Daily Times

The opening of Kartarpur Corridor to Sikhs of India and to those around the world and the hospitality offered to Sikh pilgrims visiting Baba Guru Nanak’s resting place on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Nanak, confirms that Pakistan is surging as a confident Pakistan. It has introduced itself as home for all the major religions of mankind. The Supreme Court of India’s decision on Babri Masjid, (disregarding the fact that it was a Masjid since 1528), allowing Hindus to build a Temple on the site in the 21st century, speaks volumes about an insecure India.

India has perfected the art of using Muslims and minorities as exhibits at the international forums to argue her case. India uses this methodology as a camouflage. On 24 May 2012 India fielded its first Muslim Attorney General Mr. Goolam E Vahanvati, to defend her Human Rights record and present National Report at the Second Universal Periodic Review in Geneva.The idea was to pitch a leading Muslim against the veracity of atrocities committed by Indian forces on the Muslims of Kashmir.

Indian Muslim representative proved a useful weapon to capture audience.Mr. Goolam E Vahanvati said, “I stand here before you as a representative of a new India – an India built on the solid foundations laid after independence, a new India, which is confident but not over-confident, a country proud of its strengths and at the same time willing to acknowledge and address weaknesses, an India which is self-assured but not arrogant, a country which is sensitive and humane without being weak or apologetic, and an India determined to promote and protect the human rights of its people in its secular democratic polity”. You can hardly have a better story teller.

On the question of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir Mr. Goolam E Vahanvati further defended Indian State and said, “India is a land of immense diversity covering all major religions of the world. Military has been operating a Human Rights Cell in its headquarters since March 1993, before the establishment of National Human Rights Commission of India.”

If we look back at Indian submissions made before the Human Rights Council in May 2012 in Geneva and at the current 96 day imprisonment of Kashmiris, at the Indian Supreme Court decision on Babri Masjid announced on Saturday 9 November 2019 and the manner in which the high caste Hindu judges of the Madras High Court treated a Dalit Justice C.S. Karnanon Monday 15 February 2016, when he ran out of court and shouted India “is a racist nation” and he was “ashamed to be born here”. He also declared “I would cancel my birth right” and migrate to “a country where there is no racism”. These three instances are enough to indict India as a racist nation.India finds Muslims and minorities to cover her crimes.

People of Kashmir (including Sikhs of Kashmir) join in the Sikh’sin their long awaited celebrations on the opening of Kartarpur Corridor, on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. Government of Pakistan, other variables linked with security of the State and the people of Pakistan all merit a special bravo for overcoming mistrust and grievances embedded in the past and laying the foundation of a better tomorrow.

Modi Government’s Hindutva instinct may still seek to take pride in the UN archives which have recorded the evidence that Muslim populations in the States of Alwar, Bharatpur, Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Faridkot, Kapurthala and Gwalior where wiped out either by massacre or by forcible expulsions. These records show that Kapurthala which had a Muslim majority of 235,000 was left with only two Muslims when evidence was submitted to UN Security Council on 16 January 1948. Jammu was also trashed from a Muslim majority into a Hindu majority province. Kashmiris have just finished commemorating the 72nd anniversary of 6th November 1947 Martyrs of Jammu.

On the opening of Kartarpur Corridor, Kashmiri Muslims remain prisoners of Modi’s 900000 army, a fact very well-articulated by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Modi’s army has not been allowing Kashmiri Muslims to offer Friday Prayers at Jamia Masjid and at other mosques, a fact very vehemently raised by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Kashmiris have a serious grievance and many reservations as well.

Modi’s army has not been allowing Kashmiri Muslims to offer Friday Prayers at Jamia Masjid and at other mosques, a fact very vehemently raised by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Kashmiris have a serious grievance and many reservations as well

The opening of Kartarpur Corridor has an element of concern in it for the people of Kashmir. They are struggling for “equality and right of self-determination. Unfortunately, they do not see that they are treated in equity as human beings. The UN Resolution 47 guarantees them the right of travel across the cease fire line, but the armies of the two sovereign States would not respect their right and continue to violate this right.

Kashmiris throughout centuries have remained very unfortunate. Kashmiris have three Governments at Srinagar, Muzaffarabad and at Gilgit. In fact they carry a donkey load of five governments and five constitutions. Many a time they get into conflict with both India and Pakistan in asserting their rights. India has gone for a second and fresh round of aggression, occupation and imprisonment from August 5. Pakistan has made some impressive and some half-hearted efforts to vacate the imprisonment but not far enough to vacate imprisonment as a start.

We have a President, a Prime Minister, an Assembly and a Government at Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir. Unfortunately we do not have people like Navjot Singh Sidhu, who became an instrument of success for Sikh community. Our President had just retired from his long service in the foreign office that he was picked up as an “Ace Choice” to be the President of Azad Kashmir. We have many enigmas in Azad Kashmir, but this one was an intriguing enigma plus. He finds it very it difficult to reconcile his old habits as a disciplined officer behind a file, with the present broad spread of duties as the custodian of the Constitution.

He has no clue of his Constitutional role and his reference for the office may have made him lazy also. Our President has expressed his displeasure on the UN Security Council President for the month of November for not scheduling Kashmir for discussion. Karen Pierce the Permanent Representative of the UK to the UN and President of the Security Council for November 2019 has said on Friday 01 November that the UN Security Council will not be discussing the issue of Kashmir this month.

Ambassador Pierce said, (1) “No, we don’t have anything scheduled on Kashmir”, (2) “there are a lot of issues going on in the world and each month Presidency picks a few that are not routinely scheduled as part of the rhythm of the Security Council’s business” and (3) “We have not picked Kashmir because the Security Council had an opportunity to discuss it recently and we have not been asked by any other Security Council member to schedule a meeting”.

President of Security Council has said, “…we have not been asked by any other Security Council member to schedule a meeting”. The blame lies with our non interest.AJK President was in London in October 2019 and he should have known that UK will take over Presidency for the month of November. He should have used his trip to sound to UK that Kashmir situation needs to be discussed or gone for a full blooded private campaign to convince at least one of the 15 members of Security Council to raise it. Members of British Parliament and House of Lords of Kashmiri/Pakistani origin, activists in Diaspora and constituency of sympathisers would have joined him in raising an alert.

Pakistan itself had the Presidency of UN Security Council in January 2013 and Masood Khan was the Permanent Representative and President for the month of January. He ignored Kashmir during the Presidency of Pakistan and his present concern shown in his TWEETS has no merit. Islamabad’s Ace Card is unable to “turn”. Indian “Chai Wala” is too smart for our “ACE CARD”.

The writer is President of London based Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights – NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations