ON 19 July 1947, the people of Jammu and Kashmir unanimously adopted a resolution for the accession of the state with Pakistan.
The prominent Kashmiri leaders; Khawaja Ghulam-ud-Din Wani and Abdul Rahim Wani moved the resolution in the emergency session of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference held in Srinagar. Since Pakistan was to become a separate state for the Muslim of South Asia on August 14, 1947, therefore the Kashmiri leadership hurriedly completed the legal formalities of state’s accession with Pakistan. In fact, the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the areas constitute Pakistan today have historical relationship, which dates back to centuries. This relationship has rooted in the joint history of these two areas over the years and later turned into a relationship of interdependency.
Religion, common culture, joint races on either-side, migrations and inter-marriages further strengthened this bond between the people of both-sides. Besides, these linkages, geopolitics of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan were compelling factors, which essentially united these areas. All natural routes to various parts of the Jammu and Kashmir were from Pakistan. The only link, India exploited in 1947, through Gurdaspur (Pathankot) was an un-natural link, which India manipulated through Radcliff Award by dividing Punjab in violation to the rules of partition of India. As per the Indian partition plan (June 3, 1947), Kashmir was to become part of Pakistan, based on the wish of the people and geographical contiguity of the state with Pakistan. The people of Jammu and Kashmir with overwhelming Muslim population (77%) were deprived from their basic right to decide their future, thus rose to occasion and revolted against then Ruler of the State, Maharaja Hari Singh.
Kashmir volunteers organized themselves into Kashmiri irregular forces and liberated a portion of the state from the regular forces of Maharaja Hari Singh. They also established their own government and named that as“Azad Jammu and Kashmir”. This portion was to act as the base camp for the liberation of rest of state from Indian occupation. Indeed, Hari Singh wanted to keep the state independent and even negotiated the Stand Still agreements with Pakistan and India. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian Prime Minister, ordered forceful military occupation of the state on October 27, 1947 which is continuing even today after seventy-seven years. Over the last seventy-seven years, Kashmiri did not reconcile with the Indian rule over their state and revolted many a time against forceful Indian occupation. During the on-going struggle of Kashmir started in 1990 over 100,000 Kashmiri people lost their lives at the hands of brutal Indian forces. Over 900,000 Indian Military and its paramilitary forces are continuing with their brutalities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Since 1990, Indian security forces have total impunity under the discriminatory and inhuman laws, India specially imposed in IIOJK. Despite heavy Indian military deployment in IIOJK and unilateral and illegal relegation of the status of IIOJK in August 2019, it could not defeat the will of Kashmiris for attainment of their right of self-determination. Over the years, the political dispute of Kashmir has become a humanitarian issue, since there have been massive human rights violations in IIOJK by Indian security forces. Indeed, there is a state sponsored terrorism going on in IIOJK since 1990.There is an organized campaign of genocide going on against the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This is the darkest aspect of India, which civilized international community is constantly ignoring. Although, United Nations, Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations have been raising the issue of Indian human rights violations in Kashmir, but there have been no action against India on those accounts. Rather, the major powers are enhancing their political and economical linkages with India.
Kashmiris are determined to get their right of self-determination to ultimately join Pakistan. On its part, India has started a wave of terror in IIOJK with the sole objective of defeating the will of Kashmiris. Nevertheless, India is endangering the regional peace in the South Asian region. It is essential that for the regional peace in South Asia, India under the BJP Government should re-asses its aggressive acts and massive human rights violations. India must understand that, resolution of Kashmir dispute is essential for a peace and stability in South Asia. This dispute has to be resolved as per their wishes of Kashmiris and in the light of UN resolutions.
On 19 July 1947, the people of Jammu and Kashmir made a historic decision of State’s accession with Pakistan and since then India is punishing Kashmiris for their love with Pakistan. Upon completion of 77 years of their accession with Pakistan, Kashmiris demands fulfillment of their legitimate right. They demand from UN and all international forums to help them in the solution of Kashmir dispute as per UN resolutions; to exercise their free will for the right of self-determination.
Indeed, resolution of Kashmir dispute will bring peace, stability and economic development in South Asia. Peace in South Asia would greatly contribute towards international peace in the era of globalization. India must stop its false flag operations like Pahalgam attack and negotiate with Pakistan for the resolution of Kashmir dispute as per UNCIP Resolutions. On its part, Pakistan must reach over to UNO and other international organizations for the resolution of dispute from the perspective of humanitarian dimension of the dispute.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
(drmkedu@gmail.com)
