JAMMU KASHMIR LIBERATION FRONT
Maqbool
Manzil, Srinagar.
Press Release Dated: 11th JUNE 2015
JKLF diplomatic bureau meets
Commonwealth Office-FCO in London …
A briefing paper discussed and
presented by Prof Zafar Khan,Head of Diplomatic Bureau, Jammu Kashmir
liberation Front-JKLF-
JKLF pays tributes to Shaheed Tufail
ahmad Matoo….
A briefing paper discussed and
presented to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-FCO- at the meeting between
the JKLF delegation and FCO officials held on 9 June 2015 at the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office-FCO- in London.
Since
June 2014 Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front-JKLF- has taken a clear stance, to
peacefully resist the stifling of political expression, and a growing erosion
of democratic space due to policies by both the government of India and the
local government in Kashmir.
The JKLF
therefore launched a 10 day token campaign of courting arrests to fill the
jails under the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” on 29 May 2015. Dozens of JKLF leaders and
functionaries have been arrested including Yasin Malik the Chairman of the
organisation during this period. Some have been released while the fate of
others is to be decided by the Indian authorities.
Since
coming into power as the government of India the Bharatiya Janata Party- BJP-
has had a 3 point agenda to make fundamental changes to the social and
political fabric of Kashmiri society.
Part of
this agenda includes the abrogation of article 370 in the Indian constitution
which confers a special status to Kashmir in its relationship with India.
Over the
years India has changed many practical expressions of article 370. Nevertheless
the symbolism of this article is a clear reminder that the so called accession
to India of Kashmir was conditional and temporary arrangement pending a
resolution of Kashmir’s final status.
An
overwhelming popular opposition to the BJP’s agenda in Kashmir has forced it to
retreat on at least abrogation of article 370.
However
the BJP government has instead embarked upon changing the political and social
character through the back door in conjunction with its coalition partner in
the Kashmir government- the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP.
JKLF and
other pro freedom organisations have resisted this and the Jail Bharo Tehreek
of the JKLF is part of this peaceful opposition to the machinations of the
current Indian government
Before
we elaborate on aspects of Indian government’s agenda to change the character
of Kashmir, it’s important to put the Kashmir dispute in its proper
context.
A brief historic Context of the
Kashmir dispute:
British
India was partitioned in August 1947 with India and Pakistan emerging as the
two dominant nations in South Asia.
There
were some 560 semi-autonomous princely states among whom Jammu Kashmir
(generally referred to as Kashmir) was one of the largest.
Once
British paramountcy lapsed on them, they regained their sovereignty. The rulers
of these states had the options to either accede to one of the successor states
or remain independent.
The
Maharaja of Kashmir offered a Standstill Agreement to both India and Pakistan
which Pakistan accepted and as a result became responsible to deliver some
public services for Kashmir. Pakistani flag therefore was hoisted on some state
owned buildings such as the Post- Office as a consequence of the Standstill
Agreement.
India
disregarded the offer of a Standstill Agreement thereby indicating an early ill
intent towards the independence and sovereignty of Jammu Kashmir.
Maharaja’s
dithering on the final disposition of his Kingdom exacerbated an already
fraught situation among Kashmiri masses, who rose up in a popular rebellion to
topple his rule. The rebels set up a provisional government on 4 October which
was reconstituted on 24 October 1947 and declared Jammu Kashmir a republic.
On 27
October 1947 India invaded Kashmir by landing a battalion of troops in
Srinagar, under the pretext that the Maharaja acceded Kashmir to India on 26
October.
In
reality however the Maharaja was not in control of his country and was in fact
fleeing from Srinagar to the city of Jammu - some 200 miles to the south.
It is
more credible to state that a contingency plan might already have existed for
the purpose of invasion under the pretext of an accession, which at any rate,
under all accounts could only have been obtained well after the Indian troops
landed at Srinagar airfield.
It seems
from all accounts that India was eager to enter Kashmir come what may to throttle
a freedom movement of people who endured unimaginable suffering and despotism
at the hands of their rulers. India in fact landed its military in Kashmir when
technically it was an independent and sovereign nation between 15 August and 27
October 1947.
What is the issue?
At the
heart of the Kashmir conflict however lies the fundamental principle of inherent
and inalienable right of around 20 million people to determine their own
political and constitutional destiny.
The
genesis of Kashmir dispute, at least at
the international level, begins with India taking the matter to the UN Security
Council, which she did on1 January 1948.
At the
UN a number resolutions were passed, commitments and solemn undertakings were
given by India and were accepted by Pakistan.
Leading
powers like the United Kingdom supported the resolutions and the commitments to
resolve the dispute in accordance with the democratic will and wishes of the
people.
For
almost 68 years the UN, India, Pakistan and indeed the permanent members of the
UN Security Council, have utterly failed to honour their obligations and
commitments on Kashmir’s future status.
Kashmiris
rightly believe that the history of the dispute over their political and
constitutional status is full of betrayals by India in particular, and indifference
and abandonment of their basic rights and aspirations by the big powers including
the United Kingdom.
India for example in one of its many solemn
pledges on Kashmir declared:
“that the question of Kashmir’s
future status vis-a-vis its neighbours and the world at large and the question
on whether Kashmir should withdraw from her accession to India, and either
accede to Pakistan or remain independent with a right to claim admission as a
member of the United Nations all this we have recognised to be a matter for
unfettered decision by the people of Kashmir after normal life is restored to
them” UNSC document Agenda 227.
Subsequent
to the above pledge India was party to scores of UN resolutions, the setting up
of UN Commission on India and Pakistan-UNCIP- to administer the (promised)
plebiscite- the UN Military Observer Group on India and Pakistan –UNMOGIP-
which was created to monitor cease-fire- line when the first Kashmir war ended
between India, Pakistan and the free Kashmir forces in January 1949. Further to
this the bilateral Shimla Accord was concluded by India and Pakistan after
their 1971 war.
Successive
Indian governments have however reneged on every single international and
bilateral commitment, pledge and obligation that India was party to regarding
the Kashmir conflict.
Current Indian
prime Minister demands a permanent seat for his country on the UN Security
Council-UNSC- because India is a ‘democracy’ of 125 crores.
He is of
course right that India is a democratic country. However India’s democratic
credentials fail to meet the litmus test over Kashmir
Contrary
to its commitments before the UN on her responsibilities regarding Kashmir
India’s presence in the state is that of an occupying and colonial power.
A mature
and confident expression of democracy however was witnessed by the world in
September of 2014 when Britain acceded to the right of the Scottish people for
a referendum to abrogate their more than 300 year -long union with the UK.
Instead
of dispatching battalions of British troops to supress nationalist aspirations
of the Scots, British government graciously facilitated a free, fair and
democratic referendum to settle the question the union with the UK.
India on
the other hand does not even acknowledge the existence of a Kashmir issue and
considers the dispute over its future status as a figment and machinations of
Pakistan, and quite blatantly claims Kashmir as an ‘integral’ part of India.
Such a
position by India is clearly a betrayal of the UN and India’s responsibilities
and obligations over Kashmir.
Pakistan
too considers the Kashmir issue and the dispute as the ‘unfinished agenda’ of
the partition of British India. It therefore becomes all the more important
that the dispute is resolved in accordance with the democratic will and
fundamental rights of the people.
Current Situation:
Since
2014 India has a Bharatiya Janata Party- BJP- government which is aggressive
and chauvinistic in its political ideology. BJP led Indian government has orchestrated to subvert the
socio-political character of Kashmir with Hindutva inspired objectives to affect
change in Indian occupied part of the state.
This
includes among other objectives of the Indian government, to dilute collective
identity, and disrupt centuries old communal harmony of a religiously diverse
polity, especially in the Jammu province of the state.
Having
failed to abrogate article 370, the Indian government began to communalise the
political process during the state elections late last year.
In Jammu
at least the BJP succeeded in communal divide and increased its seats from 11
to 25, while not making any headway in the valley of Kashmir.
During
his first five months in power as Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi made
8 visits to Jammu Kashmir with the clear objective of exerting maximum
influence over the state elections.
Most of
his 8 visits were in the non-Muslim dominated regions of the state and to the
Indian troops deployed on the LoC including the Siachen Glacier.
In the
election process those opposed to the electoral process within the Indian
constitution led by the JKLF were not allowed to use the public square, and
were not allowed the democratic right of assembly and free speech to advocate
their policies. Yasin Malik and other JKLF leaders were incarcerated throughout
the 7 week election process.
The
unholy alliance between PDP and the BJP after the state elections, has further
exacerbated the political atmosphere in Jammu Kashmir. Their coalition
government has stifled and choked political and democratic expression.
JKLF’s
non-violent and peaceful campaign- Jehed-e- Mussalsal, the signature campaign
and people contact met with a heavy handed response from the authorities.
During
elections for the Kashmir assembly in the winter of 2014 at least 25 to 30
constituencies in the state, mostly in the valley of Kashmir were under extreme
military and paramilitary pressure and oppressive methods.
This
heavy deployment of forces amounted to an atmosphere of political, physical and
psychological suffocation and harassment of the masses.
JKLF
embarked upon a peaceful and non-violent campaign to engage with the masses to
relieve them of this atmosphere of suffocation, fear and anxiety.
The JKLF
envisaged setting up of week-long camps in each of the constituencies to extend
support and solidarity to all sections of the beleaguered communities.
Pre-emptive
arrests of the JKLF leaders and activists were made to prevent their
interaction with the people in Rypura one of the constituencies in district
Pulwama.
Yasin
Malik, the JKLF Chairman was also arrested and later released when he led a
procession towards Rypura in solidarity.
The Jail
Bharo Tehreek therefore was started as 10 day symbolic protest against these
oppressive and anti-democratic methods of the Indian forces and the local PDP
and BJP led coalition government in Kashmir.
While
this 10 day symbolic campaign ended on 6 June 2015 the JKLF awaits the fate of
over 200 of its leaders who are in custody before the next phase and course of
action for the peaceful Jehed-e- Mussalsal is restarted.
Although
the BJP has failed to abrogate article 370, it has however not refrained from
communalising of the Kashmir society by attempting to change the demographics
of the state both in the Jammu as well as in the Kashmir Valley provinces.
Granting of state subject to 1947
refugees from West Pakistan:
The
integration and granting of state subject or citizenship to 1947 refugees from
West Pakistan who now live in Jammu.
These
refugees have right to vote in the Indian parliamentary elections. They do not
have rights to vote in the Jammu Kashmir assembly elections.
By
granting them state subject status, the BJP government wishes to change the
demographic makeup of the region and the Jammu Kashmir state.
Resettlement of the Pundits:
Kashmiri
Pandits were taken out of the Kashmir valley in 1990. Many live in camps in
Jammu while many others live in Delhi as well as other parts of India.
The
Indian government wants to resettle the Pandits in Israeli style settlements in
at least four to five places in the valley of Kashmir.
Five
hundred acres of land has been acquired for the purpose. There is strong
opposition across all sections of Kashmiri society for creating separate
enclaves and colonies for the Pandits. General Kashmiri public wishes The Pandits
to return to their own homes and neighbourhoods in the valley which they left
in 1990.
Around
four to five hundred families of the Pandits have returned to their homes
mainly in the Srinagar areas through the efforts of the efforts of Kashmiris
including the JKLF.
Kashmiris
in general and the JKLF in particular argue that security and wellbeing of the
Kashmiri Pandits lies within their fellow Kashmiri citizens rather than in
separate settlements and Indian forces.
Granting
of state subject to West Pakistan refugees and creating separate enclaves and
settlements in the names of the Pandits is a conspiracy to change the character
and demographic makeup of the state of Jammu Kashmir which JKLF and other
Kashmir political organisations will resists peacefully.
Kashmiris
across both sides of the Line of Control-LoC want a peaceful resolution of the
Kashmir dispute, and want Kashmir to become a bridge of peace between India and
Pakistan rather than a bone of contention.
Kashmiris
on both sides of the LoC wish for a constructive engagement and dialogue among
the concerned parties- namely India, Pakistan and Kashmiris.
Thus far
Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi’s BJP government has shown no desire for
dialogue with Pakistan let alone recognising his country’s commitments at the
United Nations.
Britain
has a privileged position in world affairs and Kashmiris have a high
expectation of Britain’s role to influence a change of pace towards a lasting
solution of the Kashmir dispute.
Britain
has friendly relations and vital interests with both India and Pakistan, as
well as strong historic ties with the region.
With such vital interests at stake Britain cannot afford to leave India
and Pakistan to sort the Kashmir dispute on their own. They have not been able
to do so for 68 years.
Unresolved
Kashmir dispute has dislocated the Kashmiris but it also has held back two very
important world powers in their progress.
Meanwhile Chairman Jammu
Kashmir liberation front (JKLF) has paid rich tributes to innocent martyr of 2010
Shaheed Tufail Ahmad Matoo on his 5th martyrdom day. Chairman Front said that
innocent martyrs of 2008 to 2010 wrote a new chapter of peaceful resistance
history and today as we remember these great martyrs, we bow our heads before
their sacrifices and valor. While paying tributes to Shaheed Tufail Ahmad
Matoo, Yasin Malik said that this innocent sacrificed himself for a sacred
cause. A delegation comprising of zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal, zonal
organizer Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Ghulam Muhammad dar and Arshid Ahmad Butt
visited Shaheed Tufail’s bereaved family and Mazar I Shuhada and paid tributes
to the innocent martyr …
ENDS
