Muhammad Serajuddin in Karachi
Once Known as the Heaver on the earth, Kashmir , with its geographical stand between two frontal nuclear threats- India and Pakistan – has itself turned into a time bomb by now.
The incident of Pulawma is not the first time that the world has narrowly escaped explosion of this time bomb. Virtually since the partition of 47 internal and external politics of this sub-continent to a large extent has been controlled surrounding Kashmir. It played a pivotal role in the power centric politics of Delhi and Islamabad. It is clear from the history that whenever any government either in India or in Pakistan was in the face of severe internal criticism reaching the rock bottom of image and losing people’s trust for all their misrule used Kashmir issue to divert public attention from nation’s internal crises.
At present Modi led government in India is doing the same thing ahead of India’s general election. But it appears that Modi’s plan has nipped in the bud following Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wise decision to release and hand over captured Indian pilot Avinandan that pulled back both the countries from the brink of a possible nuclear war.
Modi has been clean bowled by Imran without any score. Now India’s claim that its force has launched a surgical operation in Balakot inside Pakistan that left more than 300 militants killed is nothing but a concocted story of Indian media to save the government’s face. Al Jazeera in a recent report said that the bomb thrown in a lonesome forest by Indian air force did little damage and no casualty was found.
Since the Independence of 1947 Indian leadership has been demanding that Kashmir is an inseparable part of India. Although there is no reliable basis or international recognition in support of their claim. In 1948 India forcibly occupied Kashmir in utter violation of the then Prime Minister Jawaherlal Nehru’s promise of holding a referendum to decide Kashmir’s fate. This incited the people of Kashmir to opt for freedom fight which soon turned into an armed rebellion. For geographical and sentimental affinity the freedom loving people of Kashmir tilted to Pakistan in carrying out their movement.
India’s attitude toward Kashmir is alike that of Israel toward Palestine. Whenever India comes under any insurgent attack from militants, innocent Kashmiris become merciless target of the Indian government. Now any help from Pakistan with arms and ammunition along the Line of Control is seen by Indian authority as cross-border terrorism and that has been echoed in the address given by Indian foreign Minister Shushoma Swaraj in the recent foreign minister level summit of the OIC in Abu Dhabi. However, it surprised many as to how she defines India’s direct and indirect support to the separatist movement of the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Elm in Sri Lanka with arms and soldiers since late 80? Has she gone oblivious of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi?
It is not prudent to think Kashmir crises only from India and Pakistan point of view. Global leadership is also equally responsible for this deadlock. They never spare any scope to fish in troubled waters on Kashmir issue. They are reaping harvest from Kashmir as they are reaping from other independent movements across the world. If Kashmir becomes independent a big market for their arms business will go out of hand, and if bilateral ties between India and Pakistan get relatively settled their geo-strategic importance in South Asia will come down.
Thursday, September 05, 2019
