Hashim Qureshi
After five months of strike with 15 thousand injured, 10 -12 thousands arrested and hundreds blinded, more than hundred killed, doesn’t this nation have the right to ask the sponsors of strike schedule what this nation achieved after making these enormous sacrifices? The call for strike has now remained confined to lowering down the shutters of some shops in Lal Chowk and parts of downtown Srinagar. Even in these two localities, the shutters are downed owing to fear and intimidation. We have repeatedly said that in contemporary times no freedom movement can reach its goal unless the leadership takes into account the international political climate and social and economic realities of the neighbouring regions. The movement has to be adapted accordingly.
Our tragedy is that usually our leadership could not think beyond accession to one or the other country in our neighbourhood. What we are used to call freedom movement is just an event but not a movement. For running a freedom movement or directing the course of events, there have to be some definite and unavoidable pre-requisites.
If a people want to accede to another country, in that case it becomes obligatory for that country to occupy the aspired land through one of the three options viz. force of arms, politics or diplomacy. For a freedom movement, there always has to be a long range planning. Leaders and organizations engaged in stoking the freedom movement need to understand the economic condition, psychology, needs and sentiments of the people they are leading. They also need to have clear vision of the economic strength, military power and the influence on international level of the country from which they want to secede. It is unavoidable for them to assess the status of the struggle of their community in international political scenario. Only after these requirements are completed, should a freedom movement launch the struggle.
This is not what we find here. People’s sentiments are aroused and they behave violently and this is given the name of freedom movement. The leadership issues calls for strikes and announces actions randomly, which gives unreasoned direction to the movement. A call for strikes pushes people to the brink of starvation.
This is anything but a freedom movement. Movements of this type die their own death with the passage of time. In 1990 Guns were brought but not put to use under an organized plan leaving the gun totting guys free to do whatever they like, end up in fratricide while those who give calls for strike just watch the shedding of human blood as unconcerned spectators.
This is true of the organizations promoting so-called freedom movement. They could not forge unity among themselves to run one common programme. What has been their fate is known to all of us. With the strike schedule announced for five long months, people have been reduced to a state of penury. What an irony that the same people are now inviting people all over the world and from India to visit Kashmir as tourists at a time when the tourist season is already over. Is there logic behind this untimely invitation to the tourists?
Agreed that Kashmir is a dispute and an issue but the question is that keeping in view the international as well as sub-continental political scenario, is this the opportune time for any solution of the issue? Let us make use of logic.
1. The original State of Jammu and Kashmir is virtually divided into four parts: the part under the control of India, the part called Gilgit and Baltistan under the control of Pakistan, third part the so-called Azad Kashmir is under the control of Pakistan and the fourth part of Aksaichin is under the control of China. It will not be an overstatement to say that actually it is divided into six parts not four. People in Ladakh and Jammu regions are at variance with the approach of the people of the valley. People in these regions speak not in one but in so many voices. There is the talk of division of the State; there is the talk of accession to Pakistan, there is the talk of accession to India and there is also the talk of self rule. Amusingly, those who contribute to these varying perceptions, too, are divided and disoriented. Those standing for accession to Pakistan or those who are propagating self rule have not been able to formulate a plan of keeping the State united.
2. There is no people’s organization in any region of the State well organized so as to become the real representative of the people in and outside the State
3. The tragedy is that the ‘freedom movement’ remained confined to the valley of Kashmir only and the world did not see any such movement anywhere outside the valley in the State. We have failed to project entire Jammu and Kashmir for the purpose of freedom struggle in the eyes of the world community.
4. Terrorist organizations in so-called Azad Kashmir and Pakistan are sending their armed men to launch attacks in Kashmir valley. They call it Islamic movement. Jamaat-e-Islami and a few more religious and political organizations continue with their myopic vision and ignore international situation and compulsions of international strategies.
When we decide to run a movement in the name of religion, then on what basis will the US, European or other countries come to our support? How many out of nearly 60 Islamic countries are supporting our struggle? Have we ever tried to find out why Islamic countries are not lending their support to Kashmir solution? We should not forget that most of the Islamic countries are administered on secular principles. They have no need or reason to support our religious movement.
Additionally, the US or Europe has no economic interests in Kashmir. They do care to see which of the two countries would be economically more promising for them. We should not forget that the entire world today is pitted against terrorism and especially Islamic extremism. In what parameters will they interpret the slogan of Geelani Sahib or someone else that “Pakistan se rishta kya/lailaha illallah”. Geelani knows that this or any other slogan or exercise is not going to make Kashmir part of Pakistan. Yet he persists with it because being at the fag end of his life, he does not find any way other than giving repeated calls for strikes to assuage his despair of a failed mission in his life. His calls for strike are in fact calls for death of unknown youth and he doesn’t wants to be remembered as second Sheikh Abdullah after he leaves the world. But he ought to know that when he is no more in this world people will ask the question what he gave to Kashmiri nation? Therefore unless intra-JK dialogue among the people of all the regions of the State takes place to ascertain the thinking of respective peoples and unless the entire nation moves forward with a united agenda no country in the world will be prepared to give any support to Kashmir solution.
Entire world has supported the Palestinian movement. Palestinians are Muslims but their movement is not a religious movement. We never placed our case before the Indian civil society supported by strong logic. I may tell my readers about a historical fact. During the Vietnam War, millions of Americans would demonstrate in the US in their own country against the policy of the US Government. Likewise, the French people demonstrated against their own country in the case of Algerian struggle for freedom. Indians also are people with delicate conscience. They have risen against injustice. But we faltered in placing our case before the people of India. We denigrated all Indians. We unfurled Pakistani national flags and we unfurled the flags of those extremists who are fighting Indian forces. How then do we expect Indians to understand and support the kashmir issue ? When we raise Pakistani flags and utter pro-Pak slogans that means the struggle is for serving the interests of Pakistan and not of our own people. Why should the people of India support Kashmir struggle?
We avoid taking note of regional and international situation particularly the scenario in the sub-continent. Not only is India distressed by extremism in the subcontinent; other countries like Bangladesh and Afghanistan, too, are distressed by it. The US and European countries are also anguished by Pakistan in the context of the situation in Afghanistan.
We should try to understand that India has become the destination of commercial interests of the US and the European countries. Why will they support our movement since we project it as pro-Pakistan and pro-Islamic struggle?
We need to come out of myopia. We need to dismiss our personal ambitions and interests and think of Kashmir and its people. On that basis we need to forge a viable policy. Frankly speaking, what is happening now in Kashmir is only trading the dead bodies of Kashmiris and we label it as freedom movement. Wise people would never make their nation to do what we have made our nation to do under compulsion or voluntarily.
Before concluding, I have one more point to make. Nowadays Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah both are speaking a strange language. They are extending their support to Hurriyat to continue the movement of disturbance in Kashmir. Not only are they offering their support to this scenario, they are also exonerating Pakistan from any role in this turmoil. However, the memory of Kashmris is not that weak to forget that the largest responsibility of Kashmir problems and disturbances rests with National Conference. It was this organization that ordered internment of people like animals in jails after imposing PSA, a law that was the brain child of National Conference. Only till previous day, the father and son duo had been demanding bombardment of “Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. In 2010 during the regime of Omar Abdullah, 121 Kashmiri youth were made to lose their lives. Why this different tune today? Is it for power, of course it is. If that is not the case then simple logic demands that NC should immediately join hands with Hurriyat and all freedom loving organizations and announce freedom for both parts of the State meaning either side of the LoC. That would absolve NC of all its previous sins.
“Sar-i- mehfil Jo bolon to zamane Ko khatakta hun
Rahun main chup to andar ki bagawat mar deti hai”
(The author is Chairman JKDLP)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
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