Monday, August 18, 2008

Azadi = Merger with Pakistan?

Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday demanded the merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.
Addressing a mammoth gathering at the tourist reception centre in Srinagar, Gillani said there was "no solution to the Kashmir issue other than merger with Pakistan".
"We are Pakistanis and Pakistan is us because we are tied with the country through Islam," he roared, as the crowd cheered him and chanted: "Hum Pakistani hain, Pakistan hamara hai" (We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours).

I am so disappointed for many people. The Kashmiri Muslims fighting for freedom from POK.
The Muslims waging a war for freedom from Pakistan in Balawaristan.

For the people in Aksai Chin (China Occupied Kashmir)who harbored dreams of re-integrating with Kashmir.

And most of all I am the saddest for the Kashmiri Muslims from the valley who had their hearts set on Azad Kashmir , a Kashmir which included POK and was independent from both Pakistan and India. Your leaders have let you down.

Geelani said on Monday that they had a connection with Pakistan because of Islam. So it has been a communal fight all along. Then why blame Jammu of communal ism.

I had been asking Kashmiri Muslims who were pro freedom some tough question on some forums and had not been getting answers. The million dollar question was WHAT AFTER AZADI? I asked them yesterday if they or their leaders had a blueprint for Azad Kashmir.
The separatists submitted a memorandum to the US oops sorry the UN. Well the error because it is US which decides which issue is important for the UN to intervene and and how. And when the UN still does not back US intentions it just goes ahead and does it anyway.
Well my take on this memorandum yesterday was...The UN will just appeal to India to handle the matter peacefully and engage in an all party dialogue, including Pakistan. Although I wonder what Pakistan will bring to the table, it is not even willing to open the trade routes. And is now busy deciding what to do with Musharraf.

And if UN agrees to intervene more actively I wonder about the hidden interest the US might have in Kashmir. Well it is strategically located, for starters...US is already in Pakistan and Afghanistan looking for terrorists and it is they who call it.. hunting down Islamic Terrorists. Troops based in Kashmir would mean controlling and monitoring an Islamic State. An Islamic state is what Kashmir would be in the International Community's eyes. And it would give the US an upper hand with its opponent China. It will be breathing down China's neck from the valley. I am worried about the HR violations then..the US in general is wary of anyone with a beard and brown skin after 9/11.

The US/ UN will justify this occupation because the demand of Azadi is backed by no blueprint or preparation of how the Azad Kashmiris will sustain themselves ...especially how will they protect their borders from ready to attack and occupy- Pakistan and China?

But I guess the questions I posed yesterday were useless becuase there is a blueprint for Azadi and that is a merger with Pakistan based on the theory of one religion one nation.

I find this statement by Geelani disturbing because I personally know of Kashmiri Muslim youth who are pro azadi and for their own justified reasons. These young Kashmiri Muslim men are clear they want freedom from both Pakistan and India. These men are also secular in nature and have said to me that they do not think of India as their enemy as long as they are granted freedom. But their naivete in trusting the secessionist leadership who is on the Pakistani payroll has let them down.

The lesson here for the Dogras and Kashmiri Pandits and all the other pro India groups - protect you rights.

Let us not be worried about pseudo intellectuals like Arundhati Roy who said
"Kashmir needs freedom from India". To all those who think she has acted like an anti national Arundhati Roy is a bigger traitor to the Kashmiri interests ...by saying what she said she played into the hands of leaders like Geelani and help crush the pro azadi ..independence from both Pakistan and India dreams of many a kashmiri muslim youth.
People like her need to do things like this from time to time to keep themselves in the news. Luckily for her and unluckily for those whose interests she has hurt that our great nation is a democracy and she too is entitled to her views.

9 comments:

Piper .. said...

All along it was always communal, Chrysalis - no matter how much you claim it isnt.Secondly,it will anger you to volcanic proportions,you being from the state and knowing the issue so thoroughly - but I`ll still go ahead with my opinions.I`m afraid they are in tune with the other Ms.Roy! :-)) They want freedom, give them freedom yaar. They think they are bloody Pakistanis. Let them merge with Pakistan. We dont want them to be a part of us - by will or by force. Let them go. I`m so sick and tired of the whole bloody issue. Ever since we started understanding what the world is all about, there`s always some trouble with Kashmir or the other. Bhai let them go yaar. I`m sick and tired of the whole thing. People die everyday. Our troops are dying. Their families suffer. Its not about the kashmiris solely. Thousands are affected everyday becos of all this chaos. Let them go. Whether they can sustain themselves as a nation is not our problem. They have been wanting to be free for so long.Killing people and giving up their own lives in the process. They mustve thought of all the logistics.Just let them go.

Piper .. said...

the previous comment sounds like its coming from an imbecile. That`s becos I`m totally pissed by the whole thing yaar... sick and tired and disgusted by it all..

Spectator said...

If we start giving freedom wherever couple of lakh are asking for it; we'd have to borrow land from China. Pakistan has already taken half of Kashmir. If the buggers on the Indian side want to be in Pakistan or free or whatever - goto POK or "azad" kashmir. Just cross over the border. Today it's Hurriyat; tomorrow maoists; then north east. We're running a nation here; not a candy shop.
Check this out - http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=j93-L_w4SME

Unknown said...

Piper I know where ur coming form...as u said me being form the region and that part of the region which is peace loving and pro india...today I feel like sayint too go yaar go whereevr u want to go leave us in peace....as long as the KP get their rights too get back their homes and their land...go
I want scrapping of the article 370 form jammu and ladakh
and yes it was always a communal and anit national issue in the valley
It was not in the Jammu region and I am not surprised if it is beocming one there too...

Unknown said...

Vineet

I know what you are saying is true...I too feel they should just move away to Pakistan or wherever they want to go...
Anyways I am too depressed to be in a frame of mind to talk logically right now

Unknown said...

I dont think merger is a bad option after all 300 years of history cannot be undeone by 60 years of enimity

Unknown said...

I dont think merger is a bad option after all 300 years of history cannot be undeone by 60 years of enimity

Piper .. said...

Vineet,you`re right. Today its the people of Kashmir who want an independant nation or a merger with Pakistan. And they have been wanting it since the last 60 years now. Its not the same with Maoists. They dont want a separate nation,for god`s sake. And that doesnt make favour them in any way. On the contrary infact. But there`s a very fundamental differnce b/w fighting for an independant state and for an independant nation all together. Though I`m wondering if the whole game stops at the independent state level or not.. God! What a sick world it has become..

Spectator said...

Piper,
With all due respect, I'm sure some more information might come in handy. Please don't treat this as hate blog and pardon me if you find the note aggressive. It seems that the cacophony of separatist has got the better of Indian media, intelligentsia and people as well. This so called "azadi" movement started in 1980s. Here are few more that started.....
1. In 1950 The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) demanded an independent Nagaland. it was finally quelled in through a mixture of repression and cooptation.
2. In Manipur, militants formed an organization known as the People's Liberation Army. Their main goal was to unite the Meitei tribes of Burma and establish an independent state of Manipur. The movement was thought to have been suppressed after a fierce clash with Indian security forces.
3. In Mizoram, Mizo National Front fought for over 2 decades with the Indian Military in an effort to gain independence.
4. Formed in 1971, the ULFA in Assam has two main goals, the independence of Assam and the establishment of a socialist government.

Were these children of lesser gods that we sent army to suppress them and still North East states remain the least developed while crores are doled out for Kashmir valley ? I'm sure their movement was as valid as anyone else's.

Naxals are fighting for as long as anyone else. Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal led a violent uprising in 1967. Their aim is to convert India to extreme communist state through violent revolution. Majumdar's 'annihilation line', a dictum that Naxalites should assassinate individual "class enemies" as a part of the insurrection is being put into practice not only against landlords, but also against university teachers, police officers, politicians and others. Does separatist only means "taking" away the land ? If right wing organizations like SIMI come with a demand to convert India to Islamic state and away from our awoved constitutional principles; is this different from separatism ? Then why distinction between Naxals and Kashmir ?

If Kashmiri's wanted or wants freedom,
1. Why do they own property in India and send their children to best of Indian schools (visit Bangalore) ?
2. Why is plebiscite demanded after pushing hindus from valley who would have supported India ?
3. Why did Sheikh Abdullah's volunteer and population of Kashmir help Indian army in 1947 conflict (Read: Slender Was The Thread: The Kashmir confrontation 1947-1948, by Maj Gen LP Sen, 1969. Orient Longmans Ltd New Delhi.) ? It was their best chance for merger.

My most important questions is - WHERE IS THE "FREEDOM MOVEMENT" IN POK ? They talk of full Kashmir; then who's demanding freedom from Pak ?

If they want to go; they are free to follow their will and for that they have half the Kashmir that they call "azad". As an Indian I am ready to forego my claim on entire Kashmir and make LOC the international border maybe even with some adjustments on the border districts. Mind you, I'm demanding the other portion for Kashmiris; Dogras; Gujjars; Buddhists and all ethnic tribes who want to stay with India and not from so called "people from plains". I think it's a bloody fair deal and in anything less would we would be failing all those who sacrificed themselves for upholding our honor.