India’s Kashmir Policy is an Expressway Ride to Nowhere
Syed Ali Mujtaba
India’s exercise to ferry a group of EU members to visit Kashmir to assess the situation on the ground is a calculated risk or a diplomatic miscalculation is a talk in the country. The buffoonery of India’s Kashmir policy is at splendid display when after arguing that rescinding Article 370 and 35 A is an “internal matter” and saying that India would brook no third party interference is now engaged in public relation exercise ferrying International delegation to Kashmir.
This is not the first but second instance that India is hosting a large number of foreign delegations to assess the situation in Kashmir. Why India is doing this public relation exercise to influence international opinion. Do not by doing so India covertly acknowledges that Kashmir has an international dimension which it cannot wish it away. Now given the political affiliations of these European visitors, what does this exercise is going to achieve? Will the European delegation’s report put Kashmir in India’s kitty?
Modi government on August 5, 2019 by rescinding Article 370 and 35 A has removed the ambiguity that prevailed in India’s stand over Kashmir since 1948. The Modi government did a game changer act on August 5 and essentially made three big bang statements altering the classical view of India’s stand on Kashmir.
First, Modi government claimed that the people of Kashmir have no role in deciding their future. Since the territory in question is inalienable part of India, the views of the people do not matter.
In other words a new definition of democracy was dished out by Modi government on August 5, and that is; democracy is of the state, for the state and by the state. Citizenship of India was up for grabs for the Kashmiri people, while rest of India had to reel under new citizenship laws under CAA, NPA and NRC. It’s another matter, there were no takers for Indian bait and on the contrary it funneled anti-India sentiments among the people living there.
Second big bang statement India made on August 5, 2019 was that Pakistan has no claim on Kashmir. In the new narrative Kashmir is inalienable part of India and if the talks is to be held between New Delhi and Islamabad on Kashmir, only the modalities to hand over the territories occupied by Pakistan can be discussed.
Third big bang statement Modi government made on August 5 2019 was that India will not tolerate any third party intervention/ mediation on Kashmir as it is internal matter and the territory in question is nonnegotiable.
All these three statements made on Augusts 5, 2019 was to fix up the Kashmir problem in India’s favor with the assumption India will have its way. And by doing India will set its Kashmir house in order.
If Kashmir is an integral part of India and India will not tolerate any third party intervention/ mediation, then why India is inviting foreign delegation to Kashmir where common Indian’s are forbidden to travel?
India on one hand say it do not want international involvement in Kashmir but at the same time wants a ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) from some handpicked European delegates to blunt the international criticism.
Modi government is also faced with another criticism as to why it prefers EU delegates over the US members. It is assumed that India can manage the EU delegation in far better manner than the US delegation. This in other words means US delegation may be difficult customers and India wants to keep them away.
India is taking a calculated risk. It may work or may not work in its favor. These very delegates whom the government is courting now may turn its back and target India for violating human rights which comes international law and India is signatory to such law.
As a plan B Modi government is taking the foreign delegates to Kashmir valley to get a NOC from them but in the process complications in India’s Kashmir policy is getting compounded.
First India is self-contradicting its stand on Kashmir. After saying it does not want any third party to interfere in the internal matter of the country India is deliberately internationalizing the Kashmir issue.
As such, Modi government has fallen into Pakistani trap who being fed up with bilateralism wants to internalize the Kashmir issue. The visit of foreign delegations has compromised India’s new found stand on Kashmir. Modi government, it looks instead of strengthening its position has further weakened its grip on Kashmir.
This public relation exercise that the current government is engaged in is nothing but a figment of imagination that a NOC by some foreign delegates can pacify the international community and support India’s wrong doings in Kashmir.
India’s second statement made on August 5, 2019 was by rescinding Article 370, it has closed the dialogue with people of the Kashmir and they have to accept India’s diktat as fait- accompli.
Implicit in this policy is the design to make Kashmir an Indian colony and where the people of the land have no choice to question the sovereignty of the colonizer. However for doing so a cost – benefit analysis is essential to keep such colony under Indian rule.
The second statement on August 5 India made was that Pakistan has no claim on Kashmir. This again is highly contentious proposition and fraught with innumerable consequences. This gave Pakistan a huge impetus to lay claim over Kashmir aggressively.
India has given Pakistan a ladder to ascend on top of the moral ground and canvass against India of its culpability. India by challenging Pakistan’s claim on Kashmir is categorically denying any negotiated settlement on Kashmir. This Kashmir policy has many spin offs and may require full time occupation of Indian officials to plug in any fall outs that arise from any such move.
The last statement that the Modi government made on August 5 was that as an instrument of statecraft it wants to use state terror to contain ant-state terror in Kashmir. In this narrative, some nine lakhs guns are used to hold hostage some 90 lakh people in open prison to maintain peace. Can state terrorism is justified to contain anti state terror. Can such state terrorism be de-linked with anti-state terrorism? Well terrorism is terrorism, whether it is by anti-state actors or by the acts of the state.
The Modi government’s Kashmir policy has triggered several struggles at several levels against India. The first is by the people of Kashmiri who got a fillip to struggle against India from the position of despair and alienation.
The second struggle it has ignited in Pakistan who got a shot in the arm to take on India’s anti human and fascist policy on Kashmir. Pakistan has gained moral ascendency and it is leaving no stone unturned to raise its voice against India at every possible forum in the world.
Third, India’s Kashmir policy has incensed the global community who are aghast at the denial of human right, freedom of speech, press freedom; internet and mobile access to the people of Kashmir. The international community is too much worried about India’s anti human policy in Kashmir.
International community is talking about India’s abuse of state power in Kashmir. The deployment of large number of security forces in Kashmir has made a case for international struggle against India’s ill-conceived policy in Kashmir policy.
The fourth struggle India has ignited is within the peace loving people of this country. A large number of Indians are at pain to see the trial and tribulation of the common Kashmiri people. As the sufferings of Kashmiri people prolongs, the ill-conceived Kashmir policy has saddened many Indians.
In sum, all the big bang statements India has made on August 5 rescinding Article 370 and 35 A are flying like muck on the Modi government’s face. The responsibility of triggering many struggles against India solely rest on the Prime Minister of the country. Many feel that he has got away with his ‘demonetizing act,’ but his ill-conceived policy on Kashmir may have a price to pay. The only summery that can be made with all these struggles germinating against India is India’s Kashmir policy is an expressway ride to nowhere.
-----
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
Syed Ali Mujtaba
India’s exercise to ferry a group of EU members to visit Kashmir to assess the situation on the ground is a calculated risk or a diplomatic miscalculation is a talk in the country. The buffoonery of India’s Kashmir policy is at splendid display when after arguing that rescinding Article 370 and 35 A is an “internal matter” and saying that India would brook no third party interference is now engaged in public relation exercise ferrying International delegation to Kashmir.
This is not the first but second instance that India is hosting a large number of foreign delegations to assess the situation in Kashmir. Why India is doing this public relation exercise to influence international opinion. Do not by doing so India covertly acknowledges that Kashmir has an international dimension which it cannot wish it away. Now given the political affiliations of these European visitors, what does this exercise is going to achieve? Will the European delegation’s report put Kashmir in India’s kitty?
Modi government on August 5, 2019 by rescinding Article 370 and 35 A has removed the ambiguity that prevailed in India’s stand over Kashmir since 1948. The Modi government did a game changer act on August 5 and essentially made three big bang statements altering the classical view of India’s stand on Kashmir.
First, Modi government claimed that the people of Kashmir have no role in deciding their future. Since the territory in question is inalienable part of India, the views of the people do not matter.
In other words a new definition of democracy was dished out by Modi government on August 5, and that is; democracy is of the state, for the state and by the state. Citizenship of India was up for grabs for the Kashmiri people, while rest of India had to reel under new citizenship laws under CAA, NPA and NRC. It’s another matter, there were no takers for Indian bait and on the contrary it funneled anti-India sentiments among the people living there.
Second big bang statement India made on August 5, 2019 was that Pakistan has no claim on Kashmir. In the new narrative Kashmir is inalienable part of India and if the talks is to be held between New Delhi and Islamabad on Kashmir, only the modalities to hand over the territories occupied by Pakistan can be discussed.
Third big bang statement Modi government made on August 5 2019 was that India will not tolerate any third party intervention/ mediation on Kashmir as it is internal matter and the territory in question is nonnegotiable.
All these three statements made on Augusts 5, 2019 was to fix up the Kashmir problem in India’s favor with the assumption India will have its way. And by doing India will set its Kashmir house in order.
If Kashmir is an integral part of India and India will not tolerate any third party intervention/ mediation, then why India is inviting foreign delegation to Kashmir where common Indian’s are forbidden to travel?
India on one hand say it do not want international involvement in Kashmir but at the same time wants a ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) from some handpicked European delegates to blunt the international criticism.
Modi government is also faced with another criticism as to why it prefers EU delegates over the US members. It is assumed that India can manage the EU delegation in far better manner than the US delegation. This in other words means US delegation may be difficult customers and India wants to keep them away.
India is taking a calculated risk. It may work or may not work in its favor. These very delegates whom the government is courting now may turn its back and target India for violating human rights which comes international law and India is signatory to such law.
As a plan B Modi government is taking the foreign delegates to Kashmir valley to get a NOC from them but in the process complications in India’s Kashmir policy is getting compounded.
First India is self-contradicting its stand on Kashmir. After saying it does not want any third party to interfere in the internal matter of the country India is deliberately internationalizing the Kashmir issue.
As such, Modi government has fallen into Pakistani trap who being fed up with bilateralism wants to internalize the Kashmir issue. The visit of foreign delegations has compromised India’s new found stand on Kashmir. Modi government, it looks instead of strengthening its position has further weakened its grip on Kashmir.
This public relation exercise that the current government is engaged in is nothing but a figment of imagination that a NOC by some foreign delegates can pacify the international community and support India’s wrong doings in Kashmir.
India’s second statement made on August 5, 2019 was by rescinding Article 370, it has closed the dialogue with people of the Kashmir and they have to accept India’s diktat as fait- accompli.
Implicit in this policy is the design to make Kashmir an Indian colony and where the people of the land have no choice to question the sovereignty of the colonizer. However for doing so a cost – benefit analysis is essential to keep such colony under Indian rule.
The second statement on August 5 India made was that Pakistan has no claim on Kashmir. This again is highly contentious proposition and fraught with innumerable consequences. This gave Pakistan a huge impetus to lay claim over Kashmir aggressively.
India has given Pakistan a ladder to ascend on top of the moral ground and canvass against India of its culpability. India by challenging Pakistan’s claim on Kashmir is categorically denying any negotiated settlement on Kashmir. This Kashmir policy has many spin offs and may require full time occupation of Indian officials to plug in any fall outs that arise from any such move.
The last statement that the Modi government made on August 5 was that as an instrument of statecraft it wants to use state terror to contain ant-state terror in Kashmir. In this narrative, some nine lakhs guns are used to hold hostage some 90 lakh people in open prison to maintain peace. Can state terrorism is justified to contain anti state terror. Can such state terrorism be de-linked with anti-state terrorism? Well terrorism is terrorism, whether it is by anti-state actors or by the acts of the state.
The Modi government’s Kashmir policy has triggered several struggles at several levels against India. The first is by the people of Kashmiri who got a fillip to struggle against India from the position of despair and alienation.
The second struggle it has ignited in Pakistan who got a shot in the arm to take on India’s anti human and fascist policy on Kashmir. Pakistan has gained moral ascendency and it is leaving no stone unturned to raise its voice against India at every possible forum in the world.
Third, India’s Kashmir policy has incensed the global community who are aghast at the denial of human right, freedom of speech, press freedom; internet and mobile access to the people of Kashmir. The international community is too much worried about India’s anti human policy in Kashmir.
International community is talking about India’s abuse of state power in Kashmir. The deployment of large number of security forces in Kashmir has made a case for international struggle against India’s ill-conceived policy in Kashmir policy.
The fourth struggle India has ignited is within the peace loving people of this country. A large number of Indians are at pain to see the trial and tribulation of the common Kashmiri people. As the sufferings of Kashmiri people prolongs, the ill-conceived Kashmir policy has saddened many Indians.
In sum, all the big bang statements India has made on August 5 rescinding Article 370 and 35 A are flying like muck on the Modi government’s face. The responsibility of triggering many struggles against India solely rest on the Prime Minister of the country. Many feel that he has got away with his ‘demonetizing act,’ but his ill-conceived policy on Kashmir may have a price to pay. The only summery that can be made with all these struggles germinating against India is India’s Kashmir policy is an expressway ride to nowhere.
-----
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
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