kashmir—global context

8/7/2019 KashmirGlobal Context

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KashmirGlobal Context

by

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani

[Posted March 7,2011 Last update March 11]

A round table conference held in Islamabad on 23rd February 2011, under the auspices of the Justice

Foundation Kashmir Centre London called up upon major world powers to recognize the urgency of the

settlement of Kashmir dispute not only for the South Asian regional security but also for global peace.

The Declaration adopted on this occasion pointed to the ongoing peace process between India and

Pakistan, stating that the progress of the dialogue between India and Pakistan requires an international

facilitation and good will. It further elaborated that Kashmir is a political issue and not, a religious issue.

The wishes of the people of Kashmir must be respected and reflected in the settlement. Notwithstanding

some proposals advocating primacy of trade along the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir, the Declaration

referred to the right of self determination of the Kashmiris emphasizing that all international agreements

arrived at the United Nations with regard to Kashmir need to be honored. Any membership of India in the

expanded United Nations Security Council should be linked to the Kashmir settlement.

Farooq Rehmani

The Kashmir Conference was hosted by Prof. Nazir Ahmad Shawl, the executive Director of the Justice

Foundation Kashmir Centre London, who introduced members of the delegation of All Parties

Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (APPG) headed by Lord Nazir Ahmed in the British Parliament. The

delegation visited Islamabad and Muzaffarabad, and held meetings with the leadership of the AJ&KGovernment and opposition. During their meetings in the city they reassured their support to the

Kashmiris for the cause of freedom and peace in the region. Kashmir Round Table Conference while

lauding the role of the leadership of APPG on Kashmir in the British Parliament maintained that as Britain

is home to 0.8 million Kashmiri Diaspora the British Parliament should endorse the urgency on mass

graves and initiate a debate on this crucial issue. British Parliamentarians should play a proactive role

under the auspices of the All Parties Parliamentary Group on Kashmir. The Conference was chaired by

Lord Nazir Ahmada staunch advocate of the Kashmir cause and Chairman APPG, in the British
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Parliament. Prof. Inaugurating the RTC on Kashmir Prof. Nazir Ahmad Shawl argued that the Kashmir

freedom movement is an indigenous, genuine and legitimate struggle for freedom. MP Richard

Harrington Secretary General of the APPG also spoke on this occasion.

Having recorded this, some facts of paramount importance need to be underscored here in spite of the

economic and political self interests and prejudices of the major world powers. This must be born in mind

that Kashmir is basically a question of the right of self determination as acknowledged in numerous UN

Security Council resolutions, and India-Pakistan promises, regarding plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of

the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan despite many overt and covert pressures never

abandoned its commitments on the right to self determination. On the contrary India with over two third

land of the State under its illegal and forcible occupation backed out of its international pledge about

plebiscite and behaved treacherously and ruthlessly with the peopleforcing them to resort to an armed

struggle for freedom and right of self determination in 1990s. However, the international community

persuaded both India and Pakistan to hold peace talks to resolve the issue in line with the urges and

aspirations of the people of Kashmir. Numerous international conferences were held in different countries

to highlight the significance of peacefully resolving this conflict. As the necessary preliminaries, India and

Pakistan initiated the CBMs of trade, travel, and people to people contacts to create conduciveatmosphere for the final resolution of the Kashmir dispute. At the out set a ray of hope kindled in Jammu

and Kashmir; the people gave India, Pakistan, and peace ambassadors ample time to address the root

cause of hostility and include the Kashmiris in the process of its final resolution. Unfortunately, in no time

India dashed mud over all efforts of resolving the dispute peacefully and honorably with the concerned

parties. Notwithstanding, Obamas election statement to appoint a special envoy on Kashmir the United

States, did nothing to address the woes of the people of Kashmir and prevent India from perpetuating

military repression in Jammu and Kashmir. It meant that Pakistans strategic support to the United States

was of lesser importance in comparison with Indias duplicity in world affairs.

CBMs of trade and people to people contacts across Jammu and Kashmir did not end human rights

violations by occupation forces in Kashmir, and never forced India to repeal inhuman laws, particularly the

Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and JK Public Safety Act (PSA) in the State.

Although now a days, there is no armed struggle in the State; Indian armys role in the wounded paradise

is surpassing enormities of many totalitarian regimes in the world. There is no political worker and no

young citizen immune from tyranny, torture and humiliation. Western powers so concerned about human

rights abuses elsewhere in the world never ask India to treat Kashmiris as human beings or instead face

economic embargo. In fact the Kashmiris are bleeding under the state repression, because the world

powers are infested with the lust for oil, and imposing commercial, political, and currency imperialism

across the world.

Thus the Kashmiris are dismayed at the role of the world powers vis--vis the Security Council resolutions

on Kashmir. As Kashmir witnessed a great upheaval in 1990s; India perpetrated barbarities, slaughter andrape of humanity as much as it could, and the world community only behaved as spectators. From 2004

onwards the people were forced to surrender before a rotten idea of self governance and joint

mechanism under the over all control of India and Pakistan in each others administered territory. As if the

Kashmiris were beasts to be tamed by India and Pakistan.

However, the world once again saw the true face of Indias democracy in Kashmir, when desperate

Kashmiris rose en masse peacefully to demand action against the criminals of countless unmarked graves;


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to stop the conspiracy of Amarnath Shrine Board and the Indian regime, to prevent blockade of essential

goods from Delhi to Srinagar, to recover thousands of acres of army-usurped lands, in 2008, 2009, and

2010 respectively. To achieve their objectives they launched a great peaceful Quit Kashmir Movement in

2010 which shook Indias false claim on Kashmir. All through these peaceful stages of upsurge,

unfortunate Kashmiris witnessed state terrorism, with its bloody claws against the people; naked dance of

barbarity and animal lust against women and teenagers, and slapping of PSA and AFSPA on those wholonged for justice and mercy.

The loud cry of confidence building measures (CBMs) did add nothing positive to this deceptive

environment. This slogan became a fashion of the State and its elite class. It looked like a comedy, and

robbed the movement of its salient features. The LOC became a sacred cow for some people, yet a bloody

line for millions of Kashmiris on both sides of the divide.

The superficial idea of deceptive CBMs is meant to wrap up the ghost of lies into flowery covers to make

borders irrelevant; but actually India intends to make the movement of freedom irrelevant. The soft

border and Line of commerce proposals as advocated by some are fallacious based upon

misinterpretation of the universally recognized principle of the right of self determination. A controlled,

occupied and enslaved population cant enjoy fruits of freedom either in the economic sense or in the

political sense. The interested quarters have been insisting on the cross LOC/border trade, travel and

people-to-people contacts for the last six years, but one must ask this question, as to whose interests we

serve, exploiters or sufferers. Have they ended the plight of under privileged and oppressed Kashmiris and

given voice to voiceless populace across the State?

Economic prosperity and political freedom cant be tested and judged by the construction of new homes

with black money and usurped lands and properties (like fake degrees) on some hills and in some plains.

Human sacrifices and human blood is always priceless. The cause of freedom is dearer to the people of

Kashmir than commerce. Indeed the people yearn for economic prosperity and cherish scientific

knowledge, but they dont believe in prosperity of some groups or individuals at the cost of millions; and

reject any such claim on the basis of looted money and corruption. Prosperity earned by unknownresources, and political and religious popularity gained by gimmicks is no prosperity and no popularity.

God sees the truth but waits; nature punishes wrong doersstates, nations and groups alike according to

its almanac. So we believe that amidst the noise of false claims of resolving Kashmir, the problem has

neither been resolved, nor gained political space in the world. The people of Kashmir have not achieved

even economic prosperity as per the real meaning of freedom and progress. It has lost much good of the

past.

The US and the West must be conveyed the importance of the right of self determination without

confusing it by self governance and joint management. On the paper the state has self governance and

special status. But, the people want absolute political freedom within UN charter and international law, i.e.

independently decision making power. This can be achieved through plebiscite across the State. Many

Parliamentarians of Britain, America, Europe and even Africa and Asia concede our stand. In the British

Parliament the APPG on Kashmir has rightly accepted as their moral and political duty to uphold the just

cause of the Kashmiris. No imaginary hurdles should be created in the way of the peoples right to self

determination. The western and American Governments supported and encouraged South Sudans

independence through plebiscite. Simultaneously, the West is glorifying and celebrating current Arab

peoples uprising against totalitarian regimes. Why Kashmir does not deserve the same support. Of course

it does well. Just as the modern world is nothing without scientific knowledge and research, the political


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world is savagery without the right of self determination and true democracy.

Note: The write is Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League and former Convener All

Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK. Blog: http://www.farooqrehmani.wordpress.com/

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