KASHMIR NOT INDIA’S INTERNAL MATTER: POSTED BY AMEER TARIN PUBLISHED BY
HABIB YOUSAFZAI, KASHMIR DIASPORA ALLIANCE
ASSALAM-O-ALAIKUM!
DATE: 05 JULY 2013
India’s
External Affairs Minister Salman
Khurshid in a statement
asserted that Kashmir problem is an "internal issue" having a
mechanism in place to address all
issues and in furtherance of settling the issue argued that any third party meddling will
not be required. He referred to Kashmir issue as a "family affair"
and the government of India being quite aware of its responsibilities to fulfill
aspirations of people of Kashmir. (Zee News June 28, 2013). Later taking a
political somersault tried to create parity with various other problems of
India faced with unemployment, women security issues, overall safety, dipping
economy and health. The minister’s statement was rejected sharply in unison by
Kashmir’s political leadership and termed it as stubborn and obstinate
imperialist unwarranted assertion.
The Indian
political dignitaries in timely and carefully organised trips; while in Kashmir
speak a language that is toned down to give a feeling that India sincerely
wants to keep its political commitments and ´democracy´ being the basis of
Indian body politic; a political solution could always be worked out to fulfill
the aspirations of Kashmiris. This is done to ward off the pressure received
from quarters that matter on the international level. Once the pressure is
eased off, India goes back to dwell persistently on the usual internal matter
stratagem.
The burying of
head in sand takes the course and record number of tourists visiting Kashmir,
Indian filmmakers back in Kashmir and improving peaceful environment are taken
as a credit extending
favours to people of Kashmir to lead them on the path of peace and prosperity.
The general
perception of Kashmiris is that with or without India Kashmir has been a
tourist destination even before India got its independence, not Indian but
mostly western international tourists who in a planned move are now diverted to
other tourist destinations of India and in a skillful manner Indian masses are
encouraged to visit Kashmir in greater numbers to create an economic dependence
sending out signals that Kashmir without the help of India cannot survive. Tens
of thousands of visitors throng to freshly discovered place on a high peak
mountain known as Amarnath glacier are added to inflate the numbers
making it look like a tourism bonanza.
Indian filmmakers
doing no favours, on the contrary, use the opportunity to shoot films in
picturesque scenic beauty free of any charge or
expenses. The peaceful atmosphere is not any handout offered but as a
good-natured strategy used by civilian population to give peace a chance to
resolve the political issue as at times due to international pressure India
shows some inclination to come to the negotiating table and when the situation
calms down; it goes back to square one parroting ´internal matter´ poetic
slogan.
Equating Kashmir
with other political problems of India is a sinister conspiracy as Kashmir has
international ramifications due to the involvement of various approved and
passed United Nations Security Council Resolutions and acceptance of its
unsettled disputed nature individually or collectively by member countries of
European Union. The government of United States in the recent past called
Kashmir as one of the most sensitive issues and Assistant Secretary of State
for central and south Asia Robert Blake asserted that
William Dalrymple,
writer historian called Kashmir-issue a ‘gaping wound’ of the Indian
subcontinent, and warned that unless India and Pakistan do not show seriousness
in solving the vexed problem, there is bound to be instability in the region.[India is the impediment to implementation of the UN Resolution which itself proposed after occupying Maqbooza Kashmir, not Pakistan] "We are currently in a situation where the people of Kashmir feel that
they are under a military occupation and frankly the recent reports coming out
of the valley make for a very grim reading," Dalrymple said. The killing
in cold blood, in the meantime, continues with two more youth falling to Indian
army bullets in Bandipora Kashmir triggering furious protests.
(Indian Express 30 June, 2013) The killing was termed as a very unfortunate
incident. The investigations ordered in such deliberate killings never see the
light of any justice and the perpetrators are never brought to the book.
Indian’s first
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the Lok Sabha on June 26 and August 7, 1952
made a categorical statement saying:
"I say
with all respect to our Constitution that it just does not matter what your
Constitution says; if the people of Kashmir do not want it, it will not go
there. Because what is the alternative? The alternative is compulsion and
coercion... We have fought the good fight about Kashmir on the field of
battle... (and) ...in many a chancellery of the world and in the United
Nations, but, above all, we have fought this fight in the hearts and minds of
men and women of that State of Jammu and Kashmir. Because, ultimately - I say
this with all deference to this Parliament - the decision will be made in the
hearts and minds of the men and women of Kashmir; neither in this Parliament,
nor in the United Nations nor by anybody else."
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