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END KASHMIRS SUFFERING "Kashmir's history dates back to 7th Century when Indian Union and Pakistan were not even conceived, its long history of independence was broken over 250 years ago when Afghans established their rule over Kashmir" For more than half a century the people of Jammu & Kashmir have become the victims of deep rooted political corruption in Delhi and Islamabad; while successive generations of Kashmiri leaders have exploited their religious and emotional sentiments only for their personal gains. It is an appalling tragedy that despite three major Indo-Pak wars over Kashmir, colossal loss of human life and massive displacement of people the question of Kashmir remains unresolved. The uncertainty surrounding political future of Kashmir was first born, when Lord Mountbatten conditionally accepted Maharajas Accession on 27 October 1947, on behalf of the Indian Government. Pandit Jawahir Lal Nehru later reaffirmed this on many occasions by announcing that accession of the erstwhile princely state was subject to ratification by the people of the state. The offer of ratification also meant that there was doubt about the finality of the decision. From then onwards due to the vagueness of successive Kashmiri leaders, ambiguity of the Indian policies in Kashmir and India's failure to honour her own commitments created mistrust between Delhi and Srinagar that echoed time and again in the popular Kashmiri slogans like -"hum kia chahete rai shumari" (we want plebiscite);"hum kia chahete Azaadi (we want freedom) . Over the years New Delhi's high handedness in dealing with Kashmir affairs, rampant corruption and nepotism in the state helped to create ideal circumstances for Pakistan to fish in the troubled waters of Kashmir. But the conduct of Indian security forces in Kashmir over the last two decades in dealing with a popular uprising has left no doubt in Kashmiri minds that it is an army of occupation. India's claim on Kashmir is based on a piece of paper known as the Instrument of Accession signed ? by despotic Maharaja of Kashmir who had fled lock, stock and barrel from Srinagar on 25 October 1947, while Pakistan has based her claim on a heap of scrap paper known as the UN Resolutions. The truth is that in this quagmire of claims and counter claims as to who actually owns Kashmir, both India and Pakistan have persistently ignored the wishes and interests of 13 million subjects of this unfortunate state. Instead India nibbled away even the limited autonomy guaranteed to Kashmir under the Instrument of Accession, while Pakistan moved to annex parts of the area under her control. As greed took over, both India and Pakistan seeking to acquire control over the entire princely state.... India started calling Kashmir an "integral part of India" and Pakistan started calling it the "jugular vein of Pakistan". In their battle for territorial gains, India and Pakistan have thus transformed Kashmir into a battleground at the expense of Kashmiri lives, homes and hearths. It is lamentable that we should allow such a situation to linger on for the next fifty years. Undoubtedly, India and Pakistan have both failed in their duty to uphold and protect democratic and basic human rights of the people of Kashmir, but the Kashmiri leadership is equally responsible for prolonging the agony and suffering of Kashmir, by playing in the hands of Delhi and Islamabad. No one can deny that Kashmiri masses supported Sheikh Abdullah at every step giving enormous sacrifices to uphold what he preached. But when the same Sheikh Abdullah concluded Kashmiri struggle by signing Delhi Accord, totally overlooking his own incarceration and the sacrifices given by his people, no one asked him why did he accept the finality of Kashmir's accession through Delhi Accord? The uncertainty in Kashmiri minds was once again reflected when the same masses accepted Gulam Mohd Shah (Guleh Shah), the then chief minister as a leader of the Muslim United Front. Although as Chief Minister he had declared Kashmirs accession to India as final. He was in the cabinet of Sheikh Abdullah and was a party to Delhi Accord. But when New Delhi took away power from him, the same Guleh Shah raised the slogan of accession to Pakistan. Lately, he seems to have switched his frequency to the independence wave band! Even a staunch Congress leader like Mufti Syed floated a new party to cash on this element of uncertainty in Kashmiri minds. While his Congress regime was in power not only did the erosion of Kashmirs autonomy continue, but also some 250 laws were extended to Jammu and Kashmir with the concurrence of the State Assembly. And the same Mufti Syed, when he was the home minister, did not even utter a word against the massacre of innocent Kashmiri people at the hands of Governor Jag Mohan! The duo, father and daughter are now harping on the slogan that if they are voted to power, they will go for an unconditional dialogue with the militants! This is how the Kashmiri leadership has blackmailed Indian government while demanding sacrifices from Kashmiri masses in the name of freedom and self-determination for Kashmir. They carry these sacrifices to New Delhi to sell them to their prospective customers, who ensure their perpetuation in the echelons of power and influence. Similarly, by raising the slogan of accession to Pakistan Kashmiri leadership has extracted millions of rupees from Pakistan's military rulers and religious parties. Thus by becoming the agents of both India and Pakistan, they make Kashmiris a sacrificial goat only to build palaces for themselves and their future generations. No wonder why Kashmiris are often accused of not known their own minds and not knowing what they exactly want. Why has it to be like that? Why have the people of Kashmir to suffer humiliations over and over again? Why must they witness their immense sacrifices go down the drain? As Sheikh Sadi of Shiraz a renowned Sufi mystic in Kashmir, put it in one of his profound Persian couplets: Going
to paradise with the help of the neighbour The people of Kashmir will have to learn self-reliance, instead of looking to friendly peoples for help. However laudable and welcome the help from friendly peoples may be, reliance on it generates scramble for share in it and sows the seeds of disunity. More than 70,000 people have lost their lives; a lot more have lost their limbs, hearths and homes; billions of rupees worth of property has been destroyed; and invaluable monuments of Kashmir's cultural heritage have been razed to ground during the last 20 years. As yet it has not exacted even a promise from New Delhi to revert to the conditional Instrument of Accession? Meanwhile, India must face the reality it can no longer choose to ignore the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiri people, as a first step towards peace in the region New Delhi should withdraw all its security forces from the civilian areas and take effective measures to end human rights violations in Kashmir. To win back the hearts and minds of the alienated Kashmiri Muslims, New Delhi should restore Kashmir's autonomy including all the institutions that existed during Maharajas time. Siraj Shah, UK
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