United States of Kashmir: A good idea!

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL

________________

It looks meaningful that there is a movement in Kashmir for unity of all Kashmiri political wings to fight for sovereignty for entire Kashmir.  

Even as  the fate of  new assembly hangs  among the toppers in the polls, like PDP, NC, Congress ,on the one hand and  BJP on the other,  the fight for freedom, either  for a sovereign Kashmir or  join destabilized Pakistan,  also going  on simultaneously, obviously without any proper target.  

 A seminar was held at Hurriyat (M) headquarters in Srinagar over the UN resolutions of Kashmir issue and most of the leaders of the amalgam gathered asserted that freedoms struggle will continue, without explaining  what they meant by freedom and  future  status of Kashmir.  Stating that routine hartals and stone pelting are not needed to exhibit the Kashmir issue is alive, Mirwaiz said that people must not get disappointed at present as resolution of Kashmir issue has become inevitable for the lasting peace in South Asia.

The Hurriyat leaders pitched that the ones who have exhausted in the struggle for freedom should stay at home and bid farewell to their respective positions they have in the Hurriyat camp. Mirwaiz said the delay in the resolution of Kashmir is not the failure of the people or the leadership of Kashmir but the onus lies with the United Nations which despite passing the resolutions has so far failed to implement them on ground. The Huriyat (M) chairman maintained that the UN resolutions provide legal basis to the Kashmir issue and same has provided a legal platform for the dissent of the masses of this Himalayan region.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman one faction of Hurriyat Conference (M) is pitching for a United State of Kashmir with full sovereignty by bringing all parts of Kashmir. While stressing for the united platform of Kashmir’s fragmented leadership Mirwaiz said a new strategy is the need of the hour so that the leadership of Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzafarabad is also taken into confidence before future action is taken. Mirwaiz said a joint and new strategy is needed to unite both the sides of divided Kashmir and called for deliberations among the pro-freedom parties so that what he termed invasion of right wing parties led by Indian Hindutva BJP in Kashmir could be given the befitting reply. He maintained further that the consultations within the pro-freedom camps would be initiated in a very near future so that the invasion of the right wing parties in Kashmir could be thwarted with the unanimous efforts. BJP is opposing the AFSPA repeal and is hell bent to crush peoples’ aspirations forcefully but it should know that on international level, its case vis-à-vis Kashmir dispute is much weaker.”

Taking a dig at BJP, Mirwaiz alleged that the party was trying to crush the ongoing resistance movement in Kashmir militarily. Mirwaiz reiterates that elections are equivalent to referendum for freedom.  “I want to ask the Government of India that if you term the present polls as referendum to Kashmir issue, what was the presence of 10 lakh people in Eidgah in 2008 and what was the two percent of poll participation in the elections of 1996,” said Mirwaiz, adding that an atmosphere is trying to be created that the formation of the new government can resolve the Kashmir issue but such claims are the ‘deceitful tactics’.

Mirwaiz says the Indian polls in JK in no way can alter the course of action for the resolution in Kashmir issue, said 75 percent of polling was recorded in 1987 and merely after two years; people in lakhs across Kashmir were on streets - demanding their birth right. He also said that finding the ways for Kashmir resolution is the responsibility of Kashmir’s leadership and the uncertainty needs to end at an earliest.

However, their fight is only against India and not against Pakistan.

In fact the big powers played their own brand game with Kashmiris by denying them sovereignty almost once for all and the entire issue has been converted from sovereignty into one of choosing India or Pakistan.

Decades have elapsed since the UN had passed the resolution but big powers to decide the citizenship of Kashmiris, especially the UNSC veto members China, USA, UK, France and Russia support both India and Pakistan indirectly, also encouraging Indian military to kill Kashmiri Muslims.  

Over years, the big powers have managed to make Kashmiris fight for Pakistan, forgetting about sovereignty for their nation.


The pro-Pakistan Hurriyat (M) chairman also took jibe at New Delhi based news channels, accusing them of trying to push both India and Pakistan on the brink of another war. He added that tales are binge tried to carve out of the US president Obama’s India visit and when the former US President Bill Clinton came to India, the incidents of Chittisinghpora and Pathribal were carried out. 

Kashmiris should be  happy  that both India and Pakistan, unlike Israel doe sit on Palestine by taking away the  taxes they collect in Palestine,  do not  impose its  economic will on them and they do not collect taxes in Kashmir  or use them as a  tool to coerce Kashmiris. .

Only crimes they have willingly committed is they invaded and took away the lands of Kashmiris and now they continue to fight short wars to terrorized Kashmiris.

The pro-Pakistani freedom parties have failed to achieve anything and only harmed the chances of sovereignty that they would have achieved with big powers taking some interest in a genuine freedoms struggle.     

Liking Pakistan or hating India is one thing but getting sovereignty from Indians and Pakistani friends is a different one.

The idea of United States of Kashmir being floated by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is indeed well thought out though came out a bit late. Better late than never is also a good idea.

Obviously the Hurriyat parties would not take any decisions on sovereignty without getting orders from Islamabad. Here only Pakistan can guide Kashmiris to be truthful to Kashmir.