Kashmir Tangle: A New Angle

Jammu and Kashmir is burning since 1947. Its fire has now expanded to Jammu also. It is dangerous especially when this region is already regarded as a disputed territory by so many inhabitants and experts. Current situation is highly volatile in the Indian Kashmir.

Central Groups and Teams:

Jammu and Kashmir in India represent such a region where a few days visitors and observers´ groups cannot really grasp its problems and difficulties. One has to spend at least ten years in J&K to understand its nature and peoples perspective. So is the case with Pakistan also. The entire Kashmir issue had started with Muzaffarabad coming under Pakistani occupation in 1947.

The Kashmiri Muslims in India have now again begun their quest for opening the trade route to Muzaffarabad. Very interesting! On the other hand, all communities in Jammu are asking the Indian and State Governments to return the 100 acres of land to Baba Amarnath Shrine Board on the grounds of preserving the concept of freedom of all religions from governmental interference all over the world and for sustaining the constitutional policy of secularism in the Constitution of India.

Origins of Kashmir Issue:

Major bone of contention is the so-called ´Kashmir Issue´ between India and Pakistan since the time of partition. The Pak Occupied Kashmir earlier had Muslim population in minority and Hindus in vast majority. Most of these erstwhile majority community Hindus have now been converted to Islam during the years immediately following the Pakistani Kabaili raiders attack on the Indian Kashmir on 26 October 1947. Had this not happened, leaders and stalwarts like Sheikh Abdullah and others would not have come to the forefront of a democratic setup in the Indian Kashmir from late 1940s to 1950s.

Read Between the Lines:

Therefore, it is easy to read between the lines here. Indeed, there could very well have been an understanding between Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Sheikh Abdullah for raiders´ attack on Indian Kashmir and a calculated ´cease fire´ following the effective retaliation by Indian Army especially when the Pakistani raiders started fleeing and running away from Indian Army and then they were being pushed back. These raiders were running back towards Pakistan due to the attack and fear from the Indian Army. They were literally being thrown back to Pakistan when a premature ´ceasefire´ was declared by Indian Government on the apparent advise of Sheikh Abdullah! It meant that the Kashmir issue and its related aspects were the craftsmanship of Jinnah and Sheikh Abdullah. Otherwise, there was no Kashmir issue at all because the entire Kashmir then belonged to India only.

1947 Ceasefire and all:

From an official and public perspective, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru asked UN to intervene at a particular stage of this war. A United Nations ceasefire was arranged for the 31 December 1948. A few days before the ceasefire the Pakistani raiders launched another attack disconnecting the road between Uri and Poonch. After protracted negotiations a ceasefire was agreed to by both countries. The terms of the ceasefire as laid out in the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) resolution of 13 August 1948 were adopted by the
UN on 5 January 1949.

This required Pakistan to withdraw its forces, both regular and irregular, while allowing India to maintain minimum strength of its forces in the state to preserve law and order. Pakistan never complied with the provisions of the ceasefire resolution. Only on compliance of these conditions by Pakistan, a plebiscite was to be held to determine the future of the territory. As such, Pakistan was able to acquire roughly two-fifths of Kashmir while India maintained the remaining three fifths of Kashmir, including the most populous and fertile regions.

It can, therefore, be said that India has been succumbing to Pakistan´s terrorist ventures into Indian territory since the time of partition – from within and without both. Why Indian Governments are doing this time and again? It is very difficult to understand.
It is clear that the Kashmir issue in reality has never been a tangle between India and Pakistan without the Pakistan´s raiders´ attack on Indian Kashmir in 1947.

Two Nations Theory?:

The basis of India´s partition has never been the so-called ´two nations theory´. Had it been so, all Muslims in India would have gone to Pakistan. This two nations theory could never be applied to India prior to partition because there was no exclusively Muslim and Hindu territory in the entire country. The basis of India´s partition was primarily geographical and administrative and not exclusively religious despite Muslim League and Jinnah saying so repeatedly.

There is more Muslim population India than in Pakistan. The Indian Muslims are never ready to go to Pakistan although there are a number of Muslim citizens in Pakistan who would run for becoming inhabitants of India the moment they are allowed this freedom.

Main Problem with Pakistan:

This is the main difficulty with Pakistan especially through its ´state within the state institution´ like Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Pakistan is more occupied with creating disturbance and disorder in other States of the world instead of its own order, peace and development. Pakistani people have never been able have a sigh of relief and freedom from deeply ingrained fear into their psyche after about four coup-de-tats in independent Pakistan. No Pakistani is safe and free in Pakistan. No one can even freely and safely express one´s opinion there – not even President Pervez Musharraf! Terrorists and terrorism reign supreme there. This is what Pakistan wants to export to the entire world. May Allah be with India and Pakistan!