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Unholy face of 'holy war'

Unholy face of 'holy war'

Author: Neerav
Publication: Organiser
Date: September 3, 2000

It is unfortunate that none of the parties involved in the Kashmir imbroglio-the State Government, Pakistan and the Jehadis- have any real concern for the people.  Even after so much of bloodshed of both Hindus and of the Muslims, they do not want to compromise to give people some respite.  Their own vested interests take precedence over every thing.

Dr Farooq Abdullah, the democratically elected CM of the State, is trying desperately to force through his own agenda- autonomy just short of azadi- like his father, and Pakistan in its desperate attempt to dismember India has once again slipped into the hands of its army generals.  It is increasingly getting isolated and criticized for supporting and becoming a hub of terrorism.  All its stunts for instance support to seperatist movements in Punjab, hijacking of aircraft, massacre of innocent Hindus and Sikhs, projecting Kashmir as a nuclear flash point have all boomeranged and as a nation Pakistan today stands exposed.

Pakistan thought of launching war from the madarsas with war cries of azadi and dreamt that this would engulf India is now shell shocked and finds that instead of strangulating India, its own society has fallen prey to conservatism, fundamentalism, religious bigotry and sectarian violence.  The madarsas which it established to destroy India are not only destroying its peace but have become stumbling block on its march towards development and modernity.

As regards the much acclaimed jehadis or the so-called freedom fighters, they are nothing but sheer mercenaries.  The entire jehad movement run by Pakistan is basically organised on the lines of a business enterprise.  Unemployed, poor, beggars, criminals, illiterate, and uneducated youngmen mainly from Pakistan are running this business enterprise.  In this unique freedom movement/holy war every one right from top to bottom is being handsomely paid.

Terrorists like Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar (one of the terrorists released during the hijack) was a plumber and could have never dreamt of earning Rs 20,000 a month.  And becoming a divisional commander with hundred odd guys under his command.  Those who were begging on the streets of Lahore and Karachi or wandering aimlessly in the sleepy towns of Pakistan and could not even get a square meal are earning anything upto a lakh each year.

Even those who are supposed to motivate the young men to join the so-called jehad are paid between Rs 10,000 and 15,000 per recruit, the poor Bakarwals/Gujjars who are used by the ISI to guide the terrorists are paid Rs 3000-5000 per month, this is besides one to two lakh of rupees that a terrorist gets before he enters India and if he dies while fighting the Indian forces his family gets a lumpsum amount of over a couple of lakh of rupees.  This is how the jehad for Kashmir is being fought by the holy warriors of Islam.  Therefore it would be naive to expect these enterpreneurs to talk peace and in the bargain give up their source of earnings.

Pakistan because of its peculiar genetic problem will continue to remain an eternal source of supplying Islamic zealots like Maulana Masood Azhar.  The Binori mosque, located in Karachi of which Maulana is the product is one of the largest institutions in entire Asia, producing almost 1000 Islamic warriors every year.  These Islamic fighters are trained in Afghanistan by Talibans who treat these students as the state guests.  It has a strength of around 8000 students.  The head of the institution Maulana Shamzai is considered to be the spiritual mentor of Mullah Omar of Taliban and is also called the Mullah Omar of Pakistan.  There is hence no doubt that Maulana Masood Azhar has the blessings of both Mollah Omar and Shamzai.  The formation of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) by Maulana recently with the help of ISI is a clear signal that in days to come J&K is likely to witness Taliban kind of operations.

Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), the largest terrorist group operating in India numbering around 1500 (40 per cent Pakistanis and 60 per cent Indians), receives over Rs 50 lakh per month from the ISI.  All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders have made a lot of money in the last 10 years, even the so-called "Nelson Mandela" of J&K, Shabir Shah has made enough money to send his son abroad for education.  Peace would ruin their business.  Who would then listen to the dictats of uncouth, illiterate/semiliterate terrorists? How would Taliban's opium economy flourish if there is peace, after all 75 per cent of the world's opium comes from Afghanistan? There are high stakes involved in this supposed to be holy war fought by these unholy men.

The current situation, particularly after the demand of autonomy by NC Govt, refusal by the Hurriyat to negotiate within the parameters of the Constitution and the declaration of ceasefire by the Hizbul Mujahideen, has become quite volatile and tricky, it has the potential to spread to other sensitive parts of the country.  However the threat to India's unity and integrity is not as grave as being illustrated by a section of media and Farooq Abdullah for own vested reasons.  Superficially we may look to be in mess and divided but our unity is much deep-rooted.

The offer of the HM however cannot be taken lightly and the Government must act very cautiously while dealing with them.  We should not overlook the fact that Hizb is a pro-Pakistan tanzeem which is sustaining itself on the funds supplied by the ISI, how come it has suddenly taken a diagramatically opposite view vis a vis Pakistan? During the press briefing Abdul Majid Dar who had earlier never figured in the hierarchy of the group was flanked by the self-styled deputy supreme commander, the division commanders of all the divisions of the group operating in Kashmir, signifying that it is not a break-away faction of the group.  We must also not forget that 40 per cent of its cadres are Pakistanis/Afghans.  How come Syed Salahuddin the supremo of Hizb has taken such a decision while on Pakistan soil?

The leadership tussel with the JEM chief Maulana Masood Azhar might have probably prompted him to take such a decision particularly after becoming the chief of the much talked about Kashmir Liberation Army (KLA).  However Salahuddin must have weighed his chances (if the ceasefire is his own decision), because if the negotiations fall there will be no turning back for him as no terrorist organisation can sustain itself without Pakistani support.  We have already witnessed the degeneration of JKLF.

The-couldn't-careless-attitude of Pakistani terrorists, atrocities on locals particularly women had often in the past led to internecine fight between the locals and foreigners.  But the ceasefire has brought in the forefront the serious differences that exist between the Pakistani and the Indian extremists.  Ever since the formation of the JEM with the help of the ISI and Taliban, HM was at the receiving end; More funds had started flowing towards the JEM whereas the HM the party of the sons of the soil was deprived of it.  As a result most of the terrorists started migrating to the JEM.  The HM leadership fearing the growing influence of Maulana/JEM probably realised in time that the jehad leadership is slipping out of their/local terrorists hands and thus took this bold decision.
 


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