Vikas Sharma
If we look at the history of Jammu and Kashmir, it became a part of India through an agreement called as “Instrument of Accession Act” signed by then Maharaja of the State Hari Singh on 26 October 1947. Because majority of the State population particularly living in Kashmir was Muslims, Pakistan wanted J&K (particularly Kashmir) to be a part of his side. Pakistan feared that the Maharaja of the princely State would accede Jammu and Kashmir to India, which came true when Tribal forces with support of Pakistan army attacked Kashmir and occupied parts, massacred hundreds of people, forcing the Maharaja to sign the Agreement to the Accession of the princely State to the Dominion of India to get Indian military aid.
The Tribal Invasion was planned and supported by Pakistan, and its aim was to penalize the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, who refused to accede to Pakistan. It divided Kashmir and divided families of the State. It killed innocent Kashmiri men and women. It plundered and looted Kashmiri resources. It is the main cause of our present miseries and troubles. Pakistan’s involvement in Kashmir started since 1947. Pakistan fought three wars with India and all the three times faced defeat despite losing East Pakistan (Bangladesh) from its hands in 1971.
Pakistan has been deeply involved in the training, guiding and arming Sikh militants in Punjab during 1970s. However Punjab recovered from the dark phase. But Kashmir is still struggling to come out of it. With the creation of Bangladesh, it started a new epoch of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan forced many youth of the Valley to join militancy from time to time. Training camps are being run by Lashkar-e-Toiba in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Young boys of Kashmir are being trained in these camps openly. This led terrorism on a rise in the State.
Since 1989 when violence started in the Valley and subsequently around 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to move out of their homeland in one of the worst ethnic rinsing within our borders, no Government has dealt with issues of rehabilitation of the Pandits and imposing a ban on separatists meetings with Pakistani terror masterminds. What we see in Kashmir is consequences of Indian Government soft policy towards extremists. Pakistani flags are openly hoisted in Kashmir and Government takes no action leading more voices against India. Youth are being instigated by our neighboring countries. Externally sponsored terrorism under a nuclear umbrella is seeking annexation of Kashmir. It is neither a freedom struggle nor a human rights story.
“Once a heaven now became a place of devastation”— thousands of people in Kashmir suffered loss of their lives, Kashmiri Pandits are killed, our soldiers sacrificed their lives, several policeman killed and those injured are countless in numbers. When we talk about peace in Kashmir, how is it possible if your neighboring countries gets involved into your internal matters and instigate the youth towards militancy. Terrorists like Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed are arranging open rallies in Pakistan to brainwash youth to declare Jihad against India.
Separatist elements in Valley are cashing in local boys for stone pelting and spreading hatred against forces in Kashmir thus brainwashing the young minds in the Valley. These separatists, who are responsible for creating unrest in the Valley in the name of Azadi, are double-faced.
It is no doubt Kashmiris are demanding freedom from India since 1947, but this State should be looked as a whole, not only because majority of population living in Kashmir are Muslims. Pakistan is the only country in the world which got separated in the name of religion. What Pakistan did in 1947, it is now forcing Kashmir to do the same. J&K has its own constitution; Article 370 gives autonomy and special status to the State. Kashmiri people demands autonomy (independent State), but the question arises whether it will remain independent or not. We have seen what happened with J&K in 1947, when Maharaja of the State decided to stay independent. So in my view Kashmir was left with two options either to stay with India or with Pakistan and its terror elements.
Pakistan backs for Kashmir’s Azadi, but shies away to talk about the kind of Azadi in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and rising Religious intolerance in Gilgit-Baltistan province. Pakistan has divided its own people on different issues and they kill their own people and nobody is safe there. No doubt India is unsuccessful to get the trust of Kashmiri people to a larger extent in the Valley. The involvement of Kashmiri youth in day to day terrorist activities are on a rise. The present situation in Kashmir has not been brought by our security forces. It is the result of our political incompetence.
Burhan Wani was a no misguided young man. He was a terrorist with an agenda. His killing brought mass protests in Kashmir valley against India. Pakistan observed black day on July 19 as a solidarity with Kashmir describing a terrorist as a martyr. One country’s terrorist cannot be a martyr or freedom fighter for anyone” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in his address to the 7th SAARC Interior/Home Ministers meeting in Pakistan. Terrorism should not be glorified and patronized by any country and Countries must show “Zero tolerance” to any type of terrorism. There should be “strongest action not only against terrorists or organisations but also against those individuals, organisations and nations who support terrorism.” This clearly shows Pakistan’s stand in dealing terrorism. It is a country where terrorism is promoted. Militant training camps are run openly by terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in Pakistan.
The violent protests in the Valley killed more than 50 people and injured around 5000. Who are the sufferings? It is the Kashmiri people. Separatists are misguiding Kashmir towards mass destruction. From the past one decade, there is growing hatred towards India in Kashmir. With the arrival of social media as a main platform of communication, many terror groups are using it as a tool to instigate Kashmiri youth to join militancy.
Soft policy towards separatists is demoralizing security forces, who are fighting to curb militancy and sacrificing their lives day by day. These separatists are continuously disturbing the peace by holding the Valley to ransom thereby affecting normal life in Kashmir. Regular strike calls by them is affecting business and the life of poor people. Industrialists from Jammu have suffered losses worth over Rs 1,000 crore in view of continuous bandh and curfew in many parts of Kashmir.
Stone pelting on the Indian armed forces is common. Separatist leaders and Islamic fundamentalists are making youth move towards violence. Violence can never bring peace and stability in any region. When would the Kahmiri youth not able to understand that. Young teenagers are throwing stones towards policeman. Who are guiding them? Who are manufacturing the consent of Kashmiri people? There is an urgent need to check this uprising.
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