Daily Times

The bleeding wounds of mankind have been crying for healing for the last 72 years. The conscience of the human beings reminds them again and again about injustice being done with the Kashmiri people. Yet, the self-interest motivated persons have averted their eyes from the problem.

It is the unfinished agenda of the partition of the sub-continent in August 1947. According to the Partition Plan (June 3 Plan) 1947 the Royal States were to decide to join any of the states i.e Pakistan or India. Kashmir was deprived of this right.

The problem of Kashmir has been on the agenda of the United Nations since 1948/49. The General Assembly of the UN passed a resolution to extend the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir to decide their future. In the beginning, the Indian leaders assured complying with the provisions of the resolution but soon they turned away. Since then the United Nations has been failed to put pressure on its member to honour the resolution and keep its promise fulfilled.

In order to sensitize the world and attract the attention of the world to solve the outstanding issue of Kashmir, the Government of Pakistan announced in 1991 that it would mark February 5 every year as Kashmir Day. This is the twenty eighth Kashmir Day being celebrated but the problem is still unresolved.

The Government of Pakistan has raised the issue on every forum and briefed the world community about the cruelties being perpetrated by the Indian forces in the occupied Kashmir. The bitter violation of human rights, abduction and rape of young girls and women, killing of innocent children, men and women have all failed to convince the international community to put pressure on India to resolve the issue. Hundreds of Kashmiris have lost their eyesight due to firing of pellets.

After the killing of Burhan Muzaffar Wani in 2016, the Kashmiri struggle for right of self determination got new momentum. The success of the current wave and sacrifices rendered by the Kashmiris for their homeland may be verified from the fact that the rulers of occupied Kashmir are also putting pressure on New Delhi for resolving the problem.

The British Government should consider whether the provisions of the Partition Plan 1947 and India Independence Act 1947 have been implemented in letter and spirit. If not then it must come forward to resolve the problem

Modi government of India made efforts to change the Muslims majority into minority in the occupied valley. He wanted to construct new settlements on the lines of Israel in the territories of Palestine. He went to Israel in 2017 and in reciprocation the Israeli Prime Minister (PM) visited India in 2018. Probably both the PMs discussed this matter. The Indian Government did not get any success in this regard.

Peace cannot be established in every nook and corner of the world until hatred on the basis of religion exists. The western and other civilized countries always beat their drums about protecting human rights all over the world. Unfortunately, the gross violation of human rights in Kashmir has not been noticed by such countries. It is probably due to their interests in South Asia and other surrounding regions.

India is facing freedom movements in its other territories, such as the Punjab, Meezoram and Nagaland. India fears that if the Kashmiris are allowed to exercise the right to self-determination and they decide to separate from it then other movements may gain further momentum. The case of the Kashmiris is different from the other freedom movements in India.

The British Government should consider whether the provisions of the Partition Plan 1947 and India Independence Act 1947 have been implemented in letter and spirit. If not then it must come forward to resolve the problem. The separatist movements are mostly organic reactions to the flawed policies of the government of India.

China has supported Kashmiris’ right to self determination.

The world should change approach to see outstanding issues like Kashmir and Palestine beyond religion, caste and race. India must take benefit from offer of Pakistan to hold talks on the problem of Kashmir.

Published in Daily Times, February 4^th 2019.