international platform? Statements in
newspapers moving resolutions in Kashmir, all these are nothing more than
gimmicks to kept Kashmir’s in good humor while compassing the destruction of
their youth.
If there was any pressure on India
from the international community with regard to Kashmir, its official authorities
would not have announced allocation of 7.80 thousand million rupees for
rebuilding destroyed colleges schools, and bridges in Kashmir .why should not
one examine why we have not been able to win international support. The answer
is simple. The five year old struggle in the valley could not pose as a true
national liberation movement. It could project itself as nothing more than a
communal and pro-Pak accession movement as far as international public opinion
is concerned. By forcing kashmiri pundits out of Kashmir and then by looting
and burning their abandoned properties, labeled it a theocratic and communal
movement. The slogans for accession to Pakistan, likewise, denied it the
legitimacy of a truly national liberation movement. With regard to our
inability to win international support, let me refer to an article written by
Sayyid Ali Shah Geelani for the London based Jang on October 21 1994. He
writes, Representatives at international level, while visiting us do not,
unfortunately feel the agony of oppressed Kashmir. In fact they come here as
representatives of their own interests. It appears that they visit us not as
protector of the rights and interests of kashmiris but as upholders of the
interests of imperialists and in the process, they begin to teach us, seduce us
or frighten us.”
Many Kashmiri are misled into thinking
that international opinion is mobilized in favour of the movement. This wishful
thinking is created by those who make business of the dead bodies of kashmiri
youth and collect enormous funds by way of donations. But it should be very
clear that the international opinion does not support Kashmir cause because of
communal slogans raised by religious groups and parties. Therefore this
movement needs drastic reform. There is the need that we are not intimidated by
the threat of the gun and instead venture to save the nation from falling into
the abyss of destruction.
Introspection.
In these circumstances if the nationalists in
Kashmir really want freedom and self- determination, they should rise against
all forces that dominate Kashmir. The people of Gilgit, Biltistan and Azad
Kashmir POK) should smoothen public opinion. The people in the valley will have
to solicit participation of kashmiri pundits and the residents in Jammu and
Ladakh regions in the struggle by assuring them security of life and future.
Perhaps their participation may not be possible unless Kashmiri pundits return
to the valley and unless religion based struggle waged in the valley on the
basis of pro- Pakistan accession is transformed into true national liberation
struggle. Kashmir loyalists should also reject the UN Resolution of January 4-
1949 because these resolutions give the kashmiri people the right to join one
or the other state only. The Simla Agreement also stipulates that the two
countries India and Pakistan alone can decide about Kashmir. This means that
the aspirations of kashmiris have no place in the resolution of the UN and also
in the simla Agreement.
At the same time during past five
years Pakistan rulers totally ruled out the third option for Kashmir on
national and international level for them there is only one path for the
kashmiris and that is accession to Pakistan. When any suggestion other than accession to Pakistan
is put forward by any well meaning persons, the pro- pak accessionists in
Kashmir Pakistani official circles and Pakistani media sources label him as a
traitor and protagonist of Indian interests. This is despite the fact while
these pro-pak organizations and Pakistan official circles speaking about the UN
Resolution readily forget that in the
light of these resolutions it is not a crime to speak about accession to
India. In the eyes of Pakistani ruling circles politicians, bureaucracy and the
army only those persons and parties in Azad Kashmir can be considered patriotic
who are their yes-men. They want that by freedom these people should mean and
express accession to Pakistan. Therefore they speak the language of bullets and
bombs only. This was proved by the harsh reaction to yasin Malik posture by
Pakistani rulers, their institutions and their media. Yasin Malik had spoken
only of change in tactics in the ongoing struggle meaning thereby resorting to
non violent civil disobedience only. From the deeply passionate writings of
Azam Inquilabi, Ghulam Qadir Wani and Farooq Rahmani, it became clear that the
leadership of Azad Kashmir and their pseudo- sympathizers have no remedial measures
for the problems and difficulties of Kashmiris of the valley, their hunger,
their disease and their suffering. But of course, they are impatient to see
more and more bodies dropping dead, more youth filling the prisons and
incarceration camps. This dreadful scenario of death and destruction gives them
the pretext to collect millions of pounds all over the world in the name of war
in Kashmir and leave immense properties and estates for their progeny.
The
cry of the hour is that true lovers of Kashmiri come forward and initiate a
jehad. A great struggle against falsehood and fraud and leave behind traces of
truth for their coming generation. I would like to exhort Kashmiri people to
speak the truth bear the truth, write the truth, tolerate the truth and stifle
not the voice of truth. Indeed they must support the truth.
This article is published in my book "Kashmir: The unveiling of
truth", 1998
