The Kashmir question

Rather bizarrely, some of those protesting India’s recent abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A of its constitution did so by dancing to popular music – some of it ironically from Bollywood – and engaging in other acts which would best be fitted to a joyous occasion.

The ‘black day’ announced in Pakistan was marked on August 15, coinciding with India’s independence day. While people in Pakistan appear to believe dance and music befitted the occasion, though fiery speeches were made by some leaders including those from religious parties and the prime minister himself, in Indian-occupied Kashmir, still largely under curfew, mothers cradled children who had been badly wounded through the use of the pelt guns which have already blinded hundreds in the valley and young men hid in their homes, fearing arrest, detention and almost certain torture.

Protests in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that has now, without legislative consultation, been effectively annexed by India have in fact already begun to spring up with soldiers putting down spontaneous uprisings in small towns such as Sora. There is anticipation that this unrest will be far wider if and when curfew is lifted. Even the Kashmiri leaders who had once stood by New Delhi are now up in arms.

But Pakistan’s response to the ‘black day’, called in defence of a land the country has always claimed belongs to it, with the slogan ‘Kashmir banay ga Pakistan’ heard everywhere, was out of tune with the reality on the ground in an area where international human rights monitors say terrible abuses have been committed for years.

The mass rapes in the remote villages of Kunan and Poshpora in 1991 with at least 30 and possibly up to 100 women brutally raped by Indian soldiers is a reminder of the kind of brutality Kashmiris have faced. The case was taken to the high court by victims in 2013, a verdict delivered in their favour but then challenged by the Kashmiri state in the Supreme Court where a judgment is awaited.

While many slogans have been raised over the years, in reality Pakistan has done very little to support the Kashmiri cause or look at the condition of the people of Azad Kashmir who have their own set of grievances and complaints. And, while genocide warnings are issued by international organisations such as Genocide Watch, most people in Pakistan remain mainly indifferent to the plight of Kashmiris beyond rhetoric and unrealistic talks of staging an attack on India. Such an attack would obviously be a disaster given the realities on the ground. All of us are aware of these. Pakistan and India have already fought three wars over Kashmir and the UN resolutions of 1948 and 1949, moved after then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru took the matter to the international body, clearly state that the territory of Kashmir is disputed and a final decision on its future must be made by the people of Kashmir through a vote.

The resolutions do not however mention the possibility of autonomy for Kashmir, and this is a demand that is rising in the valley, notably among younger people. While India’s stance on Kashmir, stemming essentially from the fascist Hindu supremacist agenda of the BJP government led by Narendra Modi is simply absurd, it is crucial that Pakistanis also better understand the history of Kashmir. The struggle for freedom in the valley did not begin at Partition, but at least 15 years before this when the Kashmiri people sought autonomy from British rule and rule by the Sikh maharaja of the princely state known for its progressiveness, the harmony between people of various religions who live there and its wealth of resources.

The Kashmiris then have been fighting for almost a century. It is time they received some support from the world. Pakistan alone cannot offer them very much. It sometimes seems Islamabad is in fact already out of options. But it must continue to do all it can to gather world opinion behind it and persuade leaders that the outrages committed in the valley can simply not be ignored year after year and decade after decade. Too many Kashmiri men have died, too many women have been raped, too many children blinded or injured, creating permanent disabilities. The situation is arguably amongst the most violent in the world. The matter is not one of religion but of humanity.

The degree of acrimony between even ordinary Indians and Pakistanis over the issue reflects how difficult it could be to bring the two nations to the talking table. Even professional analysts speaking on camera for international news channels seem unable to adopt a position of neutrality or even professionalism, lashing out at each other and quickly attributing blame for all that has gone wrong. Even more virulent comments have of course appeared over social media. The aggressive stance taken by the Indian media has heightened feelings in that country and it seems room for rationality in a once genuinely secular state has been narrowed to, at best, a mere gully through which even voices can barely pass.

It is obvious from the events of the past few weeks that the US is primarily interested in Kashmir only because it does not want the Afghan peace process, crucial to its own interests, to be jeopardised. President Donald Trump’s initial campaigns that he had been asked to mediate by Modi were shot down with alacrity by the Indian foreign office. Russia has traditionally supported India over the Kashmir issue, and China, which has so far adopted a mainly neutral approach, occasionally leaning slightly towards Pakistan, has its own stake in the matter with a small part of Kashmir under its administrative control.

The Kashmiris have fought bravely for too many years. They do not deserve a homeland which swarms with soldiers bearing guns. The peace of the mountains and their ability to draw in tourists from around the world needs to be restored. Pakistan’s challenge is to think calmly, and find a way at least on paper to persuade the world to help move towards this outcome. This would be far bigger victory than any that stems from the use of guns or other weapons.

Further violence has to be avoided and the peace so badly needed by Kashmiris to resume their position as a prosperous, developing state must be found without much further delay. Songs and dance will not achieve this. Perhaps careful thought and introspection will.

The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor.

Email: kamilahyat@hotmail.com