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| Ignoring Dogriyat: Ex-Governor Sinha on Pak, J&K | | | Early Times Report
jammu, May 5: Former J&K Governor, Lt Gen (retd) SK Sinha has come down heavily on Pakistan and expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation in the state. Surprisingly, he has also batted for the so-called Kashmiriyat and said nothing about the nature of Jammu society and politics. It was not expected of him, as he was, and is, loved by one and all in Jammu province for his splendid contributions. He only indirectly referred to Jammu and Ladakh and their aspirations.
Regarding Pakistan, he on Thursday said: "Pakistan maintains that Kashmir is its jugular vein and that it is incomplete without Kashmir. 'P' in Pakistan stands for Punjab, 'K' for Kashmir, 'S' for Sindh and 'N' for the erstwhile North-West Frontier Province, it says. When the subcontinent was partitioned on the basis of religion, Pakistan says it cannot be legitimately denied the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir. India claims that from the dawn of history Kashmir has been her soul and an integral part. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 required the ruler of the princely state to choose the dominion to which to accede. Maharaja Hari Singh acceded to India. The United Nations Resolution of August 13, 1948, accepted the legality of Kashmir's accession to India. It asked Pakistan to withdraw all its forces from the state before plebiscite, while India could retain her forces till a plebiscite".
He further said: "Pakistan has exploited its geo-strategic location to serve its interests, whether during the Cold War or Taliban operations in Afghanistan. Despite its perfidy over Osama bin Laden, Islamabad continues to get US assistance. It has been the epicentre of terrorism. Terrorists based in Pakistan frequently attacked US troops in Afghanistan, yet US munificence for Pakistan continued. China and Pakistan have a common anti-India agenda. Beijing is developing the Gwadar port and is investing $40 billion on "one belt one road" to reach the Arabian Sea. It is also poised to exploit the natural resources of Balochistan, particularly its large copper deposits".
Besides, Sinha accused Pakistan of violating every single agreement on J&K and asserted that it is because of the Pakistani evil machinations that the logjam between India and Pakistan continues. "Pakistan has violated every single agreement over Kashmir starting with the Standstill Agreement in 1947. Every effort by India to start dialogue with Pakistan has been followed by a cross-border terrorist attack. AtalBehari Vajpayee's bus journey to Lahore was followed by Kargil; Manmohan Singh reaching out to YousafRazaGilani by the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and Narendra Modi's visit to Lahore by the attack on the Indian Air Force's Pathankot airbase. Conflicting and discordant signals are coming from Pakistan. On the positive side, for the first time Pakistan has not denied its terrorists are attacking India and not blamed India for the terrorist attack on Easter in Lahore Park. Jaish-e-Mohammed's involvement has not been denied, but MasoodAzhar is being shielded by China. KulbhushanJadhav is being projected as an Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) spy, and so on. Foreign secretary-level talks were held but the logjam continues," he said.
General Sinha, who served J&K for years as a great soldier and also as Governor for five years till June 2008, also expressed his unhappiness over India's policy vis-a-vis Pakistan and J&K and said New Delhi has no definite roadmap. "India has not had a roadmap to resolve the Kashmir issue beyond asserting that Kashmir is her integral part. India has been reacting to situations, but has never made any attempt to recover the strategically important Gilgit-Baltistan region. Its mainly Shia population has risen against Sunni oppression and attempts to change the demography of the region by Punjabi and Pathan Sunnis. Their struggle is being crushed by the Pakistan Army. India has never extended even moral support to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan has now virtually outsourced the region to China, making the latter a party to the Kashmir dispute". He is absolutely right.
Regarding the political future of this and other part of J&K, General Sinha said that "neither India nor Pakistan can alter the border in Jammu and Kashmir", that "they have to live with the Line of Control as the border" and that "India must never lower her guard".
As far as the situation in Kashmir is concerned, the former Army Commander said: "The situation in Srinagar Valley has of late worsened. Other stakeholders (read people of Jammu and Ladakh and internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus), spread over 90 per cent of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir) and little short of majority, cannot be ignored, particularly after the 2015 Assembly elections. The People's Democratic Party-BharatiyaJanata Party alliance with diametrically opposed ideologies is in power. Law and order must be ensured. Good administration and economic development are required. But we must also strive towards a change of heart and mind on priority basis. Good relations with Pakistan and promoting better understanding of the Kashmir problem by world powers are necessary for this".
Whatever General Sinha said could be appreciated, notwithstanding his support to a solution that converts LOC into an international border between India and Pakistan. However, what just cannot be appreciated is his statement on Kashmiriyat.
His statement that "today our brethren in the Valley have to be rescued from intolerance and fanaticism, to lead a life of dignity as part of a prosperous nation" and "their precious heritage of 'Kashmiriyat' must be revived only suggests that he is not aware of the fact that the term "Kashmiriyat" was coined only after 1975 by one Jammu-based commentator, who was part of the National Conference. It would have been better had he commended the liberal, progressive and all-embracing and all-accommodating Dogriyat. It is hoped that General Sinha would revise his opinion on Kashmiriyat and say that this term means exclusivist ideology - an ideology that rigorously excludes all others and focuses only on the members of one particular religious sect, who have been dominating the state polity since 1947. |
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