6
14th Febuary 2023
Global
Comment: Kashmir, an oblivion Syed M Hamza, MILT (UK)
Global Writer
“ Wh e re a s strateg y is only co n ce r ne d winning militar y vi c to r y, gra nd strategy must t a k e t he lo ng e r v iew – for its p ro b l e m is the winning peace” B.H . L i dd ell Ha r t. As p e r Vox - Ad il Ahmed, a 1 9-ye a r- old K a shmir i car r ied out a s ui c i d e atta ck o n an I ndian m i l i t a r y co nvoy k illing 40 I ndian s o l d i e r s o n the 14th o f Februar y 2 019 i n K a shmir. I n response, t h e I n d ia n a ir force conduc ted a i r s t r i k es in Pa k ista n within 12 days. Accord ing to Al Jazeera, Pa k i s t a n’s Air fo rce re taliated by s h o o t i n g d own 2 I nd ian aircraf ts a n d c a ptu r ing o ne I ndian air fo rce pilot, Wing Commander Ab h i n a nd a n. BBC confir med Pa k i s t a ni po lic yma kers handed ove r t he ca ptu re d pilot to the I n di a n g over nme nt a s a “peace g e s t ure”. This cr itical point co u l d h ave wa ged a nuclear war, h a d Pa k ista n no t re tur ned the p i l o t. Why have bo th countr ies f a i l e d at winning peace? To co m p rehend this, a look back at K a s hmir ’s histo r y is vital. Wi t h t he Br itish d epar ting the s u b co ntine nt in 1947, the states t h at h ad a M u slim maj or it y b e c a m e pa r t o f Pa k istan whilst n o n - M u slim ma jor it y states b e c a m e pa r t of I nd ia. K ashmir wa s r uled by a H ind u M onarch at t h e time, Ha r i Sin gh, who wa nte d a n ind e pend ent state of K a s h m i r a s he d e sire d to have an a uto n o mo u s a u tho r it y over the re gi o n . Albeit M u slims were, and s t i l l a re, the ma jor it y in K ashmir,
I ndians also claim ed t h e regi o n as it was being ru l ed by a H i n d u in 1947. Stephen P. We s tco t t wr i tes, “ K ashmir was a p p rox i m ately 77% M uslim”. During the decolonisation p er i o d, Hari Singh signed th e “I n s t r u m ent of Accession” to I n d i a a s t h e H indu monarch n eed ed m i li t a r y suppor t from he r b u t w i t h o n e condition. The co n d i t i o n wa s that a plebiscite wo u ld later t a k e place to ascer ta i n t h e s t at u s of K ashmir as S in gh wa s u n d er pressure from bot h Pa k i s t a n a n d I ndia to declare h i s a llegi a n ce. Af ter the first wa r, o u t o f fo u r wars bet ween Pak i s t a n a n d I n d i a over K ashmir, U n i ted Nat i o n s passed a resoluti o n . The resolution s t ates “ Th e G over nment of I n d i a s h o u ld under take that t h ere w i ll be established in Jammu and K ashmir a Pleb i s c i te Administration to h o ld a plebiscite as soo n a s p o s s i b l e on the question of t h e a cces s i o n of the State to I nd i a o r Pa k i s t a n” [ S/RE S/47( 1948) ] . H owever, t h e I ndian G over nm ent d u b i o u s l y rej ec ts this propo s a l wh i l s t t h e Pak istani gover nm ent i s a s t ro n g proponent of t h e p leb i s c i te. Pak istan’s For m er Fo rei gn M inister, S hah M eh m o o d Q ureshi, had also requ es ted to revamp the numb er o f Un i ted N ations obser ver m i s s i o n s i n t h e region dur ing his a d d res s to t h e UN . On the 5th of Au gu s t 2019, K ashmir wa s l ef t i n a detr imental state wi t h Ar t i c l e 370 being revoked by t h e I n d i a n gover nment. Ar t i c le 3 7 0 gi ves
t h e p r i vi lege to J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r to h ave t h ei r ow n fla g, co n s t i t u t i o n a n d i n d ep en d en ce wh i c h wa s a d d ed to t h e I n d i a n co n s t i t u t i o n i n 1 9 4 9 . Ar t i c l e 3 5 A , u n d er a r t i c l e 3 7 0 , ent a i ls t h at o u t s i d er s w h et h er I n d i a n s o r Pa k i s t a n i s c a n n ei t h er ow n la n d n o r get c i t i zen s h i p i n K a s h m i r. Acco rd i n g to t h e H o u s e o f co m m o n s li b ra r y, t h e I n d i a n s u p rem e co u r t h a s p revi o u s ly d ec l a red, “a r t i c l e 3 7 0 h a s a p er m a n ent s t at u s i n t h e I n d i a n Co n s t i t u t i o n”. Even t h o u gh a r t i c l e 3 7 0 a c ted a s a h u ge d eter rent, t h e I n d i a n Pres i d ent i l l ega lly a s k ed t h e G over n o r o f K a s h m i r to revo k e i t at t h e requ es t o f Pr i m e M i n i s ter Na ren d ra M o d i i n 2 0 1 9 . I t i s p er t i n ent to m ent i o n , d i s s ent vo i ced by K a s h m i r ’s G over n o r o ffi ce c a n ea s i ly b e s u p p res s ed a s h e o r s h e i s a p p o i nted by t h e I n d i a n Pres i d ent. Th e ves ted i nteres t b eh i n d revo c at i o n o f a r t i c le 3 7 0 i s t h at t h e I n d i a n G over n m ent i s i l l ega lly ex p elli n g i n n o cent Muslim K a s h m i r i s o u t o f t h ei r h o u s es a n d a l l o t t i n g t h at l a n d to n o n M u s li m s. Th i s i s b ei n g d o n e to en s u re t h at i f a p leb i s c i te ever t a k es p la ce, I n d i a w i n s. Cu r rent ly t h e s i t u at i o n i n I n d i a n O cc u p i ed K a s h m i r ( I O K ) wi t h a p o p u lat i o n o f m o re t h a n 1 0 m i lli o n p eo p le, a cco rd i n g to a H u m a n R i ght s Watc h rep o r t, i s n o t h i n g b u t s o m b er. I O K i s i n co m p l ete lo c k d ow n s i n ce 5 t h Au gu s t 2 0 1 9 . K a s h m i r i s d o n o t h ave a cces s to n eces s i t i es i . e. fo o d a n d co m m u n i c at i o n . A rep o r t by t h e O ffi ce o f t h e Un i ted Nat i o n s H i gh Co m m i s s i o n er fo r H u m a n R i ght s i s s u ed o n 8 t h J u ly
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons 2 0 1 9 n ote s, “ 1 , 0 8 1 c i v i l i a n s h ave b e e n k i l l e d by s e c u r i t y fo rces i n ex t ra ju d i c i a l k i l l i n g s b et wee n 2 0 0 8 a n d 2 0 1 8 i n Indian O cc u p i e d K a s h mi r ”. I n d i a n s e c u r i t y force s cont i n u e to m a s s a c re K a s h m i r i s u s i n g p el l et- f i r i n g s h otg u n s. Th e comm i s s i on a l s o con f i r m e d, “Acco rd i n g to i n for m at i on f rom S r i n a g a r ’s Sh r i M a h a ra ja H a r i S i n gh H os p i t a l, w h e re mos t p el l et s h otg u n i n ju re d a re t reated, 1 , 2 5 3 p e op l e h ave b e e n b li n d e d by t h e m e t a l p e l l e t s u s ed by s e c u r i t y force s f rom m i d -2 0 1 6 to t h e e n d of 2 0 1 8 ”. Vox co n f i r m e d – Ad i l Ah me d - t h e i n d i v i d u a l m e nt i on e d at s t a r t of t h e a r t i c l e - h a d b e e n s to p p e d a n d h u mi l i ate d by I n d i a n p ol i ce of f i c i a l s i n 2 0 1 6 by fo rc i n g h i s f a ce i nto t h e grou n d. Th e s ame ye a r Ah m e d wa s s h ot i n t h e l e g at a p rote s t. Th es e e ve nt s took p l a ce b e fore t h e I n di a n g ove r n me nt re vok e d a r t i c le 3 7 0 . Th u s, n ow, t h e s i t u at i on i s m u c h g l oom i e r. N ot o n l y doe s t h e I n d i a G ove r n me nt s h ow di s d a i n for K a s h m i r i s b u t fo r t h e K a s h m i r i Le a d e r s a s well. A . S. D u l at, For me r C h i e f of I n d i a n Spy a g e n c y, e l a b orate s i n h i s b ook “ Va jp aye e ye a r s” on h ow Fa rooq Ab d u l l a h , For me r Ch i ef M i n i s te r of J a mm u a n d K a s h mi r, wa s b e t raye d by t h e Indian g ove r n me nt. D u l at
d e s i gn ate d a n e nt i re c h a p te r c a l l e d “ Va jp aye e’s B e t raya l of Fa rooq Ab d u l l a h” for exp l a i n i n g t h i s m at te r. Th e on l y t i m e a s ol u t i on for t h i s con f l i c t wa s c l os e to h a p p e n i n g wa s w h e n G e n e ra l Pe r ve z M u s h a r ra f of Pa k i s t a n m a d e h u g e e f for t s to re s ol ve t h e con f l i c t b e t we e n 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 8 . D u l at re i te rate s i n t h e s a m e b ook h ow For m e r Pr i m e M i n i s te r M a n moh a n Si n g h of I n d i a cou l d h ave u t i l i s e d t h at m ome nt. D u l at w r i te s “ Th e s ol u t i on to t h e I n d i a - Pa k i s t a n - K a s h m i r G ord i a n k n ot wa s gi ve n to D r. M a n m oh a n Si n g h on a p l at te r i n 2 0 0 4 . Wh e n h e l e f t of f i ce i n 2 0 1 4 , h e h a d n ot a ccomp l i s h e d w h at wa s w i t h i n h i s gra s p”. Fi n a l l y, on l y t wo s ol u t i on s n ow s e e m to b e v i a b l e. Fi r s t l y, t h e U N t a k i n g s e r i ou s a c t i on by h ol d i n g a p l e b i s c i te i s t h e s i n e q u a n on . S e con d l y, b ot h cou nt r i e s re s u mi n g to h ave d i a l og u e s i s n e e d of t h e h ou r. For n ow, i t s e e m s t h at on ce col on i s e d, I n d i a , h a s n ow b e com e a b l at a nt col on i s e r for t h e K a s h m i r i s.
