Najeeb Mubarki, a former journalist with the Outlook magazine has contributed a piece in the 25th
July issue of the magazine in which he has described Indian Army’s presence in
Kashmir as “most brutal and deceptive occupations of modern times”. The Outlook
magazine, in its efforts to run down the current regime in Delhi, often asks
such journalists or dignitaries to contribute pieces particularly if they add
fuel to an already raging fire. That, however, cannot be questioned; it is,
after all, a free country and everybody including the magazine and Kashmiris
have right to air their views regardless of the shade they represent. But
describing the Indian presence in Kashmir as “occupation” is certainly travesty
of facts. Perhaps, this has been said either out of sheer ignorance of the
state’s recent history or a deliberate effort to mislead the reading public.
There can be numerous opinions on whatever the Indian security force are
doing in Kashmir. The perspectives are always different depending on the side
one is on. But one thing must be realized that the Army is functioning in
Kashmir as a part of its duty to the country and Kashmir is a part of the
country. To suggest that it is an “occupation” army is an utter falsehood as
the country never fought a war against Kashmir and it was never conquered by
India.
That part of the history is never mentioned and blinkered commentators
never try to dig into it and bring it before the Kashmiri common man to
disabuse his mind of the wrong propaganda by vested interests. At the risk of
repetition, one has to bring home to the Kashmiris that the question of merging
with Pakistan or enjoying “aazadi” had been decided once and for all almost
seventy years ago and in this decision the then Indian government played fair
and absolutely by the rule. It is all there in recorded history that the late
Maharaja Hari Singh was toying with the idea of remaining independent after India’s
partition. His procrastinations made Pakistan under Mohammed Ali Jinnah
impatient who organized a raid on Kashmir by the tribal warriors, ably assisted
by Pakistani regulars and irregulars. On feeling threatened by Pakistan the
Maharaja requested for Kashmir’s accession to the Indian state. Indian
government refused to accept the request until the Maharaja obtained the
consent of people’s representatives. The most popular people’s leader Sheikh Mohammed
Abdullah was then languishing in a jail. The Maharaja consulted him who
whole-heartedly supported the move to merge with India. In the process a lot of
time was lost and the raiders were almost at the threshold of Srinagar. With herculean
efforts and enormous sacrifices the Indian Army pushed the raiders out of the
Valley which had by then become Indian territory. That is how Kashmir became an
Indian state and not a territory occupied by India after waging a war.
Describing the Indian Army as an “occupation” army, therefore, is not only
false, it also is sinister and seditious.
Perhaps, in this respect the
Indian administration as well as the state administration failed to inculcate
in the people of Kashmir the urge to view what the truth was. In the
Pakistan-inspired chaos and mayhem created from time to time Kashmiris are
instigated by its ISI or its proxies to take an antipathetic, even hostile attitude
towards the Indian security forces as this is in the interest of Pakistan.
Kashmiris need to remember that if terrorists infiltrating from across the Line
of Control and are instigating them to cause disorder and confusion the
security forces would not be sitting on their haunches to watch the show. They
have the duty to deal with them as effectively as they can even if meticulously
collected brick-sized stones are hurled at them by the maddened, unthinking
young men who are victims of whipped up emotions.
Kashmiris seem to have forgotten that it was Pakistan which made at
least three attempts to annex Kashmir and every time it was foiled by them. The
first attempt was, of course, the one when it tried to grab Kashmir by force in
1947 but succeeded in capturing only half of it and, that too, because of
puerile and immature policies of the then Indian prime minister. But then the
fact remains that at that time it was the sovereign power of the state came
seeking help of the Indian government. The second time was in 1965 when the
Ayub Khan-designed Operation Gibraltar was rendered a failure by people of
Kashmir who exposed and handed over the Pakistani infiltrators sent across to
engineer an insurgency in their Valley. Pakistan has been relentlessly trying
somehow to dislodge India from Kashmir. It unsuccessfully tried again in 1998
in the Kargil War. Perhaps, the ongoing turbulence is another effort to lead
the Kashmiris astray and work up enough loathing for India to weaken its hold
on the state.
Pakistan is doing all this notwithstanding the terrorist attacks it is
facing from Taliban. Having sown terror it is now reaping terror. Yet, when militant
Burhan Wani was killed on July 8, 2016 he was declared a martyr in Pakistan and
the date of his death was declared as Black Day with Pakistan prime minister assuring
the Kashmiris of his country’s help till Kashmir became part of Pakistan. Even
during the Indian Home Minister’s brief visit to Pakistan for the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation meeting protest rallies were organized in
Islamabad and the Lashkar e Taiyyaba chief incessantly spewed venom pledging
support to Kashmiri resistance. The Hizbul Chief admitted it had 1000 militants
operating in Kashmir Valley.
It is a pity that many of the Kashmiris actively participating in agitations against
their own Police and the Central security forces have not read the recent book “Kashmir – the Vajpayee years” by the top Indian
sleuth AS Dulat - now retired. He is one
sleuth who talked extensively to everyone including militants of all hues
trying to subvert the administration. Some of the quotes of the militants would
surely act as eye openers for those who have become extremely allergic to
India:
Hashim Qureishy, hijacker of Indian Airlines flight in 1971 said, “… Hurriyat people should give up accession to Pakistan, as should our
people. 65 years have passed, another 500 years will pass, Kashmir will never
become Pakistan. You can write it down... and people, (you) don't sacrifice
your children.” Abdul Majeed Dar, another militant was so disillusioned with
the ISI that not only he contrived to come away to Kashmir but also refused to
take its calls. Obviously the ISI found him very precious for their designs in
Kashmir and didn't want to let go him and eventually had him killed. Firdaus, assistant of Shabir Shah one of
the leading separatist leaders told Dulat that each and
every Kashmiri he met in Pakistan felt they were in an alien land. They also
advised him to never merge Kashmir in Pakistan. When he was denied SAM missiles
by the ISI he realised that it was not interested in escalating the proxy war
and was not interested in the fact that the “Kashmiris had gone all out to
fight their dirty war”
.
Kashmiris need
to pay heed to these few nuggets delivered by their own extremists as they tell
all that is there to know about Pakistan’s diabolical intentions. Hopefully,
wisdom will dawn on those who have fallen prey to its mischievous
disinformation and propaganda and are needlessly wasting away their lives.
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