Daily Times

The siege of the ‘historic’ and ‘legendary’ people of Kashmir, waiting for a UN supervised Plebiscite to exercise their “own self-determination”, by Indian occupation forces has crossed 161 days. BJP Government failed to estimate that the Kashmiri resistance and the scenes of naked aggression committed against the people of Kashmir, would touch the conscience of some good and decent people in India, and a wave of public rebuke would roller skate on the streets of India.The erratic haste of RSS to move towards a one nation Hindu India, did not find favour with many sections in other faiths in India and Modi Government, is rebuked from Delhi to Washington, from London to Malaysia, from Srinagar to Islamabad and all across the world.

Modi Government has lost the touch with common sense and history. It was at the 570th meeting of the UN Security Council on 17 January 1952, that Dr. Frank Graham the UN Representative for India and Pakistan, submitted his report of 18 December 1951 and in paragraph 70 argued that, “The sub-continent is the place for a time1y example of demilitarization and self-determination. Now is the time for the dedicated leadership of two great peoples to rise to the call of their spiritual heritage, the responsibility of their power and the opportunity for their greatness to give in a dark world challenging examples and fresh hopes to the peoples in the unresting adventure of the human spirit, through’ the United Nations, in the long pilgrimage towards a freer and fairer world, in answer to the prayers of the people for peace and freedom on God’s good earth.”

Indian Government has decided to wrong the people of Kashmir and shelve the international obligations. Can India continue to hold down an unwilling people using her brute military force and continue to disregard and defy, the agreed writ of UN Security Council, on Kashmir, using the ‘lure’ of its vast trade market? The answer is not for long. History is not on the side of India.

Kashmir siege and the rights regime of the people of Kashmir, have started occupying the interests of the people around the world. Pakistan has a lead role in telling the story of these people and in helping Kashmiris to perfect the art of their story telling. After September 2019 UN General assembly speech by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the art of storytelling has been improved and Prime Minister has for the first time, used social media to tell the story of these Kashmiri people and their siege to the wider world. Modi Government can’t manage to counter it. If the Kashmiri civil society and world NGOs step in, Modi would turn into a social leper, in India and all around the world.

Pakistan has suffered a continued Indian maligning, that it sponsors terrorism into India regardless of the fact that USA had Modi on its list as leader who had committed crimes against people in India

One such admirable effort was put together by Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood Chairman ISSI, Research Fellows at the institution and Kashmir Cell MOFA, on 10 January 2020, to hear the “Voices From Kashmir.” A core section of Kashmiris and think tanks were invited at the roundtable on “Self Determination Day: Voices From Kashmir.” President of Azad Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan was the chief guest. President of Azad Kashmir’s comprehensive exposition of the situation was incremented by the presence of lead Kashmiri voices and other participants.

Modi leadership does not fit into the UN template of an intelligent, responsible and spiritual leadership. Therefore any misadventure or miscalculation may result into a human catastrophe and many of us may not be here anymore. Common man and members of Congress in USA are making efforts to trim the future ability of the President Trump to exercise his authority and declare war in Iran. Indian people are also on the streets and in raring in anger in their educational and other institution against Modi’s fascist agenda.

It does not make General Manoj Mukund Naravane a good soldier and a good Army Chief of India to be an advocate of aggression in Kashmir. His statement on Saturday 11 January 2020 that “if Indian Army gets an order then it will take appropriate action to reclaim Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). He pointed out that a Parliamentary resolution states that the entire Jammu and Kashmir region is a part of India”, points to an unfortunate killing instinct. If he sets his military leadership compass in this manner, we may have a very different India beyond 2020. I am not a military person, but have studied wars and have benefitted from NATO briefing while doing my Peace Training in Pisa, Italy in 1996 under a UN and EU Programme in Peace Keeping. Prime Minister of Pakistan’s warning at the UN of the vicious ramifications of a war between India and Pakistan, continues to have merit and appeal. The nuclear capability of Pakistan, has neutralised the size and number in Indian war machinery. Pakistan may be a mismatch in size, number and trade, at this point, but its war machinery and nuclear capability has disabled any and every military edge that India would have had previously.

In addition Pakistan’s military machinery and the people of Pakistan, would have a mission to live up to its nuclear ability. Pakistan has suffered a continued Indian maligning, that it sponsors terrorism into India regardless of the fact that USA had Modi on its list as leader who had committed crimes against people in India. Modi was denied visa to USA as chief minister Gujrat and his existing business visa was cancelled.

On March 21, 2005, David C. Mulford, U.S. Ambassador to India, made the following statement in New Delhi: “Thank you for coming this afternoon to Roosevelt House. I would like to make a brief statement on the issue of Mr. Narendra Modi’s visa status.

The Chief Minister of Gujarat state, Mr. Narendra Modi, applied for a diplomatic visa to visit the United States. On March 18, 2005, the United States Department of State denied Mr. Modi this visa under section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act because he was not coming for a purpose that qualified for a diplomatic visa. Mr. Modi’s existing tourist/business visa was also revoked under section 212 (a) (2) (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Section 212 (a) (2) (g) makes any foreign government official who “was responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom” ineligible for a visa to the United States.” Participants at the ISSI event on Kashmir, argued that “War is an instrument of International Relations” and Pakistan should keep it on the table. Ambassador Khalid Rehman introduced this maxim and it was further dilated upon by Syed Abdullah Gilani Convener APHCand President of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan, punctuated the debate by his experience and rich understanding.

Everyone around the Roundtable, commended the leadership of ISSI, in particular Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, for arranging a platform for “Kashmiri Voices” and shortlisting a resource of rich opinions. Director General and the Chairman ISSI made very engaging contributions and both including their Research Fellow Asad Ullah Khan, deserve a full note of applause. JKCHR was represented by Syed Nazir Gilani, Malik Aslam and Arif Chaudhry. Lead voices from Kashmir, namely, Altaf Hussain Wani, Faiz Naqshbandi and Ambassador Arif Kamal made valuable contribution.

On the one hand we have “prayers of the people for peace and freedom on God’s good earth” and on the other RSS agenda to decimate all except Hindus.

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