KASHMIRIS’ love for Pakistan can be imagined from the fact that before Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, on 19 July 1947, unanimously adopted a resolution for the accession of the State with the future State of Pakistan. The prominent Kashmiri leaders: Khawaja Ghulam-ud-Din Wani and Abdul Rahim Wani moved the resolution in the emergency session of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference held in Srinagar. Since Pakistan was to become a reality for the Muslims of South Asia, therefore, the Kashmiri leadership hurriedly completed the needed legal formalities of the State’s accession with their dreamland, Pakistan.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir and the areas constituting Pakistan today have historical relationship which dates back to centuries. This relationship has rooted in the joint history of these two areas over the years and later turned into a relationship of interdependency. Religion, common culture, joint races on both sides, migrations and inter-marriages further strengthened this bond between the people of either side. Besides these linkages, geopolitics of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan are another compelling factor which essentially unites these areas. All natural routes to various parts of Jammu and Kashmir are from Pakistan. The only link, India exploited in 1947 through Gurdaspur (Pathankot) was an un-natural link, which India manipulated through Radcliff Award by dividing Punjab in violation to the rules of partition of India.
As per the Indian partition plan (3 June 1947), Kashmir was to become part of Pakistan, based on the wish of the people and geographical contiguity of the State with Pakistan. The people of Jammu and Kashmir with an overwhelming Muslim population (77%) were deprived of their basic right to decide their future, thus rose to occasion and revolted against the then ruler of the State, Maharaja Hari Singh. Kashmiri volunteers organized themselves into Kashmiri irregular forces and liberated a portion of the State from the regular forces of Maharaja Hari Singh. They also established their own government and named it as “Azad Jammu and Kashmir”. This portion was to act as the base camp for the liberation of the rest of the State from Indian occupation. Indeed, Hari Singh wanted to keep the State independent and even negotiated the Standstill Agreements with Pakistan and India. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian Prime Minister, ordered a forceful military occupation of the State on 27 October 1947 which is continuing even today after seventy-five years.
Over the last seventy-four years, Kashmiris did not reconcile with the Indian rule over their State and revolted many a time against forceful Indian occupation. During the ongoing struggle of Kashmir, started in 1990, over 100,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives at the hands of brutal Indian forces. Over 900,000 Indian military and its paramilitary forces are continuing with their brutalities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Indian security forces have total impunity under the discriminatory and inhuman laws, India specially imposed ever since the 1990s. Despite heavy Indian military deployment in IIOJK and unilateral and illegal relegation of the status of IIOJK in August 2019, it could not defeat the will of Kashmiris for attainment of their right of self-determination.
Over the years, the political dispute of Kashmir has become a humanitarian issue, since there have been massive human rights violations in IIOJK by Indian security forces. In fact, there is a state-sponsored terrorism going on in IIOJK since 1990. There is an organized campaign of genocide going on against the people of Indian occupied Kashmir. This is indeed the darkest aspect of India which the civilized international community is constantly ignoring. Although, the United Nations, Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations have been raising the issue of Indian human rights violations in Kashmir, yet there has been no action against India on those accounts. Rather, the major powers are enhancing their political and economical linkages with India.
The current wave of Kashmiris’ uprising, started following the martyrdom of Burhan Wani in July 2016 has added a new chapter in the Kashmiris sacrifices for their right of self-determination. They are determined to get their right and ultimately join Pakistan. On its part, India has started a wave of terror in IIOJK with the sole objective of defeating the will of Kashmiris. Nevertheless, India is endangering regional peace in the South Asian region. It is essential that for regional peace in South Asia, India under the BJP Government should reassess its aggressive acts and massive human rights violations. India must understand that resolution of the Kashmir dispute is essential for peace and stability in South Asia. This dispute has to be resolved as per the wishes of Kashmiris and in the light of UN resolutions.
On 19 July 1947, the people of Jammu and Kashmir made a historic decision of the State’s accession to Pakistan and since then India is punishing Kashmiris for their love with Pakistan. Upon completion of 75 years of their accession with Pakistan, Kashmiris of IIOJK demand fulfilment of their legitimate right. They demand from the UN and all international forums to help them in the solution of the Kashmir dispute as per UN resolutions to exercise their free will for the right of self-determination. Indeed, resolution of the Kashmir dispute will bring peace, stability and economic development in South Asia. Peace in South Asia would greatly contribute towards international peace and certainty in the era of globalization. In order to mobilize the civilized international community, Pakistan must highlight the humanitarian dimension of the Kashmir dispute where India is involved in the genocide of Kashmiris of IIOJK.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
