Good
nationalists and bad nationalists
Dr Shabir Choudhry 31 August 2013
Just like America has
defined Taliban as ‘Good Taliban’ and ‘Bad Taliban’; secret agencies of
Pakistan have also defined Kashmiri nationalists as ‘good nationalists’ and ‘bad
nationalists’.
In eyes of the
Pakistani establishment ‘good nationalists are those who talk about
independence of Jammu and Kashmir, but all their efforts are designed to
liberate the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under India. They justify taking help (arms,
training, money, logistic support, guidance etc.) from Pakistan (also an
occupier of Kashmiri territory) to be used against the other occupier – India.
‘Bad nationalists’, in
view of the Pakistani establishment are those who have over the years understood
their game plan; and want to treat Pakistan as an occupier as well. In view of
the ‘bad nationalists’ the Kashmir policy of Pakistan is also imperialist in
nature; but they have camouflaged it in name of religion and brotherhood, hence
this hypocrisy must be exposed.
Furthermore, these ‘bad
nationalists’ say Pakistani establishment has very shrewdly manipulated the
situation and transformed Kashmiri rights movement in to a religious dispute,
hence growth of the jihadi culture. These ‘bad nationalists’ believe that
Pakistani establishment under cover of religion formulated such policies that
distorted the real Kashmiri struggle and converted it to a territorial dispute
between India and Pakistan; whereas the struggle was for independence of the State
of Jammu and Kashmir.
Also ‘bad nationalists’
believe the wrong and imperialist policies of the Pakistani establishment
resulted in the forced division of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, hence our
continued suffering and miseries. They think the Pakistani establishment has
done more political damage to the Kashmir cause than what India has caused;
however, India has committed more human rights abuses because of the Pakistani
sponsored militancy and jihad since 1989.
The Pakistani
establishment on the other hand thinks because the ‘bad nationalists’ do not
accept their dictation or do not take the bait, so they must be projected as
enemies of Pakistan and friends of India. In other words, their view is a
Kashmiri could only be a pro Pakistan or pro India. In their view, those who
are truly not pro Pakistan, meaning they do not take overt or covert
instructions and support from Pakistan, must be pro India because they believe
in democracy, secular society and human rights for all citizens of the State of
Jammu and Kashmir.
Over the years, ‘Bad
nationalists’ have become wiser, more pragmatic and realist. They say whereas
the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir is occupied and struggle must be for
unification and independence of the State, but it was wrong policy to send
people from Azad Kashmir to ‘liberate’ Kashmir under India. People under the
Indian occupation must struggle there, and people under the Pakistani
occupation must struggle against the Pakistani occupation. In other words
people of Gilgit Baltistan must organise their own struggle, and people of Azad
Kashmir must organise their own struggle against those who occupy them. How can
we help people of Gilgit Baltistan or people on the Indian side when we are occupied
and oppressed ourselves?
These ‘bad nationalists’
believe it was a considered policy of the GHQ of Pakistan to send people from
this side of Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian side for the following reasons:
1.
Hot headed Kashmiris from this side
could become targets of the Indian bullets;
2.
It will ensure that they pay no
attention to their own miseries and miseries of people of Gilgit Baltistan;
3.
It will fuel more anti - India feelings;
4.
It will give this impression that the Kashmiris
under Pakistan were happy, and that was why they were going across the LOC to ‘liberate’
their brothers;
5.
And with massive propaganda, it will
help to make India defensive on the Kashmir dispute.
‘Good nationalists’
regard Pakistan as a friendly country and take pride in having some association
with their secret agencies and political elite. They believe Kashmiris should
focus on the ‘liberation of the Indian occupied Kashmir’; while paying some lip
service to the situation on the Pakistani side of Kashmir. They justify taking
funds, arms, training, logistic support and guidance from the Pakistani secret
agencies and use that to ‘liberate’ Kashmir from India, even though the world
community regard that as a ‘proxy war’ which was designed to keep India engaged
in Kashmir.
Also ‘good nationalists’
happily provide raw materials of human beings to be used in the battlefield
against India; and systematically propagate against Indian position in Jammu
and Kashmir; while practically hoodwinking what government of Pakistan do to
people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Kashmir dispute itself. In many ways the ‘good
nationalists’ have practically become a ‘B team’ of the Pakistani establishment;
and as a reward they get certain privileges and monetary gains. They are also
promoted and acknowledged at the national level; and at times, called to
official briefings/consultations, either in Islamabad or in their diplomatic
Mission in New Delhi and in other important cities of the world.
India also seems to be
comfortable with ‘good nationalists’. Despite serious cases like murder of the
army personnel, ‘good nationalists’ are treated like Mughal royalty. They are
provided protocol, security and are allowed to travel to New Delhi, visit the
Pakistani High Commission and there eat chicken tikkas, shish kebabs, biryani
etc and come out with new instructions and, at times, money. They are also
allowed to travel to other Embassies, meet diplomats, and address various
conferences and seminars held in various parts of India.
As some ‘good
nationalists’ are better than others and deserve more attention and privileges,
they, despite very serious charges of killings and kidnappings are awarded with
an Indian passport ‘despite the provisions of the Passport Act of 1967
prohibiting it’. A Delhi
based senior
security official, Tulsi once said. “Politics requires that these cases must
linger. But that is hardly a long term strategy.”
This situation could be
better understood with this real life example. Abbas Butt and I wanted to
urgently consult one senior JKLF leader in Srinagar. We phoned his home and we
were told by his colleague that there was a demonstration against India this
morning and he was arrested. When we told him that we wanted some advice from
him on very important issue, his colleague said: phone
back at night he will be at home.
Abbas Butt and I were stunned
to hear this. What kind of ‘arrest’ was this? The man was arrested in presence
of so many people and media for doing something wrong, but his colleague knew
his leader would be at home at night. We asked each other, what was going on
there. After a bit of discussion we decided to phone another ‘nationalist’
leader in Srinagar and discussed this matter with him.
He laughed and said, ‘Choudhry
Sahib you don’t know the ground reality here’. This phrase or sentence, ‘you don’t know the ground reality’ is
very often spoken by the Valley based Kashmiris, and I have heard it hundreds
of times; and honestly speaking I was sick and tired of this. However, on this
occasion without expressing any resentment I asked him, ‘What do you mean by
this’?
Summary of his short speech
was: When a profile of a leader gets low or when his followers or people in
general become little suspicious of his activities, this drama of ‘arrest’ is
arranged. He said why is it that some leaders have been ‘attacked’ so many times
but they are never injured. This kind of ‘arrest’ and ‘attack’ gives them a new
lease of life.
‘This makes a lot of
sense’, my colleague Abbas Butt said to me after we disconnected the phone
call. He said, ‘this conversation has given us a completely new perspective on
the Kashmiri struggle’.
We all know that ‘pro
accession’ lobby whether they are on the Indian side of the divide or on the
Pakistani side, they benefit from the ‘Kashmiri struggle’ in many shapes and
forms; however we learnt that ‘good nationalists’ were also benefiting from the
‘Kashmiri struggle’ and from the miseries of the ordinary citizens of Jammu and
Kashmir. May Allah SWT help us and grant us peace, happiness and independence?
Writer is a political analyst and author of many books and booklets.
Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs.Email:drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com
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