Kashmir is one of the best places in the sub-continent. To maintain its especial identity its Maharaja purchased Kashmir from the British East India Company for 75 lakhs of rupees. Till the time of partition of India Kashmir under its Maharaja enjoyed its independence under the umbrella of British. But since then it has become the worst complicated spot and a reason for India and Pakistan to fight two wars, the first was immediately following the independence of India and Pakistan. Since it was independent from India and Pakistan, the latter tried to grab it by force by sending Pakistani Marauders who succeeded in illegally annexing approximately 30% of Kashmir to Pakistan before India could send it’s Military to salvage 75% of Kashmir also otherwise going into the hands of Pakistan. India came to drive away Pakistani Marauders on the request of Kashmir Maharaja of the time who pleaded with Indian Premier Nehru to save his remaining Kashmir from falling into the hands of Pakistani Marauders.
Nehru sent Indian troops to save Kashmir for its legal independent authority under its Maharaja and not to annex it to Independent India. At that time the ruler of Kashmir its Maharaja as expected and as agreed thought Nehru would hand over the salvaged part of Kashmir from the hands of Pakistani Marauders to the legal authority of Kashmir the Maharaja of Kashmir. But no. Nehru is Nehru, a cheat and a cunning fox. He retained the salvaged part of beautiful Kashmir to India and to please Kashmiri Muslims appointed his crony Sheikh Abdulla as Prime Minister of Indian occupied Kashmir.
As a matter of interest, according to many Goan Freedom Fighters they requested Nehru’s Bharat only to liberate Goa from the Portuguese domination and go back to Bharat by handing the power of Goa into the hands of Goans to make Goa as independent sovereign State just like Bangladesh. This was not done for Goa because Nehru was a crook along with his entire Cabinet since none in it opposed Nehru’s decision to annex Goa to Bharat. Today we are suffering in Goa because of this wrong decision of Nehru and this suffering of Goans will last till Goa is totally degoanised and stripped of its genuine Goan culture, tradition, language, folklore and other best of Goan attributes and replaced by "Sala Banchot" attributes from Ghanttis who are upsetting the demographic set up of Goa.
When India and Pakistan were fighting for the supremacy of Kashmir both the warring parties agreed for the ceasefire under the UN mediation and both India and Pakistan agreed for the Plebiscite to settle this issue once and for all. To hold Plebiscite the UN said both India and Pakistan must withdraw from Kashmir they occupied and let UN under its supervision hold the Poll in Kashmir for the Kashmiris to decide their future. Incidentally Pakistan refused to withdraw and thus the Plebiscite was stalled. If Pakistan had to agree for the Poll at that time the question of Kashmir would have been solved then only and it would not linger on till now.
Even though Indian Kashmir is enjoying certain especial previlleges under India yet majority of Indian Kashmiris want totally independent Kashmir for them to protect their own undiluted identity. In this demand they have strong backing of their brothers and sisters in Pakistan occupied Kashmir who are doing everything possible by fair and unfair means to help the Indian Kashmiris to achieve their goals. Kashmiris under Pakistan occupied Kashmir are happy there unlike their counterparts in India occupied Kashmir. Kashmiris on both the sides do not want their separation, they want to be one under one roof. Indian Kashmiris fighting for their freedom from India are called Freedom Fighters while Indian government calls them as terrorists and by dubbing them as such they are harassed too much by the Indian security apparatus. Indian Kashmiris demanding and fighting for their separate homeland are considered by Indian government as anti-Indian and as such many times their basic freedom is curtailed, their movement and activities are monitored, even going to their Mosques for prayers is looked with suspicion by Indian authorities. All these hindrances only because they are asking political freedom for them.
By the way, if Veronica tomorrow starts a peaceful campaign in Goa demanding freedom for Goa from India, even though this campaign is peacefully organised, I am sure Indian government will suppress this peaceful movement with iron hand thereby dubbing this campaign as a secessionist movement even though the right to freedom is Veronica’s birth right.
Now again because of Kashmir the wary situation is created at the Kashmir border. This situation was flared up immediately when two Indian soldiers were butchered on 8th of this month at LOC allegedly by Pakistani criminals. One of the soldiers was killed in an inhuman way deserving highest condemnation. Pakistan denied its hand into these two barbaric killings and to get correct picture asked third party intervention under UN to get the correct culprit. But India refused this proposal giving more weight to Pakistani denial. According to one source both these Indian soldiers were butchered by Indian intelligence only under the instruction of Italian Sonia Gandhi’s government to create a vote bank for the Congress Party in the next general election by creating anti-Pakistani feelings in India. That besides, as a matter of fact India took a very firm stand that these two soldiers were killed by Pakistanis only. Officially India does not trust Pakistani version and there is good reason for India not to trust Pakistan.
Immediately following the Mumbai attack Pakistan refused to admit its hand into it, so much so Pakistan even refused to accept Ajmal Kasab as its own citizen. But when real facts were bared Pakistan had no answer but to accept its involvement silently. Hence, as per the current events Pakistan either today or tomorrow will also accept its hand into these two killings of Indian soldiers.
Because of Kashmir India and Pakistan fought two wars with heavy losses on both the sides in men and in materials. In both the wars Pakistan lost more heavily. In case because of Kashmir another war takes place, I am sure the loser will lose very heavily. India is taking lot of patience inspite of being in a better position to counter Pakistani attack. Because of underestimating India’s might Pakistan in the past provoked India to go for wars and lost heavily in men, money and territory. If again another war is imposed on India Pakistan alone will lose further more.
Personally I don’t want Pakistan to suffer more defeat. I wish a stable Pakistan as innumerable do in India. I hope Pakistani leaderships – political – military & religious will act sensibly to avoid another war with India.
What Anwar Sadat of Egypt could not attain by means of war with Israel finally he attained thru peaceful negotiation. Can India and Pakistan attain their goals thru peaceful means? Surely yes and time is coming soon for this peaceful negotiations. Compared to Pakistan India is more decent and matured country and because it is so India remained calm till today inspite of the provocation both internally and externally, to go for war against Pakistan.
The great Indian independence leader Lokmanaya Tilak said while fighting for freedom for India from the British “FREEDOM IS MY BIRT RIGHT AND I MUST FIGHT FOR IT". In view of this why not give political freedom to those who are demanding it for the sake of Peace? How long this demand for political freedom will remain suppressed? A day will come like a Tsunami when every aspirant for political freedom will be freed just as it happened in Soviet Russia in 1990 and to other communist blocks. India must stop keeping its entire people forcibly under its bondage.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
