By: Rafique Khan
‘Kashmiri freedom fighter’s defiance Indian occupation is exerting an unacceptable toll on the Kashmir people. The freedom fighters method of defiance, militant confrontation with the Indian army, provides an excuse for Indian occupation forces to annihilate the Kashmiri people. India maintains, and seems to have convinced the international community, that the militancy in Kashmiris secession movement inspired by Islamic fundamental ism and engineered by Pakistan, Given the current shift of political global alliances, Pakistan could find itself isolated and alone, to face he world’s fourth largest army.
‘The government of Pakistan needs to reconsider its position to meet changing circumstances. Pakistan needs to help Kashmiris to draw the world communities’ attention to the massive violations of human rights in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan must also refocus and enunciate the Kashmir dispute as an issue of Kashmiri people’s right of self-determination, and not as a bilateral territorial dispute with India.
Present situation in occupied Kashmir: In occupied Kashmir the focus of freedom fighters is 10 confront Indiana my solders. The freedom fighters are ill armed and poorly trained; they confront the Indian army in or near populated areas. These actions become an excuse for the Indian army to seek revenge from the innocent civilian population. Confrontation even with single soldier in Kashmir has become an excuse for murder of innocent civilians and destruction of property. This pattern of ‘organized destruction of the Kashmiris is physically evident all over occupied Kashmir. Emotional sears are evident even outside of occupied Kashmir, Indian authorities in Kashmir seem determined to annihilate Kashmiris, either by killing them or forcing them to flee Kashmir.
In occupied Kashmir, there is no identifiable political organization leading the struggle. Absence of a grass roots political organization and existence of many militant groups has given rise to anarchy, some professional politicians and others, with their mushrooming organizations promote their own particular aims. It is said that Indian soldiers disguised as freedom fighters demand ransoms at gunpoint from the civilian population. India’s obvious purpose seems to be to discredit the freedom fighters and terrorize the civilian population with the ultimate aim of destroying the freedom movement.
International Community: The international community remains misinformed about Kashmir. By enforcing continuous curfews and massive violations of human rights, India has managed to stifle the peaceful protest movement. In addition, through its diplomatic missions and organized Indian community abroad, it has succeeded in projecting a distorted view the Situation in Kashmir.
India projects the Kashmir struggle a5 a militant secessionist movement inspired by Islamic fundamentalism, India blame Pakistan for engineering the ‘militancy in Kashmir. This propaganda is designed to isolate Pakistan in the world community. Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism are used to appeal to the worst fears of western democracies. To win over the Middle East nations and other Muslim countries India has sent delegations to project and protect its image as secular ‘democratic country.
Recommended Policy for Pakistan: The leadership of Pakistan needs to take stock of the Pakistan situation and revisit their policy options. These policy options should include the following: (Q) India has and will continue to destroy every attempt to build a {grass roots political organization of Kashmiri people. People of ‘Azad Kashmir, therefore, become essential and must provide help to people in the Indian occupied Kashmir to develop a grass roots political organization. Two areas which are crucial for this are) providing training for community organization. They young refugees in the camps in Azad Kashmir are a valuable resource which can be trained to organize a grass roots political organization in occupied Kashmir. b) Organizations must have means of communication. A powerful communication facility in Azad Kashmir which would include television and serve as a center for providing information and education to Kashmir would be crucial for building the grass roots political organization.
Government of Pakistan needs to counter Indian attempt to isolate it in the international community. A very effective way of countering Indian propaganda ‘would be to sponsor visits by foreign press and representatives of foreign embassies to refugee camps in Azad Kashmir. Most urgent need, however, is to use the Pakistan diplomatic missions worldwide to project the Kashmir situation, Establishing a Kashmir Desk at key embassies to propagate the Kashmiri struggle at the grass roots level within the world com: munity can be an effective way to project the Kashmir struggle.
(3) Pakistan needs to announce a clear and unambiguous policy on Kashmir. Pakistan must project the Kashmir issue not as a bilateral territorial dispute between India and Pakistan but as the question of the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir under international law. ‘Thus Pakistan ‘must not permit India to link discussion of Kashmir with their other bilateral issues. It must also ‘maintain that legitimate representatives of Kashmiris must participate in every discussion on Kashmir.
(4) Pakistan should invite United Nations to take charge of the refugee camps and declare it’s willing. Ness to plebiscite in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan should suggest that all of Jammu and Kashmir be turned into a UN. Trusteeship for designated period to be followed by a plebiscite, the plebiscite should allow a choice for complete independence for geographic regions within Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan should affirm its position of holding the territory of Azad Kashmir as a trustee.
Quaid-i-Azam, founder of Pakistan, is said to have described Kashmir as the Shahrag (Wind Pipe, Trachea) of Pakistan, The people of Kashmir are the muscles and bones that make the trachea, (the Shahrag) of Pakistan, Kashmir without Kashmiris will cease to functions the Shahrag of Pakistan, Indian occupation is destroying the people of Kashmir. The challenge facing the people and government of Pakistan is to ensure its own survival and also prevent genocide of Kashmiri people. Pakistan can do that tit will focus the world community’s attention {o the human rights violations in Kashmir and refocus its emphasis ‘not on the aspect of territorial Dispute but on the right of self-determination of people of Kashmir.
Courtesy: “Pakistan Link”
Article extracted from this publication >> March 5, 1993
