KASHMIR issue has been a major area of attention in media and politics over decades but to the misfortune of Kashmiris many factors have developed from time to time complicating it even further. These complexities are being added by a minuscule of population in India. They hire a section of our society too to add more the confusion. It is a grim reality that the Indian politicians continue their age old way of camouflaging their people on the Kashmir issue. Some project the issue as an economic one, some as dis-ordered governance, and some as issue out of Islamization while others consider it as the one being instigated by Pakistan.   Some even consider it as a result of the some of the wrong policies adopted by India from time to time like giving special status through article 370.

GENESIS OF THE PROBLEM:
It is a historical fact that when Indians were struggling for freedom from British rulers,  Kashmiris were involved in the similar struggle against the Maharajas (Dogras). In 1947 when the British left the India, it culminated in massive political developments and as a result of which the Kashmir too was influenced. The Dogras left the Kashmir and in the process signed the instrument of accession with the State of India without taking into account the wishes of the People of the J&K. The accession was supported by Sheikh Abdullah with certain conditions to mislead the masses that by and large they have achieved their goal. The majority of the people of Kashmir took a sigh of relief after getting freedom from suppressive Maharajas but never realized the gravity of the situation in which they were getting trapped. Since Sheikh Abdullah had a dominant role in ousting Maharajas, therefore people of Kashmir developed enormous faith in his leadership which ultimately proved to be their greatest misfortune. The Sheikh’s support to the accession of Maharaja was purely because of his personal likes and dislikes and people of J&K had absolutely no role in it. Then subsequent developments took place in Kashmir which involved invasion of Kashmir by tribesmen, division of Kashmir and involvement of UNO in which people of the J&K were assured the Right of Self Determination. 

Thereafter the State of India started diluting the very basis of the self fabricated accession and for facilitating it, installed its puppets from time to time, however the movement for the right of self- determination continued in different forms at different times like demand for Rai Shumari etc. It is an irony and must be the first instance of its kind in the history of civilization that a Nation which has been fighting for its freedom enslaves another nation no sooner it gets out of the chains of the slavery.  It is expected that a nation held as slave for centuries will have respect for other freedom movements of other nations but alas! Egoist Indian politicians have been misleading their own people and holding the J&K only by virtue of their military might but history is a witness that such ventures lead only to death and destruction of both oppressed as well as the oppressor.
  
 In 1975, the Indira–Abdullah accord was signed camouflaging the people with Naya Kashmir slogans as if some great deal has been struck. Indian establishment was content with the deal as in their opinion the only resistance was neutralized.  This deal in fact was the beginning of the emergence of alternative voice for the people of the J&K. Even when Farooq Abdullah took over as Chief Minister he showed his discontent with the Governmen of India and was soon made to pay the price by the Government of India by dislodging him through his own brother-in-law. Ultimately the death of Sheikh Abdullah and the Rajiv-Farooq accord made the emergence of the alternative voice for Azadi a reality and gave birth to Muslim United Front. The MUF was dominated by the Islamists and they preferred to opt for the democratic way of achieving their goal by participating in the 1987 elections. India which boasts for its democratic values was at extreme test for the same but the history of the mankind shall note it as  one of the worst kind of suppression in which the winning candidates were not only declared losers but were jailed for years by the protagonists of Democracy.  

 Needless to mention that the icon of the present armed resistance commanding most respectable position among the people of Kashmir is none other than Syed Salahuddin who fought these 1987 elections from Lal Chowk constituency against Mohi-udin Shah of National Conference. Despite being winner in this election he was declared the loser and was soon put behind the bars for more about three long years.  In fact the HAJY (Hamid, Ashfaq, Javid & Yasin) group – a group of 4 militant commanders considered as the pioneers of militancy were the main pillars of Syed Salahuddin during the entire election process. 

 The era of militancy started in 1989, but must be acknowledged that it was initiated not by Islamist forces but by the Nationalists within the Kashmir society. The Islamist forces were by and large caught on a wrong foot and had but no alternative to venture into the same. The militancy gave a license to the Indian establishment to multiply its magnitude of suppression. Instead of acknowledging its own faults the Indian System has been continuously adhering to its inhuman policies towards the people of Kashmir in which they have been subjected to extreme level of atrocities which the mankind has rarely witnessed. 

INDIAN POLICIES:
The Political Parties of India particularly Congress and the BJP have been misleading their own people on the issue of Kashmir. Even in 2008 when lakhs of people were coming on their own to the streets from the remotest areas of Kashmir for demanding their right of self determination, the politicians of these parties were projecting as an agitation for certain issues (Amarnath land, Economic blockade, opening of Muzzaffarabad Road etc) and same attitude is observed today also. They have been mainly blackmailing one another to gain political mileage and in the process have been misleading their own people about the realities of the issue of J&K. Blaming Pakistan, its ISI, Islamist forces is the traditional approach and projecting the issue as that of certain limited sections of the society has been the age old policy of political forces of India. 

 Gaining time endlessly, Delaying with bad intentions, dividing the Kashmiri Leadership, Creating self styled leaders, discrediting leaders, suppression, diverting the people’s attention, deliberately misleading the people is what India has been pursuing since decades. One must acknowledge that Vajpayee had shown some signs of political will to solve the Kashmir issue however he too proved to be helpless in the Indian political system.  A country which officially announces every year the death of hundreds of its people due to cold temperature and sun stroke like issues spends billions simply just for its ego is the worst of the mindset of the mankind.

 20 Years of Suppression and the Results: The Indian state in the garb of curbing militancy in Kashmir ruthlessly attempted to suppress the voice of Kashmiris. The dense concentration of Indian army and other security agencies in our State is the only of its kind in the human civilization in the contemporary civilized world. Thousands of innocent killings, custodial killings, rapes, missing and destruction of property is found in every corner of the State. 500 graveyards of the budding youths who have been killed during the last 20 years are spread across the State rendering thousands orphans and widows.  The country which still remembers every year the incident of Jhalianwala Bagh, enjoys to make countless such incidents upon the innocent people of Kashmir. This all has been supported by most inhuman tortures in dozens of Interrogation Centers at par or to be precise even worst than that of Abu Ghraib jail or Guantanamo Bay. The establishment of special operation groups in the Police and ikwani culture which were given the credits only for carrying out genocide to suppress the genuine voice of the people of Kashmir are the gifts of Indian Democracy to the people of Kashmir. The police and other Security agencies which have been working in the State have been empowered and provided merciless powers and shield through different acts like  Armed forces Special Power Acts (AFSPA), disturbed area act etc. The results are a big zero which both the Indian establishment as well its political system knows more than anyone else.

Popularity of Syed Ali Shah Geelani:
 Two things have been going on side by side in favor of Geelani. One his steadfastness on the issue and second the lax attitude of Government of India towards the dialogue process. In fact the entire dialogue process carried out by the Government of India either with Pakistan or with the Hurriyat (M) can simply be called as a mockery of the Dialogue system. In fact Geelani’s criticism of the dialogue process was fully substantiated by the way the entire dialogue process has been going on. In fact India has shown absolute insincerity towards resolving the issue through dialogue process. The so called dialogue process was not more than a drama which ultimately severely discredited the separatist leaders involved in the dialogue process. In fact the fundamental reason for the failure of the dialogue process has been the India’s adherence to its conventional approach and its slogans alike “sky is the Limit” or “Talks within Humanity” which in fact generated some interest in the dialogue process proved a complete deception and added proportionately to the popularity of Geelani. There should be no confusion that India is holding the people and land of Kashmir merely by force but the history is a witness to this fact that no Nation can be subjugated under force for long.

Mainstream Political Parties in J & K:
 The present movement by all standards has created a situation where each and every political party and individuals of importance got identified for his sincerity towards the society. In fact time has come for what they call as mainstream political parties which have been functioning as puppets of the Government of India to establish their credibility within the people by extending their support for the demand of the masses but unfortunately ultimately not the people and their aspirations but their own interests have proved to be supreme to them. It has been now proved beyond doubt that their preferences lie on appeasing and strengthening their mentors in Delhi to gain their personal interests rather than bailing out the people of J&K from the innumerable problems which are bound to be there under the present political arrangement. It will be against my conscience if I do not write that NC has been the greatest misfortune for the people of Kashmir.

 It is the same party particularly its leadership of Sheikhs for which the people of the state have given enormous respect and sacrifices but to their misfortune has been the handiest tool to Indian State for not only inflicting unbearable physical as well as psychological tortures upon the people of Kashmir but also for strengthening their illegal authority over the State of J & K especially after 1990. Just the lust of power has made their top leadership to follow every dictate of India. The party squarely responsible for the slavery of Kashmiris needs to listen to their conscience and play the dominant role for ending the miseries of their own people. They are consistently replicating the same role as was being played by their adversaries like Bakhshi and others 6 decades ago.  Enormous blood of our people has been shed, unbearable miseries have been inflicted upon our people upon which the leadership of NC is building their empire. The present state of affair is never going to continue for long. The history of mankind is a witness to it and worldly power whatever may be their magnitude cannot continue with their devilish activities endlessly.

Role of Intellectuals in India:
  The intellectual voices in India have a great role towards the people of J&K in alleviating their sufferings and granting them their birth right. It is an irony in India that the political partiesare not conscious enough to show their political will towards resolving the issue of J&K. Since 1947 now the movement has entered into our 5th generation. In fact more than a lakh of our youth from the 4th generation has already given their glorious lives and the present wave of the moment is massively participated by the 4th & 5th generation. After all how long are our generations going to continue suffering at this age of civilization and it is here where the Intellectual India has to play its role.  People of Kashmir appeal their conscience to play their role in educating the people of India about the facts of Kashmir issue. We are a peace-loving society who believe in live and let live.  The statement of Arundati Roy that Indian State equally requires to get freedom from Kashmir as Kashmiris want to get from India requires to be taken seriously by the Indian Intelligentia. Just imagine the SAARC with Kashmir issue resolved. 

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Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST