Kosovo done, Kashmir next?..the great game continues.....
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 On this Feb.14, a panel discussion on the topic “Kosovo, Chechnya, Xinjiang, Kashmir, Mindanao” was held at India International Centre in New Delhi .The distinguished panellists included Prof. Raju G. Thomas of Marquette University; Serge Trifkovich-author,j ournalist, historian, current affairs analyst; James George Jatras –Director, American Council for Kosovo, Principal Squires sanders public advocacy, Washington DC; John Bolton, former permanent US representative to UNO; James (Joe) Bissett, retired Canadian Ambassador & Maj.Gen. Dipankar Banerjee (Retd.).Presence of comparatively thin audience at the venue was a bit surprising. Under the normal circumstances at least the K word (meaning Kashmir in the local journalistic parlance) would have attracted many. Possibly, Prof. Raju G Thomas is known for his views on such issues..… ‘in favour of the integrity of the nations in the contemporary world’…… therefore, many of those amongst the opinion makers & those self proclaimed liberals who tend to be sympathetic towards the secessionists’ cause, might have preferred to stay away. Last time, only a few months ago, it was in the same hall, on the occasion of the release of BG Varghese's 'Primer on Kashmir’, I could not seek permission to raise a point as it wasn’t possible to locate the Chair - the place was jam packed- senior journalists, official /self appointed interlocutors, senior bureaucrats, foreign / home / Kashmir affairs experts - all were there. It was then / there that Muzaffar Beg the Deputy CM of J&K unveiled PDP's so called 'vision for Kashmir -the J&K state' document, that rules out any possibility of a state subject from predominantly Hindu province of Jammu ever becoming the CM of the state (Buddhist majority Ladakh region wasn’t even mentioned). Former CM of J&K Dr. Farookh Abdullah -one of the most known Indians in the world who almost became the President of India once & could as well even become PM, did not even once oppose his political opponent's observation while himself unabashedly carrying on his rhetoric about 'autonomy' (that is ceremoniously remembered, usually when out of power) & levelling ludicrous charges against Mrs.Indra Gandhi, Mr.T.N. Kaul & some unknown Pandit woman whom he accused of having complained to Mrs.Gandhi against him when he was the CM of the state. Dr.Abdullah carried on his monologue sprinkled with contemptuous sarcasm while no one amongst the august audience raised a point. No one asked any questions- not even 'why the Muslim leaders of the so called mainstream political parties should be seeking a special status i.e. just short of secession for the Muslim majority Kashmir in secular India'. The ethnic cleansing of Hindu Pandits at the hands of Pan Islamists (who regard Kashmir as the unfinished task of the religion based partition of India) leading to the mass exodus of the aboriginal minority from the valley eighteen years ago, did not draw any attention at all. That the community is languishing as ‘refugees in their own country’ concerns none, in India at least.
There exists a so called liberal mind set that refuses to acknowledge the consequences of the Pan Islamism inspired secessionist violence that has taken a heavy toll on Kashmiris in the past eighteen years & is now spreading fast in to the rest of India. Ireland, Aland, South Tyrol models are often quoted as possible solutions for Kashmir in spite of the fact that no Kashmiri worth his salt including the dreaded militants has ever complained of religious or linguistic or ethinic discrimination or economic deprivation. Islam flourished in Kashmir & terror violence not withstanding Kashmir is still amongst the top most per capita income states in the country. The Hindustan Times article (of Feb.13) advocating independence for Kosovo, deliberately avoids any reference to the fact that it could have serious implications for India. "Kosovo -yeees!! Kashmir now" could well be the title of the forthcoming article in near future. This tendency to correct the alleged controversial historical wrongs can only lead to the opening of the 'pandora box' of secessionist movements all over the world. History is witness to the fact that motivated foreign interventions, practice of use of terror as an instrument of foreign policy & sinister attempts to balkanise nations by encouraging religion based dissension to gain geostrategic advantages, will only cause turmoil & disharmony not only in the respective regions but in the whole world. It should not be difficult to trace a pattern behind the secessionist movements in Kosovo, Xingjian, Mindanao & Kashmir- all of these are Muslim majority provinces in secular countries. Many of those who rightly lament US intervention in Iraq today, shut their eyes close when plane loads of Mujahidin were airlifted in NATO planes from the 'region' now regarded as epicentre of world terrorism, to fight in the then Yugoslavia. Similarly, radicals were indoctrinated, trained & armed & pushed in to Kashmir. Of course, some of them have now come back to haunt their own creator- Pakistan. If only the world community had taken due cognizance then of the X-mas eve suicide bombing in 2000 in Srinagar by the Birmingham born & Pakistan trained Mohd. Bilal, possibly 9/11, London & Madrid train bombings could have been averted. Balkans has seen a lot of blood shed already & any attempts to create a rift between the majority Albanians & the minority Serbs who are against the independence of Kosovo may push the region back in to chaos once again. As also this latest development in the former Yugoslavia region could only fuel separatist movements elsewhere. The Kosovo’s ‘independence declaration’ has suddenly boosted the moral of the Muslim separatists in Kashmir who were feeling dejected due to the prevailing uncertainty over continuity of Pakistan’s patronage to them in the wake of the electoral defeat of the King’s party & other fundamentalists there. |
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*Lalit Ambardar: A Building Design Consultant, presently based in Delhi. Has been a ‘programme coordinator’ for foreign TV & Radio bureaus. Regularly writes on 'Kashmir' in response columns of national dailies. Interests include acting & modelling. |
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Kosovo done, Kashmir next…..