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GUEST COLUMN
If peace is
compromised
negotiations are meaningless
By: Mumtaz Khan
Living under the shadow
of fear has become common feature of political culture that rules the
minds and bodies of people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the
LOC. Kashmir Conflict is described as the root cause of bad relations
between India and Pakistan and blame game has replaced the culture of
dialogue. Both countries
justify their adopted stand and are not ready to deviate from their
respective positions. Sixty long years of hatred, mistrust, propaganda
and arms race have not satisfied their ego and they are still beating
about the bush instead of adopting a realistic approach for resolving
the old dispute that has brought destruction to the State and
devastation to its people.
However, this is generally assumed that both nations were never so close
to clinch a peace deal as they are today and they should not miss or
squander this opportunity lest the ongoing conflict should devour yet
another generation. But there are some questions staring in the middle
of two eyes of a common man and they are: Are India and Pakistan really
interested in finding out a lasting solution of the conflict? Are
present initiatives and CBMs really meant to overcome the gap of
mistrust and hatred? Does Kashmiri leadership have vision, courage and
mission to become bridge rather than becoming tool to trigger, reignite
and stir the hostilities? Who are the leaders and how do they represent
the people’s aspirations? And whether the so-called leaders do not serve
the proxy interests of warmongers? It can be genuinely believed that in
the on going movement in Kashmir there was some indigenous ingredient,
which was spoiled by the overwhelming presence of exogenous elements and
that is the unfortunate part of the ‘struggle’.
The rights movement in Kashmir has been a long history that sometimes
reconnects itself with the old order of the rulers that reflects how
mischievously they would cheat their subjects and deprive them of their
rights in the name of nationalism. Present movement is not different in
so far as stealing people’s freedom under the garb of sentimental
nationalism that exonerates the perpetrators of violence who forced the
Kashmiri pundits to leave their ancestral habitat and set the stage for
the communal violence that had not entered or had not been allowed to
enter into the land of Sufi-Saints that has been a seat of learning and
symbol of tolerance and brotherhood. Who has stained the social fabric
of tolerant society that was knitted lately by Sheikh Abdullah by
sacrificing his power and prestige? The disgruntled elements anxious to
paint themselves as the leaders and heroes of Kashmir are dismissing the
struggle and contribution of Sheikh who has given them identity and
direction, but they will not succeed. Sheikh’s contribution and vision
cannot be undone by the proxy warriors and Jiahdis. The sheikh, who was
forced by the political developments of early 1970’s between India and
Pakistan, was left with no option except to sign the Accord with Mrs.
Indra Gandhi, keeping in view the life and safety of the people. He had
two options, choosing gun or saving people, and the person who had laid
the foundations of new Kashmir couldn’t have picked proxy gun and then
begin making hue and cry of sacrifices as is being done by the new breed
of proxy politicians who engineered death of sacrificing 50,000 or
80,000 or 10, 0000 men and women merely to prove that they matter in
Kashmir politics. Despite some differences with Indian Government Sheikh
was convinced that Kashmiri’s were safe in India rather than in
Pakistan. He also knew that UN resolutions protected the interests of
India or Pakistan, but not that of Kashmir. Pervez Musharraf’s optimism
and claims are nothing more than he had about the Waziristan, Taliban,
Al-Quaida, moderation and enlightenment. Though it proved disastrous for
Pakistan yet the General is convinced that his Kargil misadventure has
done more good than harm. Is it not irony of fate that the person who
instead of lamenting appreciates his follies is still believed by
Kashmiris as their savior?
India remains convinced that its
difficult time is already over not only because proxy-war in Kashmir has
reached a dead end and that Pakistan’s internal crisis is deepening, but
its economic and military power has also considerably grown. India
understands the constraints and compulsions of Pakistan, which have
become target of criticism of even its allies for not doing enough to
stop terrorism within Pakistan and its infiltration into the neighbor
countries. This endorses India’s claim and eases international pressure
on this country. Of late Iran has also come out with serious allegations
against Pakistan by calling it a sanctuary of terrorists. Musharraf
faces serious credibility crisis within the international community. At
home front also he is feeling unsafe. To stay at the helm of affairs he
is bypassing all democratic norms and political ethics thereby becoming
a target of criticism within the country as well. His internal political
weaknesses benefit the religious and terrorist forces controlling the
Northern part of NWFP and Baluchistan to blackmail Musharraf who in turn
extends the same policy and apply same tactics with US.
Albeit, India will not hesitate to seize the opportunity if that helps it
to settle the issue or prove that Islamabad’s embedded interests are
only in preserving its rule and water resources than representing
Kashmiri aspirations. Musharraf has been sailing in two boats. On one
hand he claims to be a harbinger of peace, moderation and enlightenment
whereas on the other hand he surrenders before the fundamentalists and
allows construction of mosques on illegally occupied land. In
Waziristan, co-education schools were closed, barbers prohibited from
shaving and a Punjab women minister was gunned down by the
radical for being dressed in a ‘un-Islamic’ way. Dozens of police
officials and judges were killed and bombs exploded every day on
Pakistan’s streets and buildings. Highly guarded five star hotels are
attacked and soldiers killed in suicide bombings. The long awaited
religious school reforms were never implemented despite collecting
millions of dollars from US. Now democrats are threatening to slash the
aid if Musharraf did not meet his promises. Ironically when Dick Cheney
made brief halt at Islamabad to serve the warning to Musharraf for
reining in the Taliban senior Taliban leader Ubaidullah was arrested
proving thereby that Musharraf was playing tricks with even Bush. In
Pakistan old guards of ISI with their creepy Jihadi designs are well
entrenched within the security institutions openly campaigning for Jihad
and asking Musharraf to reactivate all elements to win Kashmir. In these
conditions can India persuade Musharraf to stop the radicals across the
border to explode the bombs? If India cannot do this then what is the
fun of going on with the peace initiatives, which have no future?
The choices are limited, but not impossible to meet. However, as long as
show of blood sucking goes on in the name of self-determination and
aspirations of Kashmiri people no peace can sustain. These terminologies
having been over excessively used and abused by militants and Pakistani
rulers have lost their relevance in the eyes of a common Kashmiri. Time
has come that they recognize their friends and foes; their saviour and
destroyer and place their common interest and survival first in the list
of priorities rather than serving the interest of their so-called
leaders and sympathizers. They should also understand that the nation on
whom people of Kashmir depended for their bright future itself is facing
danger of disintegration. Pakistan continues to suffer from chronic
political instability, extremism, radicalism and the stigma of being a
breeding ground of extremism and terrorism. From Iran, Afghanistan,
India to central Asian states, it is hostile with almost every neighbor,
which is not a good sign.
No mutual agreement can be
predicted between India and Pakistan on Kashmir unless internal
political landscape of Pakistan changes.
There had been agreements in past that failed because internal
conditions in Pakistan did not change. Pakistan wants whole of Jammu and
Kashmir, which is not possible and unless this is done no ruler in
Pakistan can give guarantee that peace would prevail. Pakistan has the
tendency to reverse any agreement and that it will change its style
there is hardly any hope of that. Right now there is a great
international pressure on Pakistan. Even then if the International
community cannot persuade Islamabad even to change its stand about
Afghanistan where its stakes and risks are directly involved, how can it
compel Pakistan to go for a compromise with India on Kashmir? Those who
are familiar with Pakistani mind set will agree that Kashmir is
important for them for its rich water resources and compromising on this
issue may not be an easy thing for them to do. Similarly peace is the
core element of negotiations, but when it is compromised negotiations
become meaningless.
The Author is Toronto based Executive
Director of International Center for Peace and Democracy-ICFPD
PoK Refugees:
in search of
Justice
By:
Professor Barkat Singh Azad
By turning the pages of history one comes across
a chapter where upon partition of the country has been written. It was a
historical tragedy, which inflicted many wounds on the humanity. People
bled profusely. They migrated from one place to another in a bid to save
their life and honor. Those
who left their homes and hearths suffered tremendous hardships. They
lost their kith and kin, their properties, their culture and their
civilization thus rendering them poor in all walks of life. Men and
women with their children were charred to death in their own houses and
those who survived faced starvation and faced mental as well as physical
torture. They suffered economically; they suffered socially; they
suffered educationally and they suffered politically. The unfortunate
part of the story is that their sufferings are not coming to an end even
after about sixty years of their migration. Most of the POK refugees
were provided shelter in habitats like Bhor Camp, Simbal Camp, Badyal
Camp, Chowala Camp etc. where they have been living in sheer inhuman
conditions for past about half a century or so. The camps are bereft of
safe drinking water, electricity and proper healthcare facilities.
It is a sorry fact of the history that the POK refugees have not been
paid any compensation of the property they had left behind at the time
of partition. No financial help had ever been granted to them nor had
any steps taken for their permanent settlement. Despite that they
underwent heart rendering sufferings, no one ever showed any sympathy
for them and they continue to remain deprived of education, employment
and other amenities of life. They worked as laborers; they worked as
truck drivers; they worked as bus conductors and did everything so as to
feed their children. But the national and international laws that have
been framed for helping such migrants have not been evoked in case of
POK refugees, which perhaps is the biggest human rights violation on
earth! On the contrary, draconian laws have been enacted and SROs issued
to torture the refugees.
For four years are so these refugees have been demanding withdrawal of
SRO-215 of 2002 and Re-settlement Act. They have also been demanding
their permanent settlement, representation in Working Groups and Round
Table Conferences, representation in State Legislature and
implementation of Honorable High Court of Jammu and Kashmir’s verdict on
02-08-2002 in the writ petition No. 684/2001 conferring ownership rights
of the refugees on the evacuee property that is already under their
possession. This is unfortunate that the verdict of the Honorable court
has failed to evoke any response from the Government, which speaks
volumes about the negligent attitude towards the refugees.
At the time of migration the number of POK refugees was 4 lakhs, which
has swelled up to 12 lakhs over the years. This is unfortunate that such
a big population has failed to attract attention of the State as well as
that of the Union Governments and they continue being ignored in every
walk of life. Time has come that due care is taken of the refugees and
their demands met particularly when the country and the State are
forging ahead with a phonetic speed.
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