06-02-2006, 01:37 AM
Lies, Lies and More Indian LIES!!
The current Indo-Pak engagement, duly substantiated by a set of Confidence Building Measures (CBM) stands out as the longest sustained and most substantive of the endeavours made by the two countries in search for a solution of the Kashmir Issue. Both countries have agreed to initiate measures for creating conducive environment for tackling the thorny, yet central Issue of Kashmir by working around its periphery.
The portents have been encouraging. The cease-fire, in place and holding since November last, is the longest such pause since last 57 years. The April 7 inauguration of the Muzaffarabad to Srinagar Bus Service comes about as the first civilian movement across the Line of Control to take place since Indian Forces took the control of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. The talks to open up more arteries of communication facilitating travel between the two countries are under deliberation. We have just seen another round of talks between the Defence Secretaries of the two countries to find a solution to the Siachin Issue. The rhetoric of turning Siachin into a "Mountain of Peace" was by a person no less than the Prime Minister of India.
While this flurry is going about with considerable vigour for the last eighteen months, what remains conspicuously amiss is the lack of meaningful initiatives by India to provide relief to the brutalised Kashmiris, whose sustained sacrifices and struggle, in the first place, have provided the stimulus to bring Indians to the negotiating tables. Indian inaction is particularly disconcerting since Pakistan, at its end, has taken steps to tone down the heat of insurgency in the IHK. Indian politico-military leadership has admitted that infiltration from across the border has considerably scaled down and the combatant Groups too have toned down their operations against the Indian security forces and on the basis of these facts, Indians were expected take tangible steps to rein in their forces in the IHK and firmly ensure the respect of human rights by their trigger happy troops.
This keenly awaited CBM, so essential to win over the trust and support of Kashmiris, remains conspicuously lacking. In this context it is instructive to note that taking advantage of the cease-fire; Indians have quickly completed fencing along the LoC, a project that had remained unfulfilled due to resistance by the Pak Army. It is also unfortunate that despite announcement of withdrawal of forces from IHK by the Indian Prime Minister, no actual movement of troops has taken place out of the IHK and even we hear from Indian Rulers that Demilitarisation Plan is no longer on the negotiating Table while dealing with Kashmiri Issue.
Consequently a perception is taking hold that playing for time through the CBM game, Indians are pulling a fast one by turning their guns inward to smash the Kashmiri Civilians - once and for all. This insidious approach has seen enhanced level of violence against the civilian population of Kashmir. According to figures release by the Kashmir Action Committee, ever since the cease-fire along the LoC came into effect in Nov 2003, over 2500 Kashmiris have been murdered, 329 women molested, 495 women widowed, 1410 children orphaned and over 600 houses and shops torched by the Indian forces. Only the first fortnight of May 2005 in the IHK saw 72 Kashmiris murdered, 8 women molested, 17 women widowed and 29 children killed. Incidents of rape have particularly increased; showing a pattern that this despicable crime was being employed as a psychological weapon to break the will and demoralise the Kashmiri People. The recent rape of a mother-daughter duo, by an Indian Army officer in Hindwara made headlines in Indian media; even though it is a willing partner in the conspiracy of silence involving cover up of such incidents. Custodial deaths and unexplained disappearances have become common occurrence in the IHK. Still 15 school girls in different parts of the region are missing and the authorities are unmoved.
"In September [2003] the government fulfilled its election pledge to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) which it said had been "grossly misused" and which had led to widespread human rights violations. However, there were concerns over amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which included provisions similar to those in the POTA. There were also concerns that the definition of "terrorist acts" in the bill remained vague and open to broad interpretation. Several states indicated that they would introduce legislation containing provisions similar to those in the POTA", observed the AI report.
Empowered by these Draconian legislations Indian security forces continue to make a mockery of CBMs and the ongoing process of Indo Pak engagement. There is a swell op opinion that if the process of engagement has to yield results, progress on CBMs has to be orchestrated in tandem with initiatives to cut through the Gordian knot of the Kashmir Issue. This calls for a visible and sincere endeavour by India to console and comfort the Kashmiri population which stands bruised and bloodied by the no holds barred, collateral damage intensive operations by the Indian security forces.
Winning over Kashmiris' confidence and ensuring their participation in the ongoing process is essential since by sacrificing over one hundred thousand of their kith and kin over a decade and a half, they have won an inalienable right as a party to the issue resolution process. This aspect appropriately driven home during the recent visit of APHC delegation to Pakistan. While speaking at the reception by Governor Sind in Karachi, Chairman of the APHC Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that CBMs could not contribute anything positive unless they addressed the miseries of Kashmiris. Here is the moot question: what is the point in pursing CBMs geared towards resolution of the Kashmir Issue if these don't ease the pain of Kashmiri population in the IHK? Kashmiris have shown their willingness to give peace a chance by toning down their resistance and the Indians have to respond in kind to move the process forward. Violence begets violence and if Indians persist with their ingrained practices, it will only provide fresh blood and this time not only Kashmir but all India in whole would be dragged in this stormed mess. In such a scenario, the painstakingly assembled edifice of CBMs and the accrued goodwill shall evaporate in thin air in no time.!!
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CBMs have built Confidence of India to kill wantonly and oppress blatantly
I endorse the message by Scientific Souls entirely. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have lost 100,000 lives fighting the occupation of their state by India but the silence of guns along the Line of Control has not led to peace but intensification of the genocide in Kashmir. The âflexibilityâ of Pakistan, for which neither the Kashmiris nor the Pakistanis were consulted, has been seen in India as its victory and in Kashmir as another âlet downâ by Pakistan.
The UN recognises Pakistan to be an equal party with India in the dispute. Both Pakistan and India pledged before the UN Security Council that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would decide their political future in a plebiscite. India has gone back on its agreement that led to all out war in 1965, 1971 and limited Kargil operations that did not bring any change. The case of Pakistan is that the UN Resolutions entailed agreement on two points: cease fire and plebiscite. Pakistan agreed to a cease fire because India agreed to plebiscite. Now that India has gone back on its agreement to hold a plebiscite, the agreement to hold fire is null and void. Kashmir would be liberated by guerrilla war which has been fought half heartedly by Pakistan since 1989. Pakistan has a right â no, a duty â to support it with confidence; that is the CBM that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want.
Cowards argue that it would lead to an all out war. The fact is that India can afford an âall out warâ even less than Pakistan. Since both are now nuclear powers, such war would be nuclear holocaust. Besidesâ India is embarked on a path to rapid economic progress and it cannot continue unless it resolves the 17 insurgencies going on in different parts of India. There are many good people in India who believe that the Kashmiris should be given their right of self determination; it is costing India too much to maintain hostility with Pakistan, the Muslim World and with China and get a bad name in process. These people of goodwill in India would be emboldened if Pakistan takes a stand that it will not negotiate any further agreements with India until the existing agreements: to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir and the Indus Basin Water Treaty, are honoured. Pakistan not being able to take a firm and principled stand is the cause of the Kashmir Dispute having remained unresolved fir so long. Even though it is the Indian troops who killed 100,000 Kashmiris, raped countless women, and destroyed countless homes of the already most repressed on this earth, Pakistan also bears responsibility for not showing resolve.
Brigadier ® Usman Khalid
Director London Institute of South Asia
www.lisauk.com
The current Indo-Pak engagement, duly substantiated by a set of Confidence Building Measures (CBM) stands out as the longest sustained and most substantive of the endeavours made by the two countries in search for a solution of the Kashmir Issue. Both countries have agreed to initiate measures for creating conducive environment for tackling the thorny, yet central Issue of Kashmir by working around its periphery.
The portents have been encouraging. The cease-fire, in place and holding since November last, is the longest such pause since last 57 years. The April 7 inauguration of the Muzaffarabad to Srinagar Bus Service comes about as the first civilian movement across the Line of Control to take place since Indian Forces took the control of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. The talks to open up more arteries of communication facilitating travel between the two countries are under deliberation. We have just seen another round of talks between the Defence Secretaries of the two countries to find a solution to the Siachin Issue. The rhetoric of turning Siachin into a "Mountain of Peace" was by a person no less than the Prime Minister of India.
While this flurry is going about with considerable vigour for the last eighteen months, what remains conspicuously amiss is the lack of meaningful initiatives by India to provide relief to the brutalised Kashmiris, whose sustained sacrifices and struggle, in the first place, have provided the stimulus to bring Indians to the negotiating tables. Indian inaction is particularly disconcerting since Pakistan, at its end, has taken steps to tone down the heat of insurgency in the IHK. Indian politico-military leadership has admitted that infiltration from across the border has considerably scaled down and the combatant Groups too have toned down their operations against the Indian security forces and on the basis of these facts, Indians were expected take tangible steps to rein in their forces in the IHK and firmly ensure the respect of human rights by their trigger happy troops.
This keenly awaited CBM, so essential to win over the trust and support of Kashmiris, remains conspicuously lacking. In this context it is instructive to note that taking advantage of the cease-fire; Indians have quickly completed fencing along the LoC, a project that had remained unfulfilled due to resistance by the Pak Army. It is also unfortunate that despite announcement of withdrawal of forces from IHK by the Indian Prime Minister, no actual movement of troops has taken place out of the IHK and even we hear from Indian Rulers that Demilitarisation Plan is no longer on the negotiating Table while dealing with Kashmiri Issue.
Consequently a perception is taking hold that playing for time through the CBM game, Indians are pulling a fast one by turning their guns inward to smash the Kashmiri Civilians - once and for all. This insidious approach has seen enhanced level of violence against the civilian population of Kashmir. According to figures release by the Kashmir Action Committee, ever since the cease-fire along the LoC came into effect in Nov 2003, over 2500 Kashmiris have been murdered, 329 women molested, 495 women widowed, 1410 children orphaned and over 600 houses and shops torched by the Indian forces. Only the first fortnight of May 2005 in the IHK saw 72 Kashmiris murdered, 8 women molested, 17 women widowed and 29 children killed. Incidents of rape have particularly increased; showing a pattern that this despicable crime was being employed as a psychological weapon to break the will and demoralise the Kashmiri People. The recent rape of a mother-daughter duo, by an Indian Army officer in Hindwara made headlines in Indian media; even though it is a willing partner in the conspiracy of silence involving cover up of such incidents. Custodial deaths and unexplained disappearances have become common occurrence in the IHK. Still 15 school girls in different parts of the region are missing and the authorities are unmoved.
"In September [2003] the government fulfilled its election pledge to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) which it said had been "grossly misused" and which had led to widespread human rights violations. However, there were concerns over amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which included provisions similar to those in the POTA. There were also concerns that the definition of "terrorist acts" in the bill remained vague and open to broad interpretation. Several states indicated that they would introduce legislation containing provisions similar to those in the POTA", observed the AI report.
Empowered by these Draconian legislations Indian security forces continue to make a mockery of CBMs and the ongoing process of Indo Pak engagement. There is a swell op opinion that if the process of engagement has to yield results, progress on CBMs has to be orchestrated in tandem with initiatives to cut through the Gordian knot of the Kashmir Issue. This calls for a visible and sincere endeavour by India to console and comfort the Kashmiri population which stands bruised and bloodied by the no holds barred, collateral damage intensive operations by the Indian security forces.
Winning over Kashmiris' confidence and ensuring their participation in the ongoing process is essential since by sacrificing over one hundred thousand of their kith and kin over a decade and a half, they have won an inalienable right as a party to the issue resolution process. This aspect appropriately driven home during the recent visit of APHC delegation to Pakistan. While speaking at the reception by Governor Sind in Karachi, Chairman of the APHC Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that CBMs could not contribute anything positive unless they addressed the miseries of Kashmiris. Here is the moot question: what is the point in pursing CBMs geared towards resolution of the Kashmir Issue if these don't ease the pain of Kashmiri population in the IHK? Kashmiris have shown their willingness to give peace a chance by toning down their resistance and the Indians have to respond in kind to move the process forward. Violence begets violence and if Indians persist with their ingrained practices, it will only provide fresh blood and this time not only Kashmir but all India in whole would be dragged in this stormed mess. In such a scenario, the painstakingly assembled edifice of CBMs and the accrued goodwill shall evaporate in thin air in no time.!!
--------------------
CBMs have built Confidence of India to kill wantonly and oppress blatantly
I endorse the message by Scientific Souls entirely. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have lost 100,000 lives fighting the occupation of their state by India but the silence of guns along the Line of Control has not led to peace but intensification of the genocide in Kashmir. The âflexibilityâ of Pakistan, for which neither the Kashmiris nor the Pakistanis were consulted, has been seen in India as its victory and in Kashmir as another âlet downâ by Pakistan.
The UN recognises Pakistan to be an equal party with India in the dispute. Both Pakistan and India pledged before the UN Security Council that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would decide their political future in a plebiscite. India has gone back on its agreement that led to all out war in 1965, 1971 and limited Kargil operations that did not bring any change. The case of Pakistan is that the UN Resolutions entailed agreement on two points: cease fire and plebiscite. Pakistan agreed to a cease fire because India agreed to plebiscite. Now that India has gone back on its agreement to hold a plebiscite, the agreement to hold fire is null and void. Kashmir would be liberated by guerrilla war which has been fought half heartedly by Pakistan since 1989. Pakistan has a right â no, a duty â to support it with confidence; that is the CBM that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want.
Cowards argue that it would lead to an all out war. The fact is that India can afford an âall out warâ even less than Pakistan. Since both are now nuclear powers, such war would be nuclear holocaust. Besidesâ India is embarked on a path to rapid economic progress and it cannot continue unless it resolves the 17 insurgencies going on in different parts of India. There are many good people in India who believe that the Kashmiris should be given their right of self determination; it is costing India too much to maintain hostility with Pakistan, the Muslim World and with China and get a bad name in process. These people of goodwill in India would be emboldened if Pakistan takes a stand that it will not negotiate any further agreements with India until the existing agreements: to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir and the Indus Basin Water Treaty, are honoured. Pakistan not being able to take a firm and principled stand is the cause of the Kashmir Dispute having remained unresolved fir so long. Even though it is the Indian troops who killed 100,000 Kashmiris, raped countless women, and destroyed countless homes of the already most repressed on this earth, Pakistan also bears responsibility for not showing resolve.
Brigadier ® Usman Khalid
Director London Institute of South Asia
www.lisauk.com