Author: Sandhya Jain
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 7, 2007
By the twitching of my thumbs, fresh mischief
is brewing over our northern frontier. The signs are ominous: there is renewed
violence in Kashmir, including an attack on Amarnath pilgrims. There is Ms.
Pamela Mountbatten's titillating leak that London used Lady Edwina to manipulate
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and subvert Indian national interest in the
border state. There is US pressure on Ms. Benazir Bhutto to cut a deal with
President Musharraf, and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama's
threat of direct action against terrorists in Pakistan.
The Hizbul Mujahideen has asked non-Kashmiri
(read non-Muslim) workers to quit the Valley, triggering an exodus. Around
this time, Uruguay hosted a Kashmir Conference (July 31, 2007) to discuss
resolution of the Indo-Pak dispute. Organized by Washington-based Ghulam Nabi
Fai of the Kashmiri American Council, the conference proceedings leave little
doubt it was backed by the US State Department.
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal,
Mr. Fai funds the Hizbul Mujahideen, which has close links with the Jamaat-e-Islami
in the Kashmir Valley and in Pakistan. Hizbul was close to Afghan Mujahideen
groups like Hizb-e-Islami (which received arms training against the Soviets)
and has cordial links with Pakistan's ISI and United Jehad Council. Mr. Fai
is reputedly friendly with the Hurriyat's Yasin Malik.
The meet was largely ignored by the international
media and India, but Pakistan's national television and Islamic websites reported
it extensively. Seventeen Uruguan senior army officers attended; eleven were
in uniform and, significantly, had served in Jammu & Kashmir as part of
the infamous United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan
(UNMOGIP). India remembers UNMOGIP for trying to alter the boundary-markers
in favour of Pakistan, a fact which embarrassed Mr. Nehru and made him give
up ideas for a plebiscite in the state.
General Ricardo Galarza of Uruguay, former
Chief of UNMOGIP, made the astounding claim that Maharaja Hari Singh's Instrument
of Accession (to India) was accepted by Lord Mountbatten subject to the reference
of the people! He reiterated Uruguay's support for the 'right of self-determination
of the people of Kashmir' (whatever that means). This is a gross intrusion
in our internal affairs and New Delhi should take it up with Uruguan authorities.
In India, few Kashmiri refugees have even
heard of Mr. Jatinder Bakshi of the Committee of the Return of Kashmiri Pundits!
Yet this worthy pontificated that a lasting solution was possible only through
peaceful dialogue between India, Pakistan and the People of J&K (read
separatists). Indians are more familiar with Dr. Angana Chatterji, darling
of the separatists; she demanded demilitarization (naturally) to improve the
human rights situation.
The conference adopted a pompously-worded
Montevideo Declaration, beginning with a demand to recognize the inalienable
right to self-determination of the people of J&K. It bears emphasizing,
therefore, that the Instrument of Accession is final and non-negotiable; foreigners
have no locus standi to speak of self-determination for Indian citizens.
The declaration calls for a 'new beginning
and manifested sensible approach to resolve the Kashmir dispute through a
peaceful negotiated settlement' keeping in view the sensitivities and wishes
of the Kashmiri people. This is probably a certificate to the participants
and organizers as the only competent persons to handle the issue. New Delhi
should unequivocally inform Uruguay that Kashmiris have expressed their political
mandate through free elections, which even international busy-bodies have
acknowledged as fair. The Montevideo Conference appears to have a distinct
bias towards the Hurriyat.
Irritatingly, the declaration calls for making
Kashmiris an integral part of the 'peace process' of which they are primary
stake holders, in order to facilitate a 'permanent, durable and honorable
settlement of the Kashmir dispute.' Kashmiri migrants, however, question the
repetitive use of the word 'dispute,' and point out that elected representatives
of Kashmiris are already sitting in the State Assembly and Indian Parliament.
Even more brazenly, the declaration states that the 'ceasefire line as an
option is totally unacceptable.' The Indian view is that Pakistan must vacate
Occupied Kashmir so that we can regain control of our 1947 borders.
The Uruguay Conference favours an 'intensive
and comprehensive dialogue between different opinions and regions of the state
on both sides of dividing line,' so as to 'improve the level of trust and
confidence.to develop consensus in conflict resolution.' It calls upon the
Governments of India and Pakistan to provide travel documents to such participants.
This vacuous opinion has been repeated ad nauseum in so many forums that it
reflects the intellectual bankruptcy of the participants.
Surely it is pertinent that while New Delhi
is going all out to ensure travel documents to Pakistani nationals wishing
to visit Kashmir, not a single Kashmiri Hindu has received documents to visit
the sacred Sharada Peeth in Occupied Kashmir, despite thousands of applications
for permission. Even more telling is the fact that Pakistani nationals who
entered India on tourist visas to watch cricket matches (eg. at Mohali, Punjab)
or visit Sufi shrines, have simply melted into the night. It is certainly
risky, therefore, for India to mindlessly keep an open door policy for infiltrators.
The conference has demanded an end to 'all
types of human rights violations.' These West-funded jholawallahs should tell
us why they don't speak about human rights violations against the Hindus of
Kashmir, especially the genocide and ethnic cleansing intended to further
a pan-Islamic agenda. India must make it clear that in internal or external
discourse, we will not allow talk of Gujarat riots without acknowledging Godhra,
or discussion of Kashmir without admitting who began the selective killings
and why.
The final mention about the return of all
displaced persons, including Kashmiri Pandits, is polite piffle. The declaration
favours Kashmir-specific confidence building measures, demilitarization to
promote peace and reconciliation, and release of prisoners. Yet demilitarization
can only augment the terrorists' ability to strike at will, and unsavoury
characters like Yasin Malik and Bitta Karate have already been released. Probably
Uruguay and its American mentor want a Pakistani walkover in Kashmir, to placate
Muslim rage over what is happening to the community in the Gulf and the Western
world. Pakistan itself was a compensation for the creation of Israel in Islamic
holy lands, just as Israel was compensation to the Jews for European racism
and religious bigotry. We are walking the same terrain again.