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Kashmir survey was
designed to achieve desired results
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Other areas which were not
included in the survey were included in the map, and
it was shown that these were not included in the
survey. Why this was not done with Gilgit Baltistan?
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Does it mean the powers
that be, have already decided that in future Gilgit
Baltistan will not be included in any discussions
which might take place to find a solution to the
Kashmir dispute?
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The survey reveals that
44% of the people from the Pakistani side of Kashmir
wanted independence, but this figure could have
surpassed 50% mark if Neelam Valley was included in
the survey, because this area has suffered enormously
because of the militancy and infiltration. These
people have seen the Pakistani rule, they have seen
what militancy has to offer to them; and majority of
them want independence.
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Perhaps those who designed
and commissioned the survey didn’t want a clear
verdict from the people of this region. It is because
of this they chose to leave this area out of the
survey that they could declare people of Kashmir are
indecisive.
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The survey, once again
confirms that overwhelming majority of people of the
Valley are in favour of an independent Kashmir. The
vote in favour of independence was as high as 95% in
some districts.
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To bring this very high
percentage of vote in favour of independence down to
acceptable or desired level, important pro
independence areas were deliberately left out of the
survey; and all anti independence areas were included
in the survey.
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Without any survey one can
tell that areas of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri,
Poonch, Kargil and Leh are not pro independence areas;
yet all these areas were included in the survey and
other militancy hit and pro independence areas like
Doda, Pulwama and Kupwara were left out of the survey.
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We know certain areas have
pro India majority, but it is surprising, rather
shocking that in places like Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur
and Kathua not a single person supported an
independent Kashmir. Some of these areas have sizable
Muslim minority; and I am personally in touch with
many of them, and they fully support an independent
Kashmir. It is very likely that those who
‘administered’ the survey only approached non Muslims
in the survey.
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This strategy helped the
designers of the survey and those who commissioned it
to get the desired results; and assert that people of
Jammu and Kashmir are divided and have not given a
clear verdict in favour of any one option.
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The survey wanted to
establish that people opposed the status quo, but were
overwhelmingly in favour of
‘Liberalised Line of Control’. What that means is
no changes to boundaries by making ‘borders
irrelevant’, as stated by Prime Minister of India,
some officials of Pakistan including some Think Tanks
and some influential leaders of the ‘International
Community’.
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‘Liberalised Line of
Control’ will allow people and goods across the LOC
freely without many restrictions; and the borders of
the State of Jammu and Kashmir will remain same - as
they are now. This means on one side of the LOC,
Indian supported administration and the Indian army;
and on the other side of the LOC, Pakistan supported
administration and the Pakistan army.
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Some kind of technical
cover will be provided to make Gilgit Baltistan
‘legally’ part of Pakistan. Of course Chinese will
retain whatever area of the State they have, either
conquered or ‘gifted’ to them, as was the case with
Shaksam Valley which was gifted to China by Pakistan
in 1963.
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I don’t know what method
was used, but the option of ‘Liberalised Line of
Control’ attained amazing support in the survey. From
Kargil the survey showed 100% support for this option,
Leh 81%; Srinagar 83%, Baramulla 81%, Anantnag 81%,
Badgam 74%; Kathua 93%, Jammu 79%, Udhampur 66%,
Rajouri 99% and Poonch 99%.
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In Pakistani Administered
Kashmir the support for this option was as follows:
Muzaffarabad 95%, Sudanhoti 97%, Bagh 81%, Bhimber
87%, Mirpur 87%, Poonch 97% and Kotli 98%.
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It looks the powers that
be want to push the Kashmir dispute in favour of this
option, because they don’t want to annoy India and
Pakistan, as services and cooperation of both
countries are required to advance certain agenda.
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It is also interesting to
note that 77% of people of Indian side of Kashmir
believe that ‘an end to all militant violence in
Kashmir will help to end the conflict over Kashmir’.
It is also interesting that the highest support in
favour of ‘an end to all militant violence’ came from
the Valley, with Baramulla showing 91% support,
Badgam 92%, Srinagar 84% and Anantnag 98%
respectively.
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Some areas of Pakistani
Administered Kashmir also showed high support for
this, for example, Bagh had 75% support and Mirpur had
72 %. From this side of the LOC, Kotli showed the
least support for this, 27%.
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In Jammu province, Rajouri
showed 0%, Poonch 3%, Jammu 64%, Udhampur 97% and
Kathua 98% support. Kargil showed 81% and 87 % support
for this.
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Pakistan claims that
people of Jammu and Kashmir are eager to join
Pakistan; and for this purpose they are giving
sacrifices. We, Kashmiri nationalists, have always
challenged this claim of Pakistan; and asserted that
Pakistani governments, their agencies and their agents
are deliberately misleading people. In this regard
some Kashmiri people also help Pakistan to promote
this view point; and in return get appropriate rewards
for their services.
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We, people of Jammu and
Kashmir State and people of Pakistan are also fed this
propaganda that there is a widespread support for
militancy and military solution among the people of
Kashmir.
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This survey has exposed
both of these myths. It is has confirmed that only 2%
people of Jammu and Kashmir wanted to join Pakistan;
and that made Pakistan ‘irrelevant’ in matters of
Jammu and Kashmir despite being a ‘party’ to the
dispute. It also showed that 77% of the people wanted
militant violence to end.
This survey indicates how
some interested parties want to resolve the Kashmir
dispute. We people of Jammu and Kashmir have to get our
act together and oppose division of the State. We must
think as Kashmiris and must promote interest of people
of Jammu and Kashmir State; and must not become tool of
those who occupy us and exploit our resources.
Writer is Director Diplomatic Committee of Kashmir
National Party, political analyst and author of many
books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute
of Kashmir Affairs.Email:drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com
EU GOES WINDOW SHOPPING
It’s
not surprising she told the European Parliament that she
will not consult them with a democratic vote every time
they select an EU Ambassador. Otherwise they will spend
all their time setting up shop and never buy anything.
Moreover since the shopping list is aimed fairly and
squarely at the Arab and Muslim world we can’t leave out
tidying up irksome Iraq, perennial Palestine or engaging
Egypt (better earlier than later).
And the central issue is this: Is fundamentalist
militant Islam defeatable, or adaptable, or neither?
Because it is causing mayhem, dominating the debate,
destabilizing the Arab and Muslim world and its
relations with the West and undermining Islam itself.
However, the primary responsibility for understanding
this problem, and working out what to do, rests with the
leaders and civil societies of the Arab and Muslim
world.
If the EU shows sense and sensibility it should support
the policies and economic and social strategies within
the Arab and Muslim world that can cope with, mitigate
and eventually help resolve the conflicts arising from
the collision between Muslim modernization and a Luddite,
rejectionist Islamic fundamentalism.
To avoid elevating this conundrum of conflicts to a
struggle between Islam and the West, which is the aim of
the militants, several key steps are needed:
First, fundamentalist militant Islam must be
disaggregated from tribal dissidents, drug barons and
organized crime and proponents of sectarian strife.
Separate but linked solutions are needed, not to unite a
rag-bag of dissidents, opportunists and criminals into a
mighty army.
Second, security must be improved, but no-one should
believe these problems can simply be militarized and
defeated. We need enough security to persuade everybody
who will to negotiate. We only need to fight those who
won´t. The fighting should be done by local, Arab and
predominantly Muslim armies, and not by the West.
Third political Islam including the Muslim Brotherhood,
Hamas, the Malaysian Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, the
Indonesian Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the ruling
Turkish Justice and Development Party must be engaged as
political allies of democracy.
The real battle is against underdevelopment and
ignorance and their consequences. Do not make war on the
symptoms of social ills, but on their causes.
Teach moderation through political responsibility and
don’t run like a frightened chicken every time Arabs and
Muslims vote for change. Learn to help manage Muslim
modernization, especially where it affects EU countries,
and stop fighting it. Political Islam is part of Muslim
modernization.
The EU must decide. Will you back democracy now, or
tread in the same old pooh-pooh? In which case it will
fly in your face. Better a clean fresh start and dig
your way out of the holes you fell down before.
Demilitarise, Resolve
Kashmir
India and Pakistan should jointly demilitarise both
parts of Jammu and Kashmir and take urgent and genuine
steps to resolve the Kashmir dispute, which is a core
issue between the two South Asian countries.“This
(Kashmir) is a core issue (and) there must be a genuine
and urgent effort to find solutions,” said a declaration
issued at the end of a three-day joint peace conference
that began here Sunday.The declaration issued at the
conclusion of Indo-Pak peace conclave “India-Pakistan -A
Roadmap Towards Peace” demanded withdrawal of troops
from civilian areas across Jammu and Kashmir. “Firstly,
both India and Pakistan must jointly agree to
de-militarise Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement said,
stressing that India should repeal the special powers
given to armed forces in the state to fight militants.It
also suggested that democratic institutions should be
strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir and an independent
tribunal established “to ensure Article 370 is
reinstated” in its “original form as a step towards
building confidence and goodwill”.The declaration
favoured resumption of “uninterrupted and
uninterruptible dialogue process between the two
countries, whatever turns and twists in the relations
between the two countries be.” It suggested that these
talks should be held at any suitable Indo-Pak border.The
Conference was attended by several parliamentarians and
human rights activists of India and Pakistan, including
Asma Jehangir, Aitzaz Ahsen, Kuldip Nayar, Admiral
Ramdass and Mani Shankar Iyer.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin
Malik and Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone
also spoke at the conference. The conference urged the
two countries to take steps for resolving the Siachen
Glacier issue, Sir Creek and Wullar barrage at the
earliest. This would serve as a major confidence
building measure.On the issue of terrorism, the
declaration said that there is a need to set up a
mechanism for combating this menace unitedly. The two
countries formulated their policies under the SAARC
convention of terrorism. It also supported formulation
of joint Indo-Pak economic partnership forum.The peace
votaries said Kashmiris should be allowed “to live and
work in Pakistan if they wish to”.They also emphasized
that interests of minorities in Jammu and Kashmir should
be protected and opinions and aspirations of people in
all regions of the state should be taken care of when
working out solutions.
Declaration Text
THE contents and outcome of the bilateral talks should
be as transparent as possible, so that there is
accountability to the people of both countries.There
should be coordination amongst the various ministries of
the government of India involved and concerned with
India- Pakistan relations and policy.There must be no
militarist/chauvinist statements from political or
military leadership of the two countries.
CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES
Joint India Pakistan committees must be set up on
Kashmir, hate speech, human rights, distribution of
water resources, prisoners, military expenditure and
other CBMs.Items long awaiting solution like Siachin,
Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage need to be settled
immediately.
KASHMIR
Since this is a core issue there must a genuine and
urgent effort to find solutions.Firstly both India and
Pakistan must jointly agree to de-militarise Jammu &
Kashmir. The Indian government should repeal the Armed
forces Special Powers Act.Withdrawal of troops and
punishment of those guilty of crimes against
people.Strengthening of democratic institutions and
establishing an independent tribunal to ensure Article
370 for Kashmir. Reinstate Article 370 in its original
form as a step towards building confidence and
goodwill.Allow Kashmiris to live and work in Pakistan if
they wish.Protect the interests of minorities in J&K.
Take the opinions and aspirations of people in all areas
in J&K when working out solutions.
DEMILITARISATION
Demilitarise border between India and Pakistan.Reduce
military spending by at least 10% per year, and divert
the savings to the social and development sector.In
order to reduce tensions, it is important that military
commanders of both countries meet and interact, as part
of the peace dialogue.
JOINT MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
Revisit the Indus Water Treaty in the light of new
factors like climate change and its implications based
on the principles of equitable sharing rather than
division of waters.
VISA FREE SOUTH ASIA
The possibility of a visa free regime has been often
discussed but not operationalised. Stringent scrutiny
can be done without undue restrictiveness.Opening of
consulates in all the major cities of both the
countries.Special facilities for senior citizens and
children below 12 years.Free exchange of scholars,
students and technical experts.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Free flow of goods and commodities, encouragement of
joint business initiatives.India must unilaterally open
the borders to further facilitate border trade.Build
cooperation on the existing women led initiatives.India
must take initiative to build the trade between the two
countries and with the rest of South Asia.Ease customs
and tariff procedures, and issuing of business
visas.Free movement for migrant workers.Try to formulate
a joint economic partnership agreement between India and
Pakistan.Set up more branches of more Indian and
Pakistani banks and financial institutions in each
others’ territories.Collaborative approaches on issues
relating to WTO and international trade.
JOINT PATROL OF BORDERS
Change the beating retreat ceremony at the Wagah border
to reflect peace, not conflict.Conduct joint research on
ecological and climate related issues.Siachen Glacier
must become a zone of peace: it should be evacuated of
army presence altogether. This is important for both for
reasons of environmental and also for the sake of
soldiers.Punish those guilty of torture, rape, plunder
in the name of security, counter terror, war.
TERRORISM
Both countries should work together to counter terrorism
and fundamentalism which are common challenges.Set up
joint mechanisms, and share intelligence and related
information within the framework of the 1987 SAARC
convention on combating terrorism.
MEDIA, INFORMATION AND CULTURE
There has to be a self-censorship stop hate speech, war
mongering in the media.The flow of information,
software, know-how, knowledge should be opened up.Import
of books, periodicals, newspapers should be permitted
without impediment.Meeting of senior editors should be
held, in effort to lead media away from jingoism.Media
houses should be allowed to station journalists in each
others capitals without difficulty.Cultural exchange
must be freely allowed and encouraged between the two
countries.
EDUCATION
Revision of curricula in both countries to encourage
friendship, not hate.
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
Roll back on the nuclear program in both countries to
establish a nuclear free South Asia and cooperate
jointly towards global disarmament.
NATIONAL AND ETHNIC QUESTION
Since this is an important and extremely sensitive
question in South Asia, attempts to be made in both
countries to find solutions to conflicts around these
questions, involving all parties in the
dispute.Facilitate the coming together of academia and
civil society to build a better understanding and
possible consensus on this issue.Create space for
national and other minorities in all parts of India and
Pakistan.
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