Chapter 30
Weak Mental Make up of Rulers
In mid-September, 1993, the Indian Foreign Minister, Mr. Dinesh Singh, said in his interview to Dubai based newspaper "Khaleej Times" that there was need for holding parleys on Kashmir with Pakistan. There is no other way than this. Otherwise international community would force intervention any day. He also said that Oslo type agreement could prove beneficial. It is a known fact that negotiation between Israel and PLO had been completed in Oslo, capital of Norway. The parleys had been kept secret. Our Foreign Minister has, while exhibiting his suavity, also stated that if Pakistan made known her real intentions, we also will think of some option.
The above statement of the Foreign Minister is irresponsible, ludicrous and dangerous by saying "we shall have to hold talks with Pakistan" the Foreign Minister throws to winds the Indian claim that Kashmir is an integral part of India and the Kashmir problem is our internal matter. It appears that Mr. Dinesh Singh has given to Pakistan right on Kashmir and is in a mood to forge an agreement after some give and take. The Foreign Minister has fears that in the absence of any option other countries in the world may thrust a solution or a way on us. By saying this Mr. Dinesh Singh has confirmed impotency of Government of India on the world stage. He has presented India such a weak country with uncertain future that anyone could capture it anytime.
Palestine type settlement of Kashmir problem ?
The Indian Foreign Minister, Mr. Dinesh Singh, who thinks of Oslo type agreement on Kashmir, has forgotten that Palestine is an independent country which is struggling for its independence. Its agreement with Israel can never be final. It should be considered as first step in the struggle and success of Palestinians. Palestine has been given the right to have its Government in the western bank towns of Zareko and Gaza strips. It may be mentioned here that the Palestinians will have to use their right of self-rule under Israel. As such Oslo type agreement on Kashmir is infirm. The Maharaja of Kashmir had, soon after the partition of India, acceded to India. From ancient times Kashmir has remained a crown of India. India has defended Kashmir during three Pakistani aggressions. India has spent billions of rupees on the development of Kashmir. Thus equating Kashmir with Palestine will be unrealistic why should then Pakistan accept this sort of settlement ? This will provoke Pakistan to play a mischief for further deteriorating the situation in Kashmir. For the past sometime Pakistan is presenting Kashmir as an Islamic prob lem for enlisting support from the west Asian and the gulf countries. The agreement between the PLO and Israel has incited Pakistan. As such Palestine type settlement of the Kashmir problem will not prove durable.
Day Dreaming
"Gulf News" in its issue of September 9, 1993, has published an analysis from a known journalist, Mohashid Hussain. According to him, "the meaning of Palestine type settlement of the Kashmir problem will be that Kashmiris, like the Palestinians, will be given some status within the Indian Union. This will have an advantage for India and Pakistan may be a loser. It is evident that holding of talks on Kashmir with Pakistan on the basis of the Oslo agreement would simply be day-dreaming and useless. Pakistan will not change her basic stand. Islamabad considers Kashmir as an Islamic issue and is comparing Kashmiri terrorists with Palestinians who are fighting for the nation. It means that Islamabad considers Pakistan as the homeland for Kashmiris. It has to be kept in view that America too recognises the Oslo agreement whereas the attitude of Clinton administration towards India is getting tough day by day. America will never allow Pakistan's case to get weakened. On the question of human rights the US administration has started berating India. It is oblivious of the atrocities being committed by ISI supported terrorists on innocent people of Kashmir. The Clinton administration refused to accept the report of the American Congress to declare Pakistan as a terrorist country. Thus President Clinton did even when America is aware of Pakistan interference in Kashmir and its support to militants. Thus linking Oslo agreement with Kashmir problem is foolish".
Need to understand Pak intentions
Our Foreign Minister has made yet another childish and ludicrous statement. He has said that in case Pakistan discloses her intentions, it will help us in finding a way. It is unfortunate that Indian Foreign Minister has not so far been able to understand the Pakistan's real intention. With the formation of Pakistan, Mohd. Ali Jinnah had announced: "We have gladly got Pakistan and we will have India through force ". After this Pakistan launched three armed attacks on India. Now Pakistan has been instrumental in bloodshed in Punjab and Kashmir by encouraging militancy for the last several years. By launching a proxy war against India, Pakistan has destroyed Kashmir. Kashmir has become a Hinduless valley. Former Pakistan's President, Ishaq Khan has said: "Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir". Prior to this Z.A. Bhutto too had talked of one thousand years war with India. Pakistani leaders rake up the Kashmir issue in the world fora treating Kashmir as an Islamic issue and propagate India to be in illegal occupation of Kashmir. But our Foreign Minister, who is a simpleton, yet to understand Pakistan's intention. This very political bankruptcy is taking Kashmir away from India.
1952 Delhi agreement
Ruling Congress leaders have started floating a new opinion for resolving the Kashmir tangle. According to this opinion, the Congressmen favour restoration of pre-1952 constitutional podtion which besides many things means introduction of permit system for visiting Jammu and Kashmir. It also envisages end of jurisdiction and powers of the Indian Parliament and the Supreme Gourt. Urder this plan, the Chief Minister will have the nomenclature of Prime Minister and it will be Sadr-i-Riyasat in place of Governor and the State will no longer have the Indian national flag. It will also mean that the Indian Constitution will remain in force upto Lakhanpur only, and withdrawal of majority of Indian troops. Why do not supporters of restoration of pre-1952 constitutional position say that Kashmir be delinked from India and left to the mercy of Pakistan ? Why do not these supporters understand that once pre-1952 constitutional position is restored it will result in fulfilment of 90 per cent of the aims of the terrorists ? Such a plan will mean that terrorists will get all their demands on a plate when Government of India is spending millions of rupees on preventing State's deccession. If it happens, it will demoralise our security forces and their faith will be shakened.
Who will stop people of Jammu and Ladakh from staging a revolt against the restoration of pre-1952 position ? What justification is there if any agreement forged under pressure of Kashmiri terrorists is thrust on Jammu and Ladakh ? What will happen if the patriotic people of Jammu, who had launched a powerful agitation under the banner of Praja Parishad for three years against dictatorial and communal rule of Sheikh Abdullah, embark on revolt while seeing their rights being bartered away ? Already people of Jammu and Ladakh have been denied several rights. Now additional pressures and fetters will be intolerable. Throttling nationalists under the sure of anti-national elements will never allow the problem to be resolved. The need of the hour is to merge Kashmir fully with India and efforts be made to bring Kashmiri youth to the national mainstream. If we, instead of scrapping Article 370, which has not given an opportunity to people of Kashmir to link themselves with India, restore pre-1952 constitutional position, it will further complicate the problem. Separatism will assume bigger dimensions and Pakistan may get added facilities for executing her plans. All the hurdles will be over for the Pakistan's intelligence agency.
Indian Constitutional powers on Kashmir
Withdrawal of all constitutional powers, which were extended to Jammu and Kashmir by Government of India after the Delhi Agreement of 1952, will mean another partition of the country. During the last 40 years several Central laws have been applied to Jammu and Kashmir which have brought parity between this and other States and have ensured development of this State. The 1954 Presidential proclamation had extended the Jurisdiction of India to Jammu and Kashmir State. As per the Article 370, the jursidiction of the Indian Parliament has been extended along with all the matters in the Union List to Jammu and Kashmir with the concurrence of the State Government. Prior to this jurisdiction was limited to Defence, External Affairs and Communications. Similarly the jursidiction of the Supreme Court and the Chief Election Commission was also extended to Jammu and Kashmir under the States Reorganisation Act of 1966. Jammu and Kashmir had become the 15th State of the Indian Union. In 1955 the provision for all India Services too was made in Jammu and Kashmir.
After the 1952 Delhi Agreement the then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdullah, got more powers which he misused for tormenting and teasing people of Jammu and Ladakh. Sheikh's desire for an independent Kashmir further increased. Even the Council of Ministers had become a seat for intrigues. The Government of India had to dismiss Sheikh and arrested him on charge of his pro-Pak and separatist activities. Such painful events may be repeated again. After 1952 several democratic processes were implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. Will all these be withdrawn ? Today the Government of India can appoint any person as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Under the 1952 Delhi agreement it was Sadr-i-Riyasat instead of Governor and the State Government could appoint Sadr-i-Riyasat. Will all these arrangements be altered to make the Centre to lose its control totally on this State?
Why injustice to Jammu and Ladakh ?
After 1952, several laws were applied to the State on the basis of which a good opportunity became available for linking Jammu and Kashmir with Delhi so far as financial aspect is concerned. Under these very laws, the Government of India gave millions of rupees as financial aid to Kashmir. Restoration of pre-1952 position would directly mean end of these fiscal laws and arrangement. Why political leaders who support greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir formulate all their plans, which only keep Kashmir in their mind ? Does it not mean that by this they want to keep Jammu and Ladakh sub-servient to Kashmir ? The entire State is spread over 8500 sq. miles. Out of this Jammu and Ladakh has an area of 5500 sq. miles and Kashmir valley has 3000 sq. miles area. Thus 3000 sq. miles area wants to gulp 5500 sq. miles. It is only because Kashmir is a Muslim dominated valley and the Government of India's policy of appeasement and politics of vote bank has nurtured undemocratic activities.
Since the partition of the country, the Government of India has opent over Ro. 90,000 crores on the State and out of this Jammu and Ladakh areas have received less than Rs. 20,000 crores. Still we think of restoring pre-1952 constitutional position or total autonomy because of the fear of the gun of the Kashmiri terrorists. If the dangerous designs of National Conference and ruling Congress leaders are given practical shape, it will mean victory for anti-national elements and birth of Praja Parishad type agitation in Jammu and Ladakh. If ruling Congress leaders are swayed by the plans of National Conference and full autonomy was given to Jammu and Kashmir, it will be the biggeot blunder among all the mistakes committed on Kashmir so far.
Preparation for fourth dangerous alternative
The Kashmir problem has increased mental elusion of our so-called intellectuals, journalists and political leaders. Some have witnessed awakening of anti-Hindutva inclination. These persons have discovered the so-called fourth alternative to grant full autonomy to Kashmir with soft Indo-Pak border. India and Pakistan are to have equal share in the defence, foreign affairs and internal development of Kashmir. The plan is receiving full support in English newspapers.
In Hindustan Times February 5, 1953, Mr. Bhawani Sen Gupta floated the idea of fourth alternative. According to him, this is the concept of the State of undivided Jammu and Kashmir which will not be sovereign and free. But it will be independent in its internal affairs and it is possible that it will be free to establish financial connections with outside warld. It will have no independent foreign policy. Its security can be guaranteed by India and Pakistan jointly or separately or through an agreement reached between India and Pakistan.
It becomes clear from Mr. Gupta's article that he treats Kashmir an independent unit without having any feeling for the people of Jammu and Ladakh.
Similarly another secular journalist, Mr. B.G. Verghese has written in Hindustan Times of March 25 that India should remain vigilant in the light of the developments in Yugoslavia and Russia. Like the third world India and Pakistan are in the process of national reconstruction. The ancient land of India, the first nation on the earth, does not need any certificate for its nationalhood from any anti-Hindutva journalist.
Mr. Verghese is also in favour of the restoration of pre-1952 constitutional position in Kashmir. According to him, Kashmir should be free to manage all affairs except fareign affairs, defence and communications. The Line of Actual Control is to be treated as international border. This border should be made soft so that Kashmiris carry out trade and other cultural activities freely. Does not Mr. Verghese mean to have an open border so that Pakistan will have no difficulty in sending militants and arms to Kashmir ? This way separatists could easily cross over to Pakistan for training. Possibly journalists and anti-Hindutva intellectuals, with blessings of the Government of India, want to give a shrine to their liberalism and humanitarianism for handing over Kaohmir to the militants.
Anti-Hindutva Group
One nationalist journalist, Mr. Tarun Vijay, Editor of weekly "Panchjanya", hao given introduction to the activities of this group of intellectuals in his support. It could not be said why importance is to be given to the ideas of Verghese. The anower is that Verghese'o group of secularists with pro-American, pro-Muslim and anti-Hindutva tilt is active because of the support of Government of India. These very people had gone to Washington to participate in a seminar organised by the American Home Department's Government agency 'Institute of Peace'. There was animated discussion in this seminar on the fourth alternative. After returning from Washington this group has engaged themselves in advocating the need for the fourth alternative. It indicates that everybody was supporting this alternative and it will be interesting to note who were all these people.
This American Institute had invited influential people from India, Pakistan, Kashmir and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Disclosure of the names of the invitees will reveal the truth. The invitees from India were Muchkund Dubey, A.G. Noorani, Bhabhuni Sen Gupta, Gen. A.S.Vohra, B.G.Verghese, Raj Mohan Gandhi and Mr. Ved Bhasin (who could not go). The invitees from Kashmir were Abdul Rashid Kabili, National Conference leader who openly supports the terrorists and Yousuf Jameel, BBC correspondent in Srinagar who is blamed for filing pro-terrorist news item. Jameel could not go to Washington. Noorani io known for his anti-Hindutva secular writings and for advocating cause of human Fights of terrorists. It is said about the same A.G. Noorani that his links with Pakistan are so strong that during every Indo-Pak war he has been arrested. The invitees from Pakistan were Editor of Frontier Post, Khalid Ahmed, Yusuf Buchha, a researcher in one of the UN bodies, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Imran Ullah, Air Marshal Aiyaz Ahmed, Pakistan's former Ambassador in Syria, I.A. Rehman, Director of Human Rights Organisation in Islamabad and former Pakistan Foreign Secretary Abdul Sattar. The invitees from India to the seminar concealed details of the Conference and when the news leaked out they, in order to cover their shamefulness, wrote articles saying "we, had gone openly, there is nothing to hide".
It is worth mentioning here that not a single representative from the three lakh displaced Kashmiri Hindus was invited to the seminar which was organised to discuss the fate of Kashmir and take some decision on it. Thus it was simply a one-sided drama. The participants in this seminar included the supporters and favourits of ISI, patrons of terrorists and those who shed tears on the alleged excesses being committed by the security forces but those having been tortured and tormented by the terrorists could not get any representation in the seminar. This one fact gives an introduction to the real character of this Indian secular group which participated in the serninar.
Prime Minisiter's Iran visit
The Government of India should consider afresh matters connected with Kashmir. There is need to strengthen our base and India's case on the world stage. Pakistan has stolen a march on India in this respect. Pakistan's plan of maligning Indian security forces, deployed in Kashmir, by levelling baseless charges against them on the international level has succeeded. On the other side we have not been able to project powerfully the strategy adopted by Pakistan in Kashmir. India could place Pakistan in the dock by carrying out powerful campaign against Pakistan trained militants who had thrown out three lakh Hindus from Kashmir, killed thousands of people, subjected women to several atrocities and rapes, and other incidents of torture and arson. India made no such attempts in any world forum. In September, 1993, Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao visited Iran. It is well known that Iran has remained supporters of Muslim terrorists in the world. Iranian President Rafsanjani had clearly said, during his tour of Pakistan, that the problem of Kashmir was the problem of entire Islam. Why did not the Indian Prime Minister take up the Kashmir problem with Iran in the context of Rafsanjani's statement ? Instead, Narasimhs Rao assured Iranian President of security of the Muslims. He also expressed India's readiness to discuss the Kashmir problem with Pakistan.
By saying the above mentioned things the Indian Prime Minister has insulted people and security forces of India. Are Muslim in Kashmir insecure ? The Indian Prime Minister boasts that the Kashmir problem is an internal matter of India and the Hindus had not migrated from Kashmir because of Mudim fundamentalists. How far is it political wisdom when Indian leaders go to Iran and say there that they are ready to discuss Kashmir with Pakistan and resolve the dispute on the basis of give and take palicy.
America's changing attitude
It has now become need of the hour to place the Kashmir question on its proper and real form on the international level. In the light of the developing world situation after the end of the cold war, India should adopt a rigid posture after many years the Kashmir issue has become matter of discussion in the Security Gouncil. The new American Yresident, Mr. Bill Clinton has given clear indicstion of his policy towards Kashmir while addressing the UN Session. Though Bill Clinton could not present any clear policy on Kashmir, he admitted that Indian Ksshmir is one among those regions where ethnic and religious struggle and civil war have touched new heights. Is the Governmene of India in agreement with this statement ? If not, why it has not given its reaction in the form of a clarification. India did not immediately clarify the situation when the American Assistant Foreign Secretary John Mallot, during his tour of India described Kashmir a disputed territory.
Unashamedly John Mallot said that the two Kashmirs on either side of Line of Actual Control are disputed. India and Pakistan should jointly settle the dispute peacefully. While doing this the opinions of Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims should be kept in view. John Mallot launched further attack on India and said that America could postpone its decision to declare Pakistan as a terrorist country. Pakistan has reduced its support to militants in Punjab and Kashmir. It is in the interest of India to have Pakistan declared as a terrorist State. If Pakistan is declared as a terrorist State, it would mean stoppage of economic aid to her. Pakistan will not get military hardware and other spare parts.
John Mallot was influenced by this group of Indian intellectuals shedding tears over human rights violations and he said that the new Clinton administration is serious about human rights. He said that in this context the situation in India is deteriorating. There in Kashmir the civilians are being teased and tormented by the terrorists and security forces. The deteriorating situation on the human rights front could cast its shadow on economic co-operation between India and America, military training and joint military operations. The Indian Terrorist Act and death of terrorists in jails are clear violations of human rights".
The above mentioned American stand has made it clear that India has committed yet another blunder in not making the world known the real situation in Kashmir where terrorists have indulged in excesses and forced the Hindus to become destitutes. Now it is being admitted that Gavernment of India has not been able to project the problem of Kashmir before the world. So far Pakistan's proxy war was confined to Punjab and Kashmir but recent bomb blasts in Calcutta and Bombay have created scare throughout the country. People have started questioning the soft attitude of India towards Pakistan.
A white paper may be issued
In the light of changing situation India should take up firm stand. The rulers of India are aware of the realities in Kashmir but in the interests of power it does not want to lose a particular vote bank. Now another blunder cannot be repeated. If the solidarity of the nation is not kept above power politics, it will be difficult to protect the country's unity. There is no need to waste time and all the countries in the world should be informed accordingly so that they do not have any misunderstanding. The Government of India should release a white paper on the direct involvement of Pakistan in encouraging terrorism and violence in Punjab and Kashmir. The supporters of terrorism and traitors should be exposed in this white paper without any reservation. This white paper will on one hand boost the morale of the security forces and on the other encourage and strengthen innocent people of Kashmir. This white paper will help India in preparing world opinion against Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, for spreading terrorism in India.
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