For past two weeks i have been reading a travel book by Pankaj Mishra named "Temptations of the west". In this book he has stated and analyzed several of south Asia's grave problems with a view of a merciless critic.
One of the issues discussed is Kashmir, my heart raced as i went through the pages and devoured the legacy. Kashmir's problem it seems is not insurgency but insurgency is a result of several of kashmir's problems. Kashmir was ruled by numerous foreign rulers moguls, afghans, Sikhs and Hindu kings. The worst one pointed out by Mishra is the rule of 4% Hindu minority over 96% Muslims under the reign of Maharajas. Maharaja Gulab Singh was just a chieftain who help British to ousted Sikh rule in the valley and then proceeded to buy the valley for just Rs7.2 million in 1846 after signing 'Treaty of Amritsar' accepting British supremacy on Jammu and Kashmir. Since then Kashmir has only faced brutality and humiliation at the hands of maharajas, Indian govt and Pakistan govt, all of them using the valley and its population to their interest. On the basis of my reading i further discuss about the accession of valley to India and its administration under Indian rule.
In 1946, the Maharaja was faced with a choice between India and Pakistan which remained undecided until Pak supported jihadis tried to seize power in oct 1947. Maharaja fled Srinagar and pleaded Indian help from Jammu, which came in late oct 1947 after Kashmir’s accession to India. Pakistani troops were forced out and ceasefire was declared on 1st Jan 1949 on UN intervention. The then PM Nehru called for plebiscite which he hoped to win with the most popular leader of the valley, Sheikh Abdullah by his side. Abdullah wary of Pak's intentions and to protect Kashmiri Muslims from the wrath of Pakistan’s Muslim elite called for Kashmir’s support to Secular India.
Abdullah guaranteed various reforms and concessions for the valley and brought about the historical land reforms; however he faced retaliation from Hindu majority Jammu and was regarded as a leader of 53% Muslims of the state. He then proceeded to demand autonomous rights of Kashmir and slowly turned to an autocratic ruler. Nehru scared of brimming trouble forced Abdullah in jail for 11 years. The democracy in Kashmir was highly suppressed and elections often rigged. The valley was once again left isolated from modern education and there were hardly any jobs for Kashmiri Muslims.
The condition worsened when Indira Gandhi dismissed the democratically elected government of National conference and the rule passed into the hands of the then governor Jagmohan who brutally suppressed the early uprising against Indian administration. Narrow-minded but strong-willed, he is accused alternatively of saving Kashmir and worsening the situation beyond repair. He endorsed migration of pandits but at the same time moved the durbar from Jammu to Kashmir.
The present state of the valley is portrayed by both the nations as a war ground, but no one is ready to take the blame. Kashmir people don’t want to be Indians or Pakistanis, their demand is of freedom. After Pakistani ISI was done with Afghanistan, it concentrated its efforts on Kashmir. With hoards of arms, ammunitions and distorted Quran madarsas, ISI was ready to play yet another Jihad, this time the target being Indian Kashmir and its people. By people I mean Hindu and Muslim alike. Kashmiri
Muslims so disillusioned with India were a proper jihadi material; their cry of Azad Kashmir unheard by the world was registered with pak for exploitation. Young men of the valley; educated but poor and unemployed starting crossing the border to Pak military camps for training in arms and ammunitions, these young men often came back to execute operations of terror and recruit more people. These young men with Quran in their heart and Azad Kashmir on their mind; were determined to drive out all the Hindus holding them responsible for the subjugation of their homeland. This all along suppressed majority forced three lakh Hindus out of the valley to be scattered all over the world.
We know this part of the story very well but do we know how many peaceful Muslims were abducted by Indian army and killed after labeling them terrorists?
In chhitisinghpura where 36 Sikhs were massacred in March 2000, but what followed was even more grotesque. India blamed Pakistan for the shootout while US press staged the suspicions of Indian hand behind this. Clinton was scheduled to visit Pakistan after his visit to India and India wanted attention, this is the argument of the world press. Reason being that till date India has not been able to bring forth the culprits. So was it Indian army? Following the massacre 5 Kashmiri Muslims were abducted by SOG (special operations group, a Sikh major authority) and were burnt alive claiming to have treated the culprits right. However just a couple of days later these bodies were exhumed on court orders after a plea was registered with the court by the kinsmen of these 5 people. The bodies with limbs missing were identified by their relatives and none of them was a terrorist, they were the bread earners of their families.
This is just one story I have quoted but read several on net. There are a lot of cases pending against various Indian authorities ranging form rape to murder.
I only know what I read and nothing beyond that. I know some Kashmiri Hindus and I grieve for their loss of kins and homeland but still want to plead the case of Muslims who are the victims as well. Kashmiris are not the victims of religious hatred they are the victims of step motherly treatment meted out to them by India and a wicked lover that Pakistan turned out to be. Today lakhs of Kashmiris disillusioned and displaced are scattered around the globe breed a communal hatred, I hope with time they will understand and will learn to live together once again. All Kashmir needs is Freedom.