{EOP}Reborn Freedom Struggle.. INDIA is Now Burning..

Air Marshal Ayaz A Khan (R)

In October 1947, Indian troops entered Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan and India fought three wars, but India could not be dislodged from the Occupied state. In 1962, when China and India went to war, Ayub Khan did not avail the opportunity to push India out of Kashmir. After December 1972, when Pakistan was cut into two, the policy to aid and launch freedom fighter faltered and failed. India went on a killing rampage, after the Kashmiri people in October 1989 revolted against the excesses of Indian military occupation. This peoples rebellion against Indian military occupation has turned into a freedom struggle, which continues till date. Musharraf deviated from Pakistan’s principled stand of self determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as enshrined in several UN Security Council Resolutions. India scoffed at his off the cuff proposals, and the Kashmir problem continues to fester, with continued Indian military atrocities, and bitter India-Pakistan relations.

Despite PPP governments inaction, Kashmiri’s freedom struggle is continuing, due to the undaunted courage of Kashmiri leaders and the perseverance of the Kashmiri people for freedom and self determination. Syed Ali Gilani, Mir Waiz Mohammad Farooq, Abdul Ghani Lone, Shabir Shah and several leaders of All Parties Hurriyet Conference and Mehbooba Mufti the head of the Peoples Democratic Party – the PDP have remained outspoken and articulate, yet determined to unshackle the Indian grip on Jammu and Kashmir. Their views are respected within and outside South Asia. They continue to speak fearlessly, and remain undeterred by Indian atrocities. The Kashmiri leaders and the people are determined to continue the freedom struggle, till the exit of the Indian military of occupation from the Indian occupied Kashmir.

Syed Ali Gilani has been subjected to torture, but has remained the steadfast in stressing that India cannot suppress Kashmiri’s aspirations and urge for freedom. Despite daily killings and kidnappings, illegal detentions, merciless beatings and house arrests, India has failed to cow down and break the will of the men and women of Kashmir to remove the usurper occupier from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir. India has failed to break the indomitable spirit and courage of the Kashmiri youth to continue the freedom struggle undaunted.

Mehbooba Mufti in her press statement in Srinagar on Feb 24, 2011, stressed the futility of any unilateral, isolated or piecemeal decision by India about the resolution of Kashmir issue. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti called for a comprehensive solution of the Kashmir problem in order to restore sustainable and lasting peace in this region. Talking to officials and leaders of the Congress party, she reminded New Delhi to desist from unilateral or bilateral decisions, which have proved meaningless and counterproductive since sixty years. She emphasized that all stake holders especially Pakistan and the freedom fighters, whom she called separatists, be brought on board and should be part of the dialogue process, for a lasting solution of the long festering Kashmir problem.

It is about time that India sees the writing on the wall. With one hundred thousand Kashmiri’s martyred, and an equal number injured, maimed, orphaned and raped, there is no way that India can put the Kashmir issue under the mat. Astonishingly while throwing dust into the eyes of the West by misleading propaganda, India has brandished the Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorists, and has justified its military carnage and slaughters as war against terrorism. Emphasizing on involving the Kashmiri freedom fighters in discussions and dialogue for Jammu and Kashmir’s permanent solution, Mehbooba Mufti said that, “The Separatists must be engaged and involved in the talks, and their views taken seriously and their demands addressed . The Separatists are indigenous Kashmiri youth and important stake holders, in the process, and a dialogue process minus the Separatists would be futile, and will not succeed to take the process to its logical end. Her forceful advocacy that a lasting resolution of the Kashmir dispute is impossible without a serious and purposeful dialogue with the Separatists- the Freedom Fighters is highly significant. For the opinion makers in Pakistan, and the Pakistani establishment talk of support for the separatists in a taboo. But despite frequent massacres the freedom fighters have remained undeterred.

Clearly the Kashmiri Freedom Fighters have become a powerful force in Jammu and Kashmir state, and cannot be ignored any longer. Mehbooba has correctly stated that considering the complexity and diversity of the Kashmir problem any unilateral roadmap by New Delhi will end in utter failure; as it always has. All sections of the population, all regions, sub-regions, the Freedom Fighters and Pakistan are vital stake holders, for an acceptable and workable solution of the explosive dispute. She correctly said that involvement of Pakistan in the talks is a must, because without taking the neighboring country on board dialogue process would be meaningless. Pakistan needs to put its own house in order, and simultaneously extend fullest moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri politicians like Mehmooba Mufti, Mir Waiz Mohammad Farooq, Maulana Syed Gilani and others, who despite frequent arrests and detention have kept the flame of freedom alight in Kashmir.

What has India gained by chaining Kashmir in military captivity since 1947. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti explained that the “ sense of siege that gripped the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of partition has kept the occupied state economically stunted and the population deprived of jobs and business and trade opportunities. This sense of siege due to Indian military tyranny should be removed to help the region to regain its past premier position. To harness Kashmir’s inherent potential as a business center, as it was before partition, it is important that Indian military leaves the state. As the socio-economic growth of the state has been restricted after the partition due to the plugging of all routes connecting Jammu and Kashmir with rest of the world, there is urgent need to open all traditional routes from Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh (which are through Pakistan) to make the state economy once again vibrant. The natural resources of Jammu and Kashmir need to be revisited and properly exploited for the benefit of the Kashmiri people. She demanded renegotiation of pro-Bharat biased trade agreements, made by the Srinagar government with various agencies.

In another positive development on March 04, 2011 Sardar Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India issued an important statement to the press in New Delhi to the effect that India is willing to resolve the long outstanding Kashmir dispute and all other outstanding issues with Pakistan, through negotiations. Stating that India has resolved to resume the dialogue process with Pakistan, he promised to enter the talks with Pakistan with an open mind. But the Kashmir dispute is a complex issue, and the people of Kashmir and their leaders (not Indian puppets) are equally important stake holders. It will be wise to get the Kashmiri leaders on board when discussing the Kashmir problem. Senior Hurriyet Leaders, Azad Kashmir leaders and Mehbooba Mufti and all senior PDP leaders – Mahbooba Mufti, Muhammad Dillawar Mir, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Naeem Akhtar must be invited to a round table conference on Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. The Pakistan delegation to the joint round table conference should have Jammu and Kashmir on top of the agenda.

Published on Pak Observer