‘How carelessly imperial power vivisected ancient civilizations. Palestine and Kashmir are imperial Britain’s festering blood-drenched gifts to the modern world. Both are fault lines in the raging international conflicts of today’. Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is a renowned fiction and non-fiction Indian stalwart who has produced tremendous literary works. She is the voice of a million unheard and unvoiced. She has fearlessly spoken on the rise and penetration of Hinduvata ideology systematically into the system of India.She has also highlighted the plight of kasmiries and woes of minorities in India. According to her Kashmiris are deprived of their basic right of self- determination and of their own land.
She deplores the role of the USA in the warfare in the modern world. The champion of the world democracy had once banned Modi’s entrance into the land of voice of minority rights. (The USA). The ironical ovation for that man who has been butchering the innocent minority groups to increase his majority Hindu vote bank? The praise from that man who has sworn to the democratic party manifesto and the constitution of the USA? Praise of whom? He who is responsible for the killings, tortures, abduction and massacre of unarmed Kashmiris and minorities in India? He is welcome on the soil of George Washington?
Kashmir has been a bone of contention between Pakistan and India since 1947. British India was geographically divided into two new states Pakistan and India. There had been many princely states within the British India and outside the British India. Kashmir had never been under the direct administration of Great Britain. Though it was sold on 17th March 1846 under the notorious pact of Amritsar between Gulab Singh and the British administration.
Kashmiris struggled for their self-rule and democratic form of government, expedited during the nineties and even before the nineties.
In 1832 famous Sudan revolt against Maharaja’s regime is recorded in history. The famous revolt of these historical and chivalric warlords ended after the arrest and killings of two. This was the armed struggle and wasn’t political or conscious strife of liberation. It was a revolt against the tyrannical rule of Maharaja.
Kashmiri people undoubtedly were under tremendous financial and political pressure but never got united until the educated youth formed a reading room party. This educated and unemployed youth started debating about their rights. Maharaja’s authoritarian rule had never been ready to recognize the rights and liberties of the masses.
Despite the long struggle of the Kashmiri people; their sacrifices and their resistance, the descendent of Gulab Singh,Hari Singh was adamant to his way of governance. The moment of 13 July 1931 erupted from the cradle of expropriation and it was the direct result of religious oppression. Approximately, 23 people sacrificed their lives for religious rights. The incident is a turning point in the history of Kashmir.
The formation of political representative parties of the Kashmiri nation was realized. Muslim conferences and National conference emerged as the voice of the nation.
After 47, when the British India was divided into two states, the princely states had to decide their fate. They had three options: accession to India, accession to Pakistan or independence.
Unfortunately, after the division of the subcontinent, India and Pakistan couldn’t emerge as friendly states. Kashmir couldn’t maintain its status as a buffer state as it had been between the USSR and the Great Britain. The aggressive emotions of Kashmiris were against the hierarchical and tyrannical rule of Maharaja. The populace got united and initiated an armed struggle against Maharaja. This revolt had been simmering within every heart and sprouted. Unfortunately, the revolt was not in the whole of Kashmir. The division was evident in the folks and leaders’ ranks as well.
Maharaja couldn’t resist this upsurge and announced Kashmir’s conditional accession to India.
Azad Kashmir Government was formed in some parts of Kashmir under the great leadership of Sardar Muhammad Ibraheem Khan. Maharaja Hari Singh and his troops desist and Maharajah wrote a letter to the Indian government for support. India grabbed the opportunity with open hands and attacked Kashmir. Both new states started war for the soil. The war was stopped by the mediation of the United Nations when Indian prime minister knocked its door. The resolutions were passed on Kashmir; the plebiscite was suggested as an ultimate solution, the self-determinations acknowledged, a cease-fire was announced e. t. c Finally, Kashmir was divided and Kashmiris were separated.
The separated Kashmiris were not allowed to unite. The dilemma is that they lost their national identity in this unfortunate historical upheaval. Their struggle against Maharaja wasn’t for identity but rather for self-rule and democratic rule. Indian political leadership had many commitments with Kashmiris. Indian leadership slowly and gradually revealed its evil intentions by breaching all its pacts and promises with Kashmiris. In recent history, India revoked 370 and 35A of its constitution and added fuel to the fire. The future of Kashmiris has become more bleak and insecure. Fairly speaking, Pakistani nation never stopped the unwavering support for the right of self-determination of Kashmiris. On the other hand, political leadership had been continuously changing its stance on kashmir. Though different regimes in pakistan had different view points and lines on Kashmir but political structure of AJK Government and core stance never changed. Pakistan always tried to make the world realize that the only liable and long term solution of Kashmir lies in the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris. However, some practical steps had to be taken specially on the diplomatic fronts. Kashmiri diaspora should have been involved for its political and more active role. Similarly,Azad Jammu and Kashmir leadership should have been strengthened and given an active role on the diplomatic fronts. Pakistan should have strived for the state of Jammu and Kashmir’s official embassy in Pakistan as well as in Pakistan’s friendly states. It could have been more effective.
Kashmir is an unresolved issue between the two atomic Giants and the world can not be a silent spectator. Kashmiris and this region seek the attention of the world community. Pakistan has never breached its pacts and commitments with Kashmiris and India has breached all. The world community has promised a plebiscite in Kashmir by passing resolutions. Kashmiris are also part of the world community, aren’t they? And, they deserve the world’s attention, don’t they? It is an atomic flash point and the most militarized zone of the world and the world has some other issues to aggravate. let us admit the fact that interests have got priority over the dream of world peace and wars are profitable hobbies of the powerful nations. Kashmir is a wake-up call and a testing case for human consciousness. If the Kashmir issue is ignored by the world community, international morality and law will be a distant dream for the citizens of the world.
The state-to-state level relationship is a normal phenomenon in international relations but banning someone for human rights violations, for curbing freedom of speech, for segregating Dalits, Muslims Christians, and Sikhs, and after some time honouring him in this passion is the beginning of the new conflicts and the end of international morality.
The writer is a lecturer in English at the Department of Education Colleges Muzaffarabad and a researcher. The writer can be reached at kamranghulam@gmail.com