Kashmir – the uprising

Down with the talks

The Kashmiri youth … is determined to speak out the hatred it hosts for India, by protesting and moving out on the streets, geared up to collide head-on with the heavily armed Indian counterparts with bare stones in their hands. The outcomes seem to be less of a concern for the protesting Kashmiris now.

Let me tell you a story… A rabbi and a priest went to see a boxing match. Before the start of the match, the Rabbi saw one of the boxers cross himself. Seeing the boxer cross himself the Rabbi turned to the priest and asked,” what does that mean?” The priest said,” not a damn thing, if a man can’t fight”.

Perhaps the aforementioned reality seems to have shaken up the Kashmiris to their core, as they now take to the streets to face the massive military imposed on them by the largest democracy in the World, India, without fearing the outcomes. Now, for India, that’s the hard part to swallow.

The recent uprising in Kashmir triggered amid the murder of Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a separatist rebel, and leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, at the hands of Indian army back in summer 2016. The protests that followed were subjected to brutal violence by the Indian occupying forces leaving hundreds dead and several thousand injured for life.

The seething volcano of Kashmiris, instead of cooling down, has once again erupted furiously following the killing of Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, the successor to Burhan Wani, and present commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, along with an associate at the hands of Indian forces.

The Kashmiri youth, following the killings of popular rebel commanders, despite all odds, is determined to speak out the hatred it hosts for India, by protesting and moving out on the streets, geared up to collide head-on with the heavily armed Indian counterparts with bare stones in their hands. The outcomes seem to be less of a concern for the protesting Kashmiris now.

This, according to a former head of Indian supreme intelligence agency RAW (Research Analysis Wing), A.S Dulat, is a scary situation for India, apparently which the Indian government at the moment is blind folded to. Past remained a witness to greater weapons as compared to present, however, that was a never a threat of this magnitude. Kashmiri people, according to Dulat, are fed up of suppression and atrocities in the valley, and are ready to move to the streets with bare stones in their hands to face a strong military system, without caring what the outcomes might be. Dulat sees this development as an aberration.

Kashmiris seem to be down with the talks.

A diplomatic failure?

A nation occupied with the feeling of being alienated, suppressed, and pushed against the wall, resorting to indigenous armed struggle in order to acquire its due right to self-determination and independence certainly raises serious question marks on the international diplomatic drives aiming at resolving World problems peacefully through meaningful dialogue.

With a ban on social, electronic, and print media being enforced in major parts of the valley in an attempt to hide the atrocities caused by the Indian forces, is another smudge on India’s repute.

In case of Kashmir, the original UN resolution of 1949 asked the two countries, India and Pakistan, to settle the accession of Kashmir to India or Pakistan through plebiscite to ensure democracy, and in a will to account for the aspirations of the Kashmiris. The Plebiscite Administrator was to be nominated by none other than the UN Secretary General. The final disposal of the Armed Forced was also to be decided by the Plebiscite Commission responsible for conducting the plebiscite. Moreover the resolution also stated that the rights of citizens are to be ensured and any sort of bribery and intimidation be prevented. Both Pakistan and India agreed to abide by this resolution.

However, the UN resolution did not hold for long. It was breached soon by the Indian side, leading to continual agitation in the valley. Although this has been going on for decades now, tensions heightened again in the wake of Burhan’s death, and the recent killing of his successor.

Animosity, resentment, and ill-will that has brought the Kashmiris, irrespective of age or gender, to the streets is an eye-opener for international bodies and must be a cause of great concern for diplomatic channels as they are losing their credibility.

This fire, not to rule out, may spread wildly in the entire jungle tomorrow.

The Un-Credible India!

The brutalities unleashed by Indian occupying forces on innocent, and unarmed Kashmiri youth that had taken to the streets protesting the killings of HuM leaders is a reminder to the World of the two-faced Indian approach. On one side India claims to be the largest democracy in the World, and its foremost flag bearer, and on the other suppressing other innocent Kashmiris and depriving them of their right to self-determination.

With a ban on social, electronic, and print media being enforced in major parts of the valley in an attempt to hide the atrocities caused by the Indian forces, is another smudge on India’s repute. But all in vain, as the World sees on, much through the very Indian media.

The adamant Indian leadership talks about resolving the Kashmir issue only through bilateral negotiations which is in blatant violation to the UN resolution on Kashmir; that too only when it stops its rant of Kashmir being integral part of India. The former has also remained reluctant to engage in meaningful negotiations with Pakistan on the same, hence contradicting its own official stance. Despite its continuous violation of the UN resolution, India is being considered to be taken onboard as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, thus making the UN’s position vulnerable as well.

Where India may brand itself as Incredible, there is no denying the fact that the World is now starting to see it as Un-Credible India, given its failure to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and recent articles in international newspapers regarding Indian oppressions.

A wake up call for World Powers…

At this critical juncture, the World powers, and both Pakistan and India in particular, must realise that it is essential to hear the suppressed voice of Kashmiris, and to let them decide what direction their fate must take in light of the UN resolution.

Ignoring the stand point of the oppressed will give birth to armed uprising, which will result in further bloodshed.