D K Kotwal
I’m to remind every genuine and concerned citizen of both the nations -India and Pakistan of their affable trust in the belief that any war, terrorism, cross-border and LOC ceasefire violations or any clashes, conflicts and confrontations can’t resolve the outstanding issues and problems between the two countries that were once one nation before 68 years. It is unfortunate that both the countries have miserably failed to revive their age old relations and cultural ties that once existed between the two. It is natural that the separation among those living jointly is inevitable but when they separate from one another doesn’t mean the snapping the binding that once glued them together based upon mutual respect, love and care for each other. Here in our case the things are all together different, we have developed hatred, malice and inimical bearings upon our age old relations. There is a misunderstanding between the two nations regarding the inherent distribution of land and other allied assets at the time of partition of the two nations on the basis of unnatural and uncalled for religion that was caused by some vested interests.
Official NSA level talk between India and Pakistan to be held was called off unilaterally by Pakistan scream headlines, news channels air heated debates. Experts once again comment. We have seen this happen repeatedly over years. Now there is a flurry of opinions across various social media. Certainly there are positive efforts vis-a-vis the debacle of relation but they are gently, steadily and firmly chipping away from this rock hard jagged man made mountain of India-Pakistan mutual distrust. Many modest and steadily growing people to people initiatives are strengthening our unbreakable age old links.
The internet unites the people across these political and geographical barriers. If an artist records his voice in Delhi and posts it on the facebook today, an artist friend in Lahore responds immediately. I’m to give here a reference of a young writer—-Mr Munir Ahmed of post partition generation who met a columnist of The Tribune said cheerfully albeit with some concern that he was applying for the third time to get a visa for Hoshyaarpur. It had been refused twice. He had changed his name to MunirHushyarpuriya while he awaited for. He further said that he had only two desires in life, were to have a child and that he be allowed to visit long lost home in East Punjab India every year. This clearly shows that how strong ties between India and Pakistan exist in dormant and latent stage.
There had been four wars between India and Pakistan spanning over six and a half decades. In1947 tribals assisted by Pakistan Army regulars attacked Kashmir taking away some portion of Jammu and Kashmir state that is now referred to as POK. And during this war time the accession of J & K was made to India by none less than the Maharaja of J & K state—- Hari Singh and later on this accession was rectified by the constituent Assembly of J & K. It was better for Pakistan forget it. Kashmir is an integral part of India and there is no use of harping on the same settled issue. Pakistan must think of returning the J & K part that is with it.
A Pakistani columnist in an article published in ‘The Tribune’ says, “The reality is that nobody supports our claims over Kashmir and even Kashmiris don’t want to join Pakistan. Indeed those fighting, they are doing so for independence. And yet our diplomats continued banging the drum for archaic UN resolution calling for a referendum that limits the choices for Kashmiris to merge with either India or Pakistan.” Further, view of the journalist is strengthened by the declaration of the former Secretary General of the UN- Kofi Annan during his tenure that the ‘UN resolution on Kashmir had become obsolete’.
What is the outcome of the wars? Only miseries, hatred, malice and loss of lives and destruction of public properties valued at crores of rupees; both the nations are branded as ‘poor nations’, consequences of wars only rose the graph of our poverty. In December 1971 war when Bangladesh came into being, 95 thousand soldiers surrendered before Indian Army led by Gen. Arora. The assassinated PM of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto in her book,” Daughter of East” has given a graphic account of how the release of Pakistani soldiers was secured by her father Zulfikar Bhutto by appealing to magnanimityof the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in July 1972.
An NSA talk called off unilaterally by Pakistan on flimsy grounds is absolutely unwarranted and unjustified and the way of India tackling this non-existent issue too was clumsy and inflexible. There is no doubt through its grand standing on Kashmir and Hurriyat; Islamabad reneged on the understanding reached in Ufa. The external Minister Sushma Swaraj was right in reminding Pakistan that in the spirit of Shimla Agreement, all the issues including Kashmir are to be resolved bilaterally without the mediation of any third party. The rendezvous at Delhi for separatist leaders and high commissioner from Pakistan to India was not acceptable to India. Anyhow Pakistan could seek their views and there was no point in calling their meeting at Delhi as already redline has been drawn on Hurriyat by calling off last year’s foreign secretary level meeting between the two nations. Albeit Pakistan backtracked upon its commitment reached at Ufa yet India too must understand it was domestic compulsion as in that country the army acts as the state and there would have been no harm if India had agreed for a composite dialogue inclusive of Kashmir.
It is an imperative for both the nations to refrain from blame game and stall the provocative statements forthwith. Both neighbouring countries are nuclear powers, recently the media was flooded with the irresponsible statements from the mouths of highly responsible officials not less than the security advisor and defence minister of Pakistan that the nuclear weapons that Pakistan had were not only for looking at. Pakistani political leadership seems inclined towards the normalisation of relations with India but unfortunately Pakistan Army acting as the State is a stumbling block in the path of two nations coming together. It is a high time for the army to understand that peace and tranquillity in the South Asia region and good relationship with India are conducive for the growth and development of both neighbouring nations.
New Delhi needs to go back to the drawing board to frame a new strategy in tackling knotty relationship with an eye on what is practical as Modi govt. will never want to damage its macho image. Simply there is no alternative to talk and both the nations must come together and resolve their issues amicably and peacefully.
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