Peace, Prosperity and Pakistan
BY: RANBIR MANHAS PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 12, 2018
Ever since partition of India in 1947, Pakistan has been continuously trying to annex Kashmir by using all means, mostly foul. First it sent its regulars in October 1947 under the garb of tribal who surpassed all records of inhumanity by massacring local Kashmiri population including Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus and raping their women folk in a large number during their ten day halt at Baramulla. They also plundered and destroyed whole of this historical town which at that point of time was the most developed and prosperous town of united Jammu and Kashmir almost at par with Lahore. The raid was however repulsed by Mharaja’s Cavalry and Indian Army with the support of local Kashmiri Muslims. Though Pakistan could not capture whole of Kashmir valley, the so-called Azad Kashmir provided a launching pad for Pakistan to wage a proxy war against India to usurp remaining part of Kashmir as well.
Initially, Pakistan set up a Radio Station at Trarkhal close to the LOC on its side from where it unleashed powerful and misleading hate India propaganda, which gradually succeeded in swaying the gullible Muslim population of Kashmir emotionally. ‘Azad Kashmir Radio’, therefore can be genuinely held responsible for changing the psyche of Kashmiri Muslims from liberalism to fanaticism.
Pakistan did not stop here. It once again infiltrated its ‘regulars’ in 1965, this time from Poonch side as well, but this time again people foiled this mischief. Besides stepping up illegal infiltration, Pakistan also waged full scale wars to capture Kashmir it is another thing though that every time its cowardly soldiers faced humiliating defeat at the hands of valiant Indian troopers.
When convinced that capturing Kashmir by force was not possible, Pakistan has now decided to foment trouble by aiding and abetting Islamic terrorism in the Valley. But this tactics also is not showing results as common people except those few who have been getting money and material from Pakistan, are fed up from continuous violence in the Valley. Now, whereas India is trying to establish writ of law, Pakistan is hell bent to keep trouble boiling in Kashmir.
The PDP-BJP government under the leadership of Mehbooba Mufti has also initiated some positive steps like releasing of about 4500 stone pelters from jails as a goodwill gesture. This policy is paying off, as parents, relatives and friends of militants are issuing frequent calls through social media requesting them to return home. And the response is positive.
I want to recall a dialogue from famous movie, ‘Mughal-e- Azim’ wherein Akbar thunders, “Anarkali, Salim Tumhen Merney Nahin Dega aur Ham Tumhen Jine Nahin Denge”!
( Anarkali, Salim will not let you die and I will not let you live). This dialogue seems relevant to Kashmir which is finding itself sandwiched between the destroyer Pakistan and savior India today. Time has come when people of Kashmir must do soul searching and find out what Pakistan has given them over the years except destruction. They should also understand that Pakistan is not fomenting trouble In Kashmir for liberating it from India, its aim in fact is to give one thousand cuts to its neighbor as a matter of state policy. As far Kashmir, Pakistan is using it as gun fodder only.
As the geo- political situation is emerging at global level, Pakistan is bound to fall in to China’s lap. The cunning ‘dragon’ however, will not support Pakistan for nothing and my opinion was seconded by a senior Pak journalist during a TV debate on a private Pak channel few weeks ago. “If the prevailing situation continues for another ten years, the dragon will usurp whole of Pakistan and only then we will realize the real taste of China’s friendship”. He also advised the Pak politicians to shun hate India politics and offer a hand of friendship with India instead of fighting against it for nothing”, he said. And he was not wrong to say so.
Pakistan has already sold Gilgit and Baltistan to China and it will sell Kashmir also, if Kashmir becomes part of Pakistan. Now it is for the people of Kashmir to decide whether they want to become part of China where even paying Namaz is a legal offence or stay put in secular and democratic India which has an emotional weakness for Kashmir and Kashmiris.
