KASHMIR CONFLICT: THE EXPANDING OWNERSHIP!

KASHMIR CONFLICT: THE EXPANDING OWNERSHIP!

Posted on 28. Sep, 2010 by Raja Mujtaba in Kashmir

By Air Cdre (Retd) Khalid Iqbal

Expanding circles of ownership

It is interesting to observe that ownership of Kashmir conflict is expanding, the stakeholders are far greater that can be visualised. Now even the non-Muslim Kashmiris are also getting on board. Kashmiri youth has taken the lead and assumed the responsibility of carrying forth the struggle to its logical conclusion. Old guard Kashmiri leaders and veterans of first generation struggle are extending full support to the youngsters. Its like a change of leadership that is in its transitional phase. Entire IOK is in a state of defiance. With death tolls exceeding psychological number of 100, the struggle sees to have entered in an irreversible phase. Secretary Generals of UN and OIC have expressed their concern over the brutalities being committed by Indian security apparatus in Kashmir.
Unable to sustain a protracted state of denial, India has, yet once again, acknowledged the disputed status of the territory. Recently, Prime Minister Singh held an emergency APC in New Delhi, which decided to send a 37-member delegation to occupied Kashmir to talk to local politicians and business groups in an effort to ease tensions. Though it was a lacklustre ‘All Parties Conference’, it has kick-started a fresh political initiative by the Indian bi-partisan political leadership. While at the same time, erratic statement of Indian foreign minister in New York UN has demonstrated Indian’s Machiavellian approach to the issue.
Indian initiative may however be a non-starter due to the condition that talks should be held within the framework of the Indian constitution, whereas first assertion of the Kashmiri leadership is that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory as such Indian Constitution does not apply here; and that India has made several promises at the international level, which ought to be fulfilled.
To coincide with the arrival of the Indian fact-finding mission in Srinagar, identical resolutions were adopted unanimously by the National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan, condemning “state terrorism” in the region and reaffirming Pakistan’s “diplomatic, political and moral support” for Kashmiris in their struggle.


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