Without much ado, let me refer you to some links that will show you the insides of the murkiness, that is separatist politics
Kashmir is a Money Game: Mulford
Kashmir politics is as filthy as Dal lake, the former US Ambassador wrote in diplomatic cables
MASOOD HUSSAIN SRINAGAR
David Mulford, who was American Ambassador to India, cabled the US State Department in February 2006, “Kashmir politics is as filthy as Dal Lake”. Scores of cables of whistleblower website WikiLeaks has several instances explaining the vested interest of ‘stakeholders’ in keeping the Kashmir pot boiling.
Corruption cuts across party lines and most Kashmiris take it as an article of faith that politically-connected Kashmiris take money from both India and Pakistan,” a cable noted. Giving an example, Mulford’s cable alleged that a Kashmiri businessman told embassy officials that MirwaizUmerFarooq had acquired property in Dubai and the Kashmir Valley from payoffs done by intelligence agencies of India and Pakistan.
The cable noted that some “security officers bribe their way into Kashmir assignments that give access to lucrative civil affairs and logistics contracts.” Mulford’s cable also referred to a newspaper report suggesting a “retired minister for Irrigation and Flood Control” embezzled funds to construct two large homes in Srinagar. Money from Pakistani and Indian intelligence agencies and foreign extremists has distorted Kashmiri politics and incentivised leaders to perpetuate the conflict, another Mulford cable alleged. “While this river of dirty money has led to a boom in Kashmiri household income and real estate prices, it also calls into question whether the Kashmiri elite truly want a settlement to their problems. The minute a deal is struck, some must surely worry that the funds will dry up,” the cable said. An April 2006, a cable from Mulford alleged that when JKLF’s Yasin Malik asked people belonging to moderate separatist Bilal Lone’s area to refuse government compensation (paid for every innocent killing), the latter told US officials: “Yasin should give up ‘a month of his Pakistani salary’ to compensate families of boys killed”. The cable was based on the US officials’ visit to Srinagar between April 3 and 5. In the same cable Mulford quotes PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti accusing New Delhi of reverting “to its customary bad old ways” before the April 24, 2006, by-elections. The Intelligence Bureau, the cable quotes Ms Mufti alleging, had given Sajjad (Gani Lone) a crore of rupees to support an independent candidate secretly affiliated to him. A recurring theme, Mulford informs his bosses in Washington, “throughout all of our interactions with Kashmiris” is “how Indian and Pakistani money has made all Kashmiri political actors dependent on handouts.” He alleged: “Omar and Farooq Abdullah, descendants of the Sheikh who first figured out Delhi's money game, live in fabulous houses in Srinagar and Delhi, wear matching Panerai watches, serve Blue Label to guests and travel all over the world first class courtesy the Indian government.” The ambassador, who served in India for little over five years, was pained to see the lack of development work. “The state administration gets rivers of money for development but the streets in J&K are appalling, even by Indian standards.” The cable quoted two leaders who admitting that there was money. “Sajjad lamented that the conflict remained lucrative to many, and he is right,” the cable reads. “CPM legislator Yusuf Tarighami also told us too many people have a stake in the conflict's perpetuation.” Even Yasin Malik said: “Kashmiri politics is no longer about ideology, it's all a money game.”
All For Money
- Mulford wrote, Sheikh Abdullah first “figured out Delhi's money game” and his son Farooq and grandson Omar live lavishly “courtesy the Indian government”
- Former US envoy quoted PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti who had alleged that intelligence agencies had given Sajjad (Gani Lone) a crore of rupees to support an independent candidate secretly affiliated to him
- Mulford quoted Yasin Malik as saying: “Kashmiri politics is no longer about ideology, it's all a money game”
- Mulford noted, “security officers bribe their way into Kashmir assignments that give access to lucrative civil affairs and logistics contracts”
5 Sep, 2011, 02.40AM IST, ET Bureau
Kashmir is a money game: David Mulford
SRINAGAR: David Mulford, who was American Ambassador to India, cabled the US State Department in February 2006, "Kashmir politics is as filthy as Dal Lake".
Scores of cables of whistleblower website WikiLeaks has several instances explaining the vested interest of 'stakeholders' in keeping the Kashmir pot boiling. "Corruption cuts across party lines and most Kashmiris take it as an article of faith that politically-connected Kashmiris take money from both India and Pakistan," a cable noted.
Giving an example, Mulford's cable alleged that a Kashmiri businessman told embassy officials that MirwaizUmerFarooq had acquired property in Dubai and the Kashmir Valley from payoffs done by intelligence agencies of India and Pakistan.
The cable noted that some "security officers bribe their way into Kashmir assignments that give access to lucrative civil affairs and logistics contracts." Mulford's cable also referred to a newspaper report suggesting a "retired minister for Irrigation and Flood Control" embezzled funds to construct two large homes in Srinagar.
Money from Pakistani and Indian intelligence agencies and foreign extremists has distorted Kashmiri politics and incentivised leaders to perpetuate the conflict, another Mulford cable alleged. "While this river of dirty money has led to a boom in Kashmiri household income and real estate prices, it also calls into question whether the Kashmiri elite truly want a settlement to their problems. The minute a deal is struck, some must surely worry that the funds will dry up," the cable said.
An April 2006, a cable from Mulford alleged that when JKLF's Yasin Malik asked people belonging to moderate separatist Bilal Lone's area to refuse government compensation (paid for every innocent killing), the latter told US officials that "Yasin should give up 'a month of his Pakistani salary' to compensate families of boys killed".
The cable was based on the US officials' visit to Srinagar between April 3 and 5. In the same cable Mulford quotes PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti accusing New Delhi of reverting "to its customary bad old ways" before the April 24, 2006, by-elections.
2 Sep, 2011, 06.54PM IST, PTI :
US had fears about rising militant activities in JK: Wikileaks
NEW DELHI: The US had expressed fears that heightened militant activity in Jammu and Kashmir could draw a forceful Indian response and threaten the political and stability gains in the troubled state following the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan.
A cable, sent by then US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer in February 2010 and released by Wikileaks on August 30, said militant groups across the Line of Control (LoC) were regrouping and preparing to launch a new wave of attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Most importantly, however, Kashmiris and government officials responsible for Kashmir policy are starting to sense that the cross border terrorists are regrouping and preparing to launch a new wave of attacks," the cable summary reads.
The US Ambassador also feared any increase in the militant activity will witness a forceful reaction from the security apparatus here which, it said, remains "edgy".
"The Indian security apparatus remains edgy and will react forcefully to any hint of increased insurgency in the valley," Roemer said in the cable.
He also feared that increase in militant activity will threaten the "political and stability gains" in Jammu and Kashmir.
The leaked cable assumes significance as there has been an increase in the infiltration attempts by militants from across the LoC over the last two months and mortar shelling by Pakistani troops on the Indian Army posts here.
"While there have been a few positive moves regarding Kashmir in the last month (January 2010), the more significant developments have been negative and represent setbacks to peace and reconciliation," the cable said.
Sep, 2011, 11.36AM IST, PTI
Wikileaks: US embassy had cautioned its government against activism in Kashmir
NEW DELHI: The US Embassy here had cautioned its government against any "activism" in Kashmir saying even a hint of it can prove counter-productive in view of India's hypersensitivity to third party involvement on the issue, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable.
"Any hint of USG (United States Government) activism in Kashmir, however helpful the intentions behind it, will prove counterproductive because of the GOI's (Government of India) hypersensitivity to third party involvement in Kashmir," the US Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer, had said in a secret cable to Washington in 2009.
The leaked cable is one of the over 250,000 such communication released by Wikileaks this week.
"In order for the GOI's efforts to restore sustainable peace and stability in Kashmir to succeed, its engagement with the separatists and with the Kashmiri people must be free of any perception of outside influence," the ambassador said.
Roemer had outlined a slew of measures that Indian government should take to make forward movement on resolution of Kashmir issue, particularly the internal dimensions, but warned against making these "prescriptive" in nature.
In the list of 20 suggestions, he had said that the Centre should ensure that dialogue with separatists achieves results and the generous development spending in Jammu and Kashmir should continue.
Roemer had also outlined the importance of holding panchayat elections in the state at the earliest saying "the record turnout in the assembly and parliamentary elections shows that Kashmiris want to participate in the democratic process."
He also suggested that government should release selected prisoners who are not hardcore militants and do not pose any serious threat but have been incarcerated for years.
"Release prisoners who have been incarcerated longer than the court-directed sentences, discontinue the practice of re-arresting accused militants who have been released by courts and stop the misuse of the Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows the government to detain anyone for two years without trial," Roemer said in the cable.
Making Kashmir a theocracy
National movement must not be held hostage to religious sloganeering?
ANALYSIS BY HASHIM QURESHI
Kashmir dispute is sixty-four years old. Three wars, 1947, 1965 and Kargil have been fought. Simultaneously there surfaced armed insurgencies and political movements. This affair consumed two generations and next two also seem to be meeting the same fate. The question repeatedly asked is why despite such sacrifices neither the world opinion is supporting the demand of Kashmiris for self-determination nor is the question re-introduced in the UN with full force?
Curiously most of the members of the UN lent their full weight in favour of self-determination and freedom of many countries in the world like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor and some more in the African and Asian continents. Many countries established diplomatic and political relations with the nascent independent countries and in some cases the armed struggle of East Timor, Bosnia and now South Sudan are before us.
Despite sixty Muslim countries being the members of the UN, they have not been able to play any practical role to win self-determination for the people of Kashmir. At best some resolutions have been passed at OIC platform in which Pakistan with a few more member countries jointly asked for the resolution of Kashmir problem by the two countries.
The question is what are the reasons that Kashmir issue could not surface in any shape like the issue of self-determination other than a just bilateral issue? Let us study in depth the reasons for Kashmir movement not to have succeeded in garnering support from world body. A deeper analysis reveals that on ideological level the J&K movement remained divisive. There has been slogan mongering either for accession to Pakistan or for freedom for the sake of Islam. Even in both ideologies local organizations lacked sincerity. Protagonist groups and leaders of accession to Pakistan managed to extract huge money from different governments in Pakistan. But notwithstanding that these henchmen or surrogate organizations or Pakistani managers or policy planning institutions were able to forge any policy regarding Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan with sincere intentions. Is accession to Pakistan possible in these circumstances?
And there has been the policy of slogan raising; strange slogans like “Pakistan ka matlab kya/la ILA ha IL Allah” or “Pakistan se rishta kya/la ILA ha IL Allah.” Some times under the influence of uncontrolled passion slogans like “Kashmir the jugular vein of Pakistan” are raised only to whip up religious sentiments of Kashmiris. This is how the people are made hostage to religious sentiments. This kind of slogan mongering distances 30 to 35 per cent of such people of the State from the freedom struggle as are not Muslims. They have no attraction for the slogan of accession to Pakistan. Additionally the slogan made Indians allergic to the idea of our freedom. World community began to look at Kashmir dispute only from the prism of border dispute between two hostile countries. It did not concentrate on the right to self-determination of the people of the State.
Pakistan raised great hue and cry about the freedom of Kashmiris and their struggle for accession to Pakistan but in the matter of PoK and Gilgit and Baltistan she adopted the colonialist attitude. Out of total area of J&K State under Pakistan, an area of 2900 square miles of Gilgit-Baltistan remained under the black laws like F.C.R for more than twenty-five years. Then the so-called Council was floated which usurped the right of the people so much so that they were deprived of the right to make an appeal to the High Court or the Supreme Court if they needed to get their grievances redressed. Now a Provincial Assembly has been set up in Gilgit-Baltistan and a new administrative system has been implemented in the shape of instituting the Chief Minister.
In Azad Kashmir a namesake administration has been installed over an area of four thousand square miles. By establishing the powerless institutions of Prime Minister and President in Azad Kashmir the means of deceiving Kashmiri people have been devised. Actually this entire system is run by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs under an Act of 1974. With this Pakistani policy planners raised a hue and cry all over the world for their concern for the human rights, democracy and freedom of the people of “occupied Kashmir.” But the reality is that they deprived the entire region of the State under Pakistani control of freedom, democracy, human rights and right to governance. By dividing it into two parts, Pak rulers created confusion among the people and the fraternity at large.
Another reason of failure in obtaining recognition for the freedom movement in Kashmir among world Muslim countries is that some elements among Kashmiris made freedom a hostage to the cause of Islam. They raised the slogan that since Muslims are in majority in Kashmir therefore only Islamic system has to be promulgated and that is the reason why freedom from India, a non-Muslim country is sought. The organizations which played up this card with vehemence are having close relations to Pakistani governments and religious extremist organizations within Pakistan besides some of these organizations looking up to the regime in Saudi Arabia.
People of J&K are living the life of slavery be it this or that side of the LoC. The people do not enjoy sovereignty and their state is divided into two parts. Hundreds of thousands of non-state soldiers stationed on either side of the cease fire line upset their lives. Rules and regulations for this state are framed in Delhi and Islamabad. Their economy, educational system and their honour on both sides is at the mercy of Islamabad and New Delhi. In this background, entangling the suppressed nation in slogans like Islamic system and freedom for Islam and Pan-Islamism with no semblance of unity at any stage or level is not going to win us an Islamic state.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been enslaved and made destitute to the extent that their entire struggle is now subservient to Islamic slogan mongering and making Kashmir an Islamic State. This distanced non-Muslims of the State from our national freedom struggle. Fearful for life, vexed by the idea of accession to Pakistan and conversion of Kashmir into an Islamic state brought them closer to India. The biggest damage which our movement suffered was it’s de-recognition on international level. Islamic countries maintained total silence about national freedom struggle of Kashmiris. Not only that, many among them openly supported India’s stand on Kashmir. It will be reminded that elements supporting accession to Pakistan on the basis of religion, an effort in which they received support from Pakistan, wanted division of the State on the basis of religion. But the entire world is now united in opposing this kind of thinking and ideology. International community is of firm belief that no state can be constituted on the basis of religious extremism. If Kashmir is to be divided on religious basis the entire sub-continent will go up in flames. Muslims in India will find themselves in a perilous situation. There could be bloodshed in different parts of the state as well owing to communal flare up. Another holocaust will appear with entrenched hatred after the partition of 1947.
We appeal to the people on both sides of the line to abandon religious slogans and slogans of accession; reunite the original State of 1947. Kashmir’s perpetuation depends only on national freedom. Policy planners in Pakistan, protagonists of accession to Pakistan and those favouring to create a theocratic state ought to think deeply if it is ever possible that Kashmir will accede to Pakistan or that Kashmir will become a theocratic state. People in India and its policy planning institutions should also think deeply whether the current situation of the State will be conducive to India’s peace and development.
Recently the news came that the two factions of Liberation Front had formed a committee to help forge unity between them. Many such efforts were made in the past to bring about unity among various groups and factions. It proved an exercise in futility. Since these groups claim to be the upholders of the cause of national freedom, therefore the serious option for them is to give up their ego and self interest and dedicate their lives to the national freedom cause. The past has to be kept in view and also the ground realities that prevail in Kashmir at the moment. International mood has also to be taken care of. The disastrous effects of the division of the state cannot be ignored. After thinking over these aspects in full depth the groups should form some united plan of action. If that does not happen, then the fate of national freedom organizations will be bleak and even in jeopardy. It is possible that religious extremist groups and also pro-Pakistan groups will not spare the organizations and individuals and leaders upholding their stand for the freedom of Kashmir. Pro-Pak and religious extremists may not be united in their day to day affairs but they get united when the target is of national freedom fighters, be they organizations or individuals. Unity is good but it has to be in the interests of the people and for helping national freedom reach its destination.
(The writer is the Chairman of JK Democratic Liberation Party)
|
Copyrights © 2007 Shehjar online and KashmirGroup.com. Any content, including but not limited to text, software, music, sound, photographs, video, graphics or other material contained may not be modified, copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, or distributed in any form or context without written permission. Terms & Conditions.
The views expressed are solely the author's and not necessarily the views of Shehjar or its owners. Content and posts from such authors are provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confer no rights. The material and information provided iare for general information only and should not, in any respect, be relied on as professional advice. Neither Shehjar.kashmirgroup.com nor kashmirgroup.com represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, or other information displayed, uploaded, or distributed through the Service by any user, information provider or any other person or entity. You acknowledge that any reliance upon any such opinion, advice, statement, memorandum, or information shall be at your sole risk. |