Mangla Dam and Barbari Masjid
Speech of Dr Shabir Choudhry, Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs at a
Seminar arranged by CIRAC (NGO with Special Consultative Status with the UN
(ECOSOC), during 24th Session of the United Nations Human Rights
Council on Wednesday 11th of
March 2013 in Room XXI 21, Palais des Nations, Geneva.
Mr Chairman
Despite great efforts of the UN Human Rights Council and efforts of
hundreds of other human rights organisations, human rights violations around
the world are getting worse, especially in the conflict zones, be it forcibly
divided State of Jammu and Kashmir, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt just to name the
few.
It is unfortunate to note that many human rights organisations are
selective on the issue of human rights. At times, because of economic,
political and strategic interests some states decide to remain quiet and turn a
blind eye to the plight of the suffering people in certain regions.
Oppressed people of State of Jammu and Kashmir also face similar
predicament. They are forcibly divided, oppressed and denied their fundamental
rights, including unfettered right of self determination yet majority of the
countries find it expedient to remain quiet.
Mr Chairman
I want to draw your attention to the plight of people of Mirpur in the
Pakistani Administered Kashmir. But before that I want to give an example of
the Babari Masjid that was destroyed by extremists in India. Pakistani
establishment and media exploited this act of extremists and dispensed so much
fuel on the communal fire that sentiments of Hindus and Muslims were blazed and
subsequent communal riots killed hundreds of people and destroyed millions of
pounds worth property. India was presented as a villain even though it was not
an official policy of the government. In retaliation to the Babari Masjid destruction,
many Hindu temples were also destroyed in Pakistan.
What extremists did was condemned by many, and I condemn it too, however,
fact remains that the Babari Masjid was closed for many years due to
controversy related to Ram Temple. There were no religious activities going on-
no five times prayers, no Juma and no religious teaching, yet the action was
condemned. During Musharraf era, six masjids were destroyed in Islamabad which
were used for all religious activities. Not many people complained against
destructions of these masjids because it was a decision of the government of
Islamic Republic of Pakistan; and those who complained and demanded rebuilding
of those masjids and implementation of Islamic laws were later on rounded up
and killed in Lal Masjid and Jamia Hifsa. This incident not only killed
hundreds of innocent men, women and children but also burnt and destroyed
thousands of Qura’ns and other Islamic books.
Pakistan illegally and forcefully built Mangla Dam in 1967 to provide
water to Pakistani land owners and electricity to the Pakistani industrialists.
People of Mirpur lost their city, history, masjids, shrines, graveyards and
fertile land. In total 485 Villages, 65000 Acres of fertile land submerged in the
water. The
dam uprooted more than 20,000 families, and people were forced to leave their
homes and livelihood.
Generally each village has a masjid and there would be many
shrines and graveyards in the area. So one can see how many masjids, shrines
and graveyards went under the Mangla Dam water. But not many people protested
against this injustice and oppression. No one in Pakistan complained or
criticised the Government action which resulted in drowning of masjids and
shrines where people prayed 5 times and where children learnt Quran and
attended religious functions.
Unlike now, India had a proactive policy on Jammu and Kashmir and
challenged the Pakistani designs in Mirpur and wrote to the UN Security Council
about this. Since the Simla Agreement of 1972, both India and Pakistan have
decided to settle for what they have and regard the Cease Fire Line as the
de-facto border. This is a big change in the respective claims of the two
countries.
Anyhow, those affected from the Mangla Dam were not
appropriately compensated and rehabilitated. According to WAPDA records 7707
families were not compensated. Other promises made to the people of Mirpur were
also not honoured. Some of the things promised to them were
as follows:
- Alternative
residential plots
- Compensation for
loss of business
- Alternative
allotments for loss of irrigational land
- Free electricity
- Free Water
supply
- A railway
station and a railway line connecting Mirpur with national
rail network of Pakistan - 50% quota for employment
- Royalty for the
dam to be paid to Azad Kashmir government
Most of the above promises were just promises,
but despite this betrayal, injustice and oppression, and exploitation of our
resources, Pakistan once again, and without consent of the local people decided
to upraise the Mangla Dam. Once again people of Mirpur became victims of the
Pakistani greed and imperialist designs.
The Dam
upraising created new problems for the people of Mirpur district. The Dam
height is increased from 1210 feet to 1270 feet. The water level in the last
weeks has gone up to 1240 feet resulting in devastation and uprooting of
thousands of local people who were not paid compensation and rehabilitated.
Most of the
uprooted people have not been compensated. All they have is a piece of paper
telling them where their land plot is. Irony is that plots in the area are not
demarcated; and the so called new settlements are not ready for habitation, as
there is no infrastructure, sewerage, water, gas connections etc. Those people
who managed to get some compensation is not even half of the market price.
For example,
if a house was built for the sum of 40 Lakh Rupees ten years ago; and the owner
receives 15 Lakh Rupees for that house. First problem is he has no place to
build a new house. Secondly, to build a same size house he needs at least 80
Lakh Rupees because of the inflation and devaluation of the Pakistani Rupee;
not to mention the trouble he will have to endure to build a house.
Apart from that, in that past few weeks more than 20 Masjids, 6 shrines
and many graveyards have submerged in the Mangla Dam Lake. These masjids were
daily used for religious activities, but those who occupy us do not care about
sentiments of the local people because to them economic considerations were
more important.
A sad thing in this ordeal is that apart from some people of Mirpur, and
Pakistani Administered Kashmir no one has raised voice in support of suffering
people of Mirpur. Not a single voice from the Valley to express solidarity or
to criticise Pakistani injustice and oppression; yet all the time they expect
us to raise our voice in their support. Many times we have had demonstrations
and observed hunger strikes to support the struggle of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir under India; and opposed human rights abuses there
However, they refuse to give people of Jammu and Kashmir living under
Pakistani control the same right to protest against the country which denies
them of fundamental rights. They never talk about problems of Gilgit Baltistan,
or even care to visit these areas because they know Islamabad and their
agencies won’t like it.
In case of the Barbari Masjid there was a determined state to propagate
the issue and exploit the situation to make India defensive. However, on the
issue of the Mangla Dam there is no one to support the helpless people; not
even the puppet government of so called Azad Kashmir which claims to rule in our
name. The fact is that the ruling elite in so called Azad Kashmir is there to
look after the interests of Islamabad; and keep control over these people that
interests of their political masters are not endangered.
Mr Chairman
The entire State of Jammu and Kashmir is disputed. People could not
remain divided, oppressed and subjugated for ever. I hope that the world
community and the UN Human Rights Council will pay some attention to the plight
of citizens of this divided former Princely State.
I thank you for your patience.
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