Kashmir is Pakistan’s national objective

Comment

A few weeks ago, Farooq Abdullah said, “Here in Kashmir, people love Pakistan.” This statement is reflection of the broad cross-section of public opinion throughout the Valley where Kashmiri Muslims are now standing like a rock against blatant Indian aggression. 

The harsher the modalities of Indian aggression like use of pellet guns, the greater is the resilience of Kashmiris especially the Kashmiri youth whose protests and rallies are multiplying with every passing day despite so many martyrdoms having come their way at the hands of Indian troops. The most alarming development for Indian government and aggressors is that this time the uprising has emanated from all corners of Kashmir, from north to south and from urban centres to rural areas. 

In one of India’s national magazines, namely ‘Frontline’, of the current month, an article titled ‘Wrath of Kashmir’, written by Shujaat Bukhari, says: “The protests this time are different. Even the mention of an influential separatist leader is enough to irritate the angry young people who are in complete disconnect with India”.

According to the article, the present Kashmiri generation, born after 1990, rather sees the Indian state only through the barrel of the gun. It goes further, “Kashmir is seething with anger and sees this phase of “struggle” as a “do or die” situation”. Cries for “Azaadi” from India are louder than they were before”. 

It is also mentioned in the article that a good few young sympathizers of the ruling Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP have joined militant organizations during the past one year, as confirmed by local police officers. The boys who joined militant organizations in the past one year had worked as PDP sympathizers during the 2014 elections.

What does this indicate? That resentment is growing among the Kashmiri youth whose reaction is just but natural since they grew up in an atmosphere of total suppression and atrocities unleashed by the usurper, New Delhi government, through the enforcement of black laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Public Safety Order. 

Bukhari, in his article, also talks about the coalition between the Occupied Kashmir’s government party, PDP with Nirendra Modi’s BJP. He says, “The domestic ascension of the BJP to power at the Center, followed by its coalition with the PDP in Kashmir, has made most Kashmiris nervous”.

This shows that Kashmiris areunhappy with this alliance and this alliance has not been able to arrest the tide of state terrorism. The question that also arises in this backdrop is that if two hundred thousand people can be mobilized for the funeral procession of a militant leader and Kashmiris are made to come out in the streets to engage in a prolonged battle with the Indian state, then that merits serious attention from New Delhi on its own standing in Kashmir”.

In yet another article, “It is Revolt”, the writer, A G Noorani, says: “ The year 2016 only proves that the people of Kashmir have not acquiesced in the State of Jammu & Kashmir’s accession to India.The Third Kashmir Crisis of 2016 is far worse. The valley is no longer “on the boil”. It is in an incipient revolt which can get worse. It builds on the renewed awakening through militancy and is mostly local in origin.

The writer has also made some disclosures which are: The decision to kill Wani was taken in March 2016 by New Delhi; Mehbooba Mufti was in the loop about the entire operation and did not object; she was also informed “in writing” of the raid on July 8 and her statement that she learnt of the killing in the evening is an elaborate lie” (Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani, social media activist, was martyred by the Indian security forces onJuly 8, 2016).

In this context, the role of Pakistan also needs to be discussed. Though Kashmiris’ majority wants sustained and more effective efforts on the diplomatic and political fronts, most of them have appreciated the letters written to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General of the OIC, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz. Through these letters, Pakistan has expressed its  serious concern on the alarming situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOK) and drawn attention to the brutal killings of innocent civilians as well as grave violations of fundamental human rights of Kashmiris by the occupying Indian security forces. 

And, while Pakistan’s Senate has passed a unanimous resolution condemning brutal killings of Kashmiris and National Assembly has denounced these brutalities, Foreign Office has declared it categorically “ Kashmir is our national objective, and Pakistan will continue to support Kashmiris”.