What if India takes over State of Jammu and Kashmir?
Dr Shabir Choudhry 5 March 2014
A few months ago I was discussing various issues related to the Kashmir
dispute with a friend and colleague who has struggled for united and
independent Jammu and Kashmir since mid 1970s. Despite his lack of activity
over the years, I admire his sincerity, talent and allegiance to true Kashmiri
nationalism.
While discussing Kashmiri struggle for independence and various aspects
related to it he asserted: ‘Many people who claim to be ‘Kashmiri nationalists’
have myopic view of ‘nationalism’ and misplaced loyalty. Some of them cannot
even differentiate between azadi and ghulami – independence and slavery; at
best their struggle could be called a ‘Muslim nationalism’; and their struggle
is against a non Muslim occupier.’
I asked him to clarify his point or points as it was not clear what he
wanted to say. He laughed and said, ‘Choudhry Sahib, you know what I mean. You
have raised these points in many of your TV programmes and articles. If the
present struggle was a true nationalist struggle then it should not have been
against only India. It should have been against all those who occupy the State
of Jammu and Kashmir. Why is it that all Azad Kashmiri nationalist leaders are
more interested in liberating the territory occupied by India; and they have no
policy in place to liberate the areas under Pakistan and China.’
I asked him if he was referring to Amanullah Khan and his JKLF Group. He
said his ‘criticism was not against only Amanullah Khan or his party; rather it
was against other nationalist leaders as well, because nearly all of them, one
way or the other, rely on Pakistani goodwill and ensure that they don’t do
anything to annoy the Pakistani establishment. All their efforts are to portray
India as the wrongdoer in Jammu and Kashmir; and say very little against
occupation of Pakistan and their designs on Jammu and Kashmir.’
He looked at me and categorically said that, ‘I am not defending Indian
actions in Kashmir. Of course India has committed human rights abuses, and I
condemn that. However, we have to analyse the situation with a Kashmiri
interest in mind. People of Jammu and Kashmir were not prepared for the kind of
militancy that was started with help of the Pakistani secret agencies in
1988-9. This perhaps suited Islamabad and those Kashmiris who promoted the
Pakistani agenda on Kashmir; but surely it proved to be a disaster for the
people of Jammu and Kashmir’.
So you are saying those who started this militancy are also responsible
for death and destruction in Jammu and Kashmir and our present situation. ‘That
is one view’ he said with a smile on his face which meant he agreed that those
who started the militancy were also responsible for deaths and destruction.
‘However, we have to accept this bitter fact that we are occupied by more than
one country, yet our struggle is against only one occupier; and regarded the
other occupier as a big brother and our advocate. How can an occupier be our
brother and an advocate’?
He looked at me as if he was asking me to answer this question. I said
if you say anything against the wrong Kashmir policy of Pakistan, many people
will soon castigate you as anti Pakistan, anti Islam and an Indian agent.
Pakistani agencies have used this weapon very effectively and people of Jammu
and Kashmir don’t want to live with this tag on their head; and in view of this
harassment and intimidations many Kashmiri nationalists like to remain quiet
and go with the tide.
This Kashmir leader and thinker asserted that, ‘if we continue with the
present mindset and policies we will never get unification and independence, no
matter how many more people are butchered in name of so called struggle. We
have to call spade a spade and adopt such policies and strategies that this
struggle is seen as a Kashmiri struggle by the international community and not
a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan’.
He paused for a minute and said, ‘Militancy was never ours, we were only
used in this and burnt our hands. It is common sense that if Pakistan cannot
defeat India and get Kashmir even though Pakistan has nuclear weapons, best
missile system, very good air force and a very large army, then how can people
of Kashmir defeat India with a gun borrowed from Pakistan? We can at best, keep
India bleeding and suffer in return. This policy may suit Pakistani interests,
but surely it does not suit us, as it is very seriously hurting us in every
respect, and taking us away from our cherished goal of independence’.
I was irritated with his long sermon, so I asked him what the way
forward is. Why don’t you enlighten us that people can learn from your wisdom
and experience? He thought I was taunting him, so he hesitated for a moment and
looked directly in my eyes, and when he realised I was serious to find out
about his views, he said, ‘In my opinion, if India takes over the entire State
of Jammu and Kashmir then we win half of the war’.
It was not in my wildest dreams that he will say something so bizarre.
Is that a joke, I asked him. ‘I am serious’, he said. ‘We are forcibly divided
and oppressed by both countries. Our struggle is for unification and
independence. We cannot fight both countries to unite the State of Jammu and
Kashmir. Pakistan cannot militarily defeat India and get Kashmir. That means we
will continue to suffer on both sides of the divide. However, if India takeover
the entire Jammu and Kashmir that would mean we have achieved one goal
–unification, and then we will have to only struggle against one occupier for
the other goal -independence. Our goal will be clear. There will be no
confusion as to who is our big brother or an advocate’.
Writer is a political analyst and author of many books and booklets.
Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs
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