Is Kashmir a disputed territory?

It is really disturbing to see the recent developments in Kashmir. Kashmir still continues to be a nightmare for minority communities. A series of terror attack on civilians in Kashmir killed seven in the recent past. It includes a 46 year old school principal by name Supinder Kaur and Deepak Chand, a school teacher, in School premises. The attackers first checked the identity and isolated victims before execution.

Owner of Srinagar’s famous Bindroo medicate, Makhan Lal Bindroo, (68) was shot dead. Another incident of non local vendor, selling Bhelpuri on a cart was found dead in old city’s Lal Bazar area. Bindroos are among very few non-Muslims who stayed back despite violence in 1990. Virendra Paswan, a resident of Bhagalpur in Bihar was also killed brutally. Earlier in January last year, a jeweller by name Satpal Nischal was shot dead, inside his shop by militants. And in Feburary 2021, Akash Mehra, son of the Srinagar’s famous Krishna Dhaba, was also shot inside his shop near the Gupkar road.

The families of minority Community did not step out of their houses for several days due to fear. The local administration has given ten days holiday for employees from minority Community. Twenty eight civilians were killed by rebels in 2021 alone, out of which twenty one were local Muslims. This tells us that the rebels will kill even Muslims who support India, though it is motivated by religion.

It is said that ‘Resistance front' an offshoot of Pakistani based Lashkar E Taiba (LeT), which first surfaced in March 2020, has carried out these attacks. Fearing for life around 500 people or more started leaving from different areas like Budgam, Anantnag and Pulwama, few months ago. The recent attacks has brought back the memories of the 1990’s. Human Rights Watch (HRW) a global rights group has demanded that the government must take measures to protect the minorities in Kashmir.

This agenda has far reaching consequences than it appears. Pakistan wants to make India suffer as much as possible. They want to kill and chase minority communities from Kashmir, while creating a global hype about the unrest in Kashmir valley. Scrapping of Kashmir’s special status (Article 370 and 35A) and issuing domicile certificates to Hindus are the reason for separatists creating this hostile situation again.

The Union government failed to meet expectations of people who elected them for the second term. And Kashmir is one among those issues. Our Union government and the world around should understand that our lives are continuation of our past. Of course we don’t live in memories, but we just cannot forget few years from the history of Independent India.

All those who talk big about demographic changes should understand that the intention behind axing Article 370 and 35A was to reverse the demographic changes made in the valley, since 1990. Government of India should have the guts to say it openly. The actual demographic changes in Kashmir started in early 1990, when thousands of Hindus were tortured, raped and murdered brutally. The mass exodus of Hindus from the valley since 1990 was aimed to do ethnic cleansing. Threats were heard from mosque, delivered through loud speakers asking Pandits to leave Kashmir or to convert to ISLAM. On 4 January 1990, a Kashmiri news paper published a press release from Indian Mujahideen advising Pandits to leave Kashmir.

Hindus who flew away for survival were settled elsewhere in India. Many of them spent several months in refugee camps in their own country (INDIA). Pandits lost their loved ones, been a witness of rape and murder of their loved ones. They spent several months in refugee camps. But they didn’t choose to be anti-Indians. They didn’t take the path of belligerence. The struggle they went through to settle elsewhere without any remarkable rehabilitation efforts from the government made their lives miserable than ever. The feeble assurance from the government makes them say that they do not want to go back to Kashmir again.

kashmiri pandits (Refugees) in 1990.

Pakistan would have been an integral part of India, if Nehru and Jinnah were not so ambitious to become prime minister simultaneously, soon after Independence. The partition caused hundreds of deaths and displaced several Hindu families. Soon after partition, many in Pakistan were motivated by the idea of Jihad and wanted to wage war on India. Other than that, Pakistan was not a rich country looking for more territory for expansion and development.

Pakistan failed in war on India for Kashmir several times. Hence Pakistan engaged in state sponsored terrorism in Kashmir. They declared that they will make India give-up Kashmir, even if it takes another thousand years of war. Pakistan’s efforts produced amazing results. Pakistan became the world’s largest producer and exporter of terrorism. Pakistan provides safe heaven for dreaded criminals from around the world like Dawood Ibrahim, Hafeez Sayed, Osama Bin Laden and it is known to the world. Today, Pakistan is a country with lot of young, educated, ambitious and talented people. But they do not find opportunities in Pakistan and many of them are drown into JIHAD.

As of December 2020, external debt of Pakistan was around 115.7 billion US dollars. Pakistan lacks industrial development. Pakistan is not an attraction for tourists and global investors except for China. China invests in Pakistan because, they can keep Pakistan as their pet dog. So it is not going to help Pakistan in anyways, even if they were to conquer Kashmir by waging war on India for thousands of years. Glorifying the idea of JIHAD is the only gain for Pakistan in waging war on India over Kashmir. The idea of JIHAD did not produce anything other than bloodshed, at wherever it existed.

History:

Dogra rule in Kashmir has been a Hindu Raj and Muslims were not treated as fairly as Hindus. So there were people raising Pakistani flag in Poonch, soon after partition. Muslims were systematically exterminated, unless they escaped to Pakistan along the boarder by the forces of Dogra state headed by the Maharaja. And there were terror and atrocities perpetrated by Jammu and Kashmir forces against the Muslim population of Poonch.

Pakistan launched ‘Operation Gulmarg’ by mobilising tribals on 22 October 1947. About 2000 tribesmen fully armed with modern weapons and under the direct control of Pakistani army general entered Muzaffarabad. The invaders captured URI and BARAMULLA with ease. Maharaja Singh wanted Kashmir to be independent under his rule. Maharaja Singh didn’t agree to be part of India or Pakistan till then. On 24th October 1947, Maharaja Singh appealed to India for military assistance. On 25th October 1947, Maharaja has decided to go to India if he gets a plane, or else to surrender to Pakistan. Finally Maharaja Singh signed the ‘Instrument of accession’ on 26th October 1947 and came to Delhi.

So Kashmir is part of India since 26 October 1947. And now if there is someone calling Kashmir a disputed land, then it is only because of Article 370 and 35A. A special status given to Jammu and Kashmir in 1954. And the credit goes to the then prime minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru. This was a blunder, regardless of what made Nehru do this. Article 370 and 35A played a pivotal role in making Jammu and Kashmir a Muslim majority state. It prevented others from India purchasing land in Kashmir.

Pakistan couldn’t acquire entire Jammu and Kashmir. But was successful in sowing the seeds of ‘Jihad’ in Kashmir since partition. Separatists leaders like late Syed Ali Shah Geelani are products of it and should have been executed long ago. They are the people who recruited Kashmiri youths to terrorist groups in Pakistan and they crossed boarder to get training in Pakistan. It resulted in armed rebellion against the Indian rule in the valley in 1990. Even those who say that they want Kashmir to be Independent, knows very well that it just cannot survive as independent country or state with Pakistan being their neighbour. Pakistan will turn Kashmir into a bloodshed in no time like Yemen or Syria, if separated from India.

People in Kashmir became Pakistani sympathisers due to fear or are motivated by the idea of Jihad and a Muslim nation. And it is not because Pakistan is a welfare state which gives better civil rights to it’s people. Pakistan, a debt ridden country with no hope or opportunities for it’s educated youths, a country which is exposed to the risk of civil war( between Sunni and Shayi), cannot be an attraction for anybody. Stone pelting to provide civilian cover for infiltrators, the protest for removal of AFSPA, protest against killing militants and considering dead militants as martyrs are ideas preached by leaders like Geelani. It is such people who rant about Demographic changes.

Protest against axing Article 370 and 35A.

Separatists are the people who justify brutal rape and murder of Kashmiri Hindus and the ethnic cleansing. They are carried away by the draconian laws of Akbar and Babar, where people can either convert to ISLAM or will be tortured, raped and murdered mercilessly. Such people who condemn the idea of Kashmir being part of India, do not deserve democratic rights. Union government should be more stringent in enforcing law and we do not want this issue to continue forever. Kashmir is one among the issues of India and can never be an issue bigger than India. Those human rights activists who go after militant’s death should be jailed indiscriminately. These activists are least bothered about the rights, lives and contribution of police and army men on duty. Such activists should be booked under sedition charge and UAPA (unlawful activities prevention act).

India is a country where mal-nutrition and hunger claims more lives every year, than those who die in the valley due to militancy. The separatists, who shamelessly call Kashmir a disputed region are the same people, who enjoyed 10% of national spending of India for 1% of population in the last seventy five years. So far, hundreds of brave soldiers, policemen and BSF personnel have sacrificed their lives to safeguard Kashmir. Those who shamelessly pelt stones at army men and police should understand this reality. Separatists are opportunists. They enjoy all the aid given by our union government and never refuse it saying that they are not part of India.

The strategy used by separatists is such that, Kashmir chamber of commerce and industry will request the union government for comprehensive support for reviving region’s business. Union government giving such support will help separatists as well. But they will talk about UN, civil rights and unrest. And the unrest is created by the same people to please Pakistan. The generous aid from union government, money pumped from Pakistan and drug mafia in India allows Kashmiris to live a comfortable life even when stone pelting causes months of shutdown.

Propaganda against India:

It is absurd to call the elected government of India “Hindu Nationalist Government”. Those media and the public figures who use such terms to insult our country, our elected representatives and challenge our country’s sovereignty should be punished. There are certain medias like Al Jazeera.com, who repeatedly use terms such as ‘disputed region', Hindu Nationalist Government', ‘Muslim majority state', ‘Indian administered Kashmir', ‘Kashmiri narrative’, etc.

These medias will give hype for incidents like suicide of a student by name Basheer Ahmed, who was doing masters degree in Psychology. Such incidents are reported repeatedly, even in news contents which are not relevant to it. Their intention is to grab the attention of international community and to defame India. Such medias should be banned in India forever. Thousands of farmers, students and labourers in India end their lives every year due to various reasons. And the reasons include poverty, unemployment and hunger. And these medias are not interested in such stories.

The recent news about car maker Hyundai and few other brands driving the idea of Independent Kashmir and Kashmir belongs to Pakistan is not at all acceptable. Such propaganda are meant to increase their sales in Pakistan and Kashmir. All such brands should be banned in India. India is a bigger market for them, than both Pakistan and Kashmir put together.

The way forward:

The Union Government should gather courage to declare that their intention is to change the demography. Or to reverse the demographic changes brought in Kashmir since partition. We want more people in the valley who will inform police about any militant activity. More people who will welcome home police officers and army men with a hot cup of tea. Somebody from down south, serving India, being away from family and being part of Indian army will learn to respect Kashmiris, when they are treated as saviours.

We don’t want those who disrespect India and the contribution of our army men. Kashmiris blame Union government for dismissing separatists from government job. The government should consider taking away their land and home as well, for waging war on India. Normalcy in the valley cannot be an option, unless people in the valley are mature enough to accept the reality, that Pakistan can never deliver peace.

It is extremely important that India does whatever it takes to bring peace and stability in the valley. There are innocent people in the valley. Separatists, Pakistani sympathisers, independent leaders who preach independent Kashmir, leaders of existing political parties are all talking about AZADI (freedom). But Kashmiris are deceived by all these stakeholders and they are not sure about whom they should support and whom they should hate. There are women who lost their father, son, brother and husband. And they say that the violence should end. But it is not easy, because we have neighbouring Pakistan who funds separatists (Jihadists), help Kashmiri youths in training, provides arms and ammunition to wage war on India.

Union government should be able to stop infiltration and kill those who wage war on India, while rewarding those who support police and army. There should be a helpline number and an email address for Kashmiris to contact someone mature like an IAS officer, regarding any sort of grievances and to report harsh behaviour from army or police on law abiding citizens.

It is not easy in Kashmir, where Jihadists have informers to target those who co-operate with Indian authorities. This is why, the Union Government should encourage people from other states to migrate to Kashmir in large numbers. The Union Government should consider giving land in Kashmir for those who are homeless in other states. Security arrangements should be beefed up in public places throughout the year, till the dust settles.

In fact Pak occupied Kashmir also belongs to India, but we just cannot make a move due to the existing vulnerabilities. Same is the problem India is facing with China, although we haven’t spent as much as we spent on Kashmir. The 13th round of bilateral talks between the armies failed. Both India and China blamed each other. It is true that the present union government has made remarkable achievements in Kashmir. But, the government failed to settle the boarder issues with China once and forever.

Disputed region between India and China.

Protecting the sovereignty of our country, infrastructure development, crisis management, reforms, industrial development, are all important. But the elected government should know where to draw the line and how to balance it. The present government lacks economic planning and vision. NDA government led by Modi failed miserably in managing economy. And the mismanagement is palpable. Price rise, inflation, unemployment and poverty are issues which the present government failed to address. India lags far behind Pakistan in hunger and starvation. People are agitated with the present government.

NDA government’s failure in the next election could mean a disaster for India, where even Article 370 is likely to come back. Hence, a war on Chine is not an option for India. For China, it is an option, unless they wish to continue their trade without any sanctions at any cost.

India is getting immense support from USA, UK, Australia, France and Japan against China. But a war on China is not a good idea. Let us take ‘Kargil war' as an example. The first war between India and Pakistan, after attaining nuclear power. It wasn’t a major war and it lasted only for two and half months. It affected Indian economy very badly and the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee failed in the next election in 2004, despite the India shining campaign. There wasn’t anything shining in India, other than the ironman’s head.

China’s nuclear capable hypersonic missile test has stunned US officials. It circled the globe before speeding towards its target. The tests were conducted in July 2021 and again in August 2021. China has become powerful than what Russia (USSR) was during and after cold war. China is not interested in a war with any country. Instead are busy strengthening their economy and military capability. Settling the boarder issue with China peacefully and a good bilateral relationship with China will benefit India a lot. India cannot afford this boarder issue with China and the Kashmir issue, as an economic and military burden forever.

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