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Parent Article: Crucial role of journalists in Indo-Pak unification |
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Kashmir can unite India and Pakistan |
by Tanveer Jafri
tanveerjafriamb (nospam) gmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
05 Feb 2006
Modified: 02:04:43 PM |
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After the terrorist attack on 13 December, 2001, on Indian Parliament, and constantly being pricked by terrorism for about 20 years now it had become unbearable for India to tolerate it. India considered the border crossing as an important factor in terrorist activities and its root cause as lying across the border. India ordered its armies for mobilization and fortification on the Indo-Pak border obviously; Pakistan had also made good arrangements in retaliation. That was the time when war clouds were hovering over India and Pakistan and war seemed inevitable and it was estimated that both the countries may use nuclear weapons. May be the wisdom of India and Pakistan leadership or a decision taken under the pressure of America, whatever it may be, keeping in view the expected disaster, both the countries withdrew their advancing steps. Again the forces were directed to go back to the barracks. After that, there started a move to gain confidence between India and Pakistan which is still going on.
Undoubtedly, both the countries have leaped a lot towards the gain of mutual confidence of each other. Opening of new ways to connect by rail and road, exchange of cultural and literary trips, exchange of Intellectuals and journalists trips, cooperative role of Pakistan favoring the Gas pipe line Agreement between India and Iran, are such achievements as show that both the countries are advancing towards mutual confidence, but there is also a bitter truth associated with these facts and that is, Kashmir problem is a burning problem. Kashmir has been a bone of contention between the two countries since the division of India and Pakistan. Pakistan calls it”Azad Kashmir” to the part which was separated from India, where as the same part has been named as `Pak Occupied Kashmir` by India. Indian region of Kashmir, accepting it as its own part and considering it equal to its other states and giving it even better status India calls it as a state of Jammu and Kashmir. Whereas Pakistan names Indian Kashmir as `Maqbuza Kashmir` or Occupied Kashmir. The incident of birth of Bangladesh in 1971 is also indirectly associated with the controversial status, of Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Pakistan desires to separate Kashmir from India so that he can take revenge for the birth of Bangladesh. Pakistan is trying its best for it. To achieve this aim, Pakistan, sometimes talks of referendum in Kashmir & the other times, giving undue importance to separatist organization Hurriat conference wants to give message that the Hurriat Conference is the only real & only organization that can decide the fate of Jammu & Kashmir. Now India has got a new matter for discussion & that is Balochistan. Pakistan is showing a deep concern over the statements regarding Balochistan by India & it is expressing its angriness over it.
Anyhow it may be a controversy about Bangladesh or Kashmir or it may be about Balochistan, all these reveal that in spite of all the steps being taken for gaining mutual confidence, the talks for showing progress of this confidence by the leaders of both the countries, are not showing the needed results. Reality is that there was a cold war between India & Pakistan & it is still going on. Is it proper to carry on finding the ways for restoration of peace & the cold war at the same time? But unfortunately it is happening between India & Pakistan. Heart shake may not be there but handshake is obviously visible. This dual policy is not transmitting a friendly & congenial atmosphere to the coming generations of both the countries. Undoubtedly India played a decisive & significant role in the freedom of Bangladesh in 1971 & in separation from Pakistan. But political scene of today shows that by this act, India has established an enemy in its neighborhood which is a constant headache. It means that interference in the internal matters of a neighboring country is not always beneficial. The party which is being helped may not remain loyal & can become a harmful enemy after the passage of time.
Kashmir problem can be seen in the same anxiety over Bangladesh really represents the feelings of the people of both the countries whose part is Kashmir & whose is not? Who has the right to decide the future of Kashmir & who has not? Who represents Kashmir & who doesn’t? This problem couldn’t be solved for the last 58 years & in my opinion this problem will remain as it was or may become more complicated. The questions that surrounded Kashmir problem 50 years ago are still there & alive. So both the countries, India & Pakistan should try to solve the problem of Kashmir, which is called a heaven on earth in a peaceful manner without shedding even a single drop of blood. They should try to make Kashmir a real, heaven on earth. The most easy, simple & acceptable by the people, solution is, keeping the Kashmir solution in front; both the countries should remove their borders. The Kashmir which is a cause of terrorism, there remains always a possibility of war between the two countries, that Kashmir must be made a symbol of union and not of a distance.
For gaining the mutual confidence between India and Pakistan, many representative groups leaving aside the government level groups, the group of NGOs, of learned men of advocate, journalists, students, traders, literary men, writers, poets etc. all the group being exchanged, come back to their countries with the views that there should be unification of India & Pakistan. These two countries having the same culture should learn a lesson from the unification of two countries, east & West Germany. These two countries should take a positive step in this direction. Unification of India & Pakistan will not only give a solution of Kashmir problem only but will have a far reaching impact on the world politics. Who can deny the fact that union has a great strength? That too when the people of both the countries favor the removal of boundaries between the two countries. In my opinion, only some handfuls of people who are greedy of power, selfish & conservative having communal thoughts favor the separatist ideas. Except the few persons mentioned, the common public that wants peace, love & coordination & cooperation doesn’t want to see the boundaries between India & Pakistan. What a good! If along with the public of both the countries, the leaders of both the countries should show strong courage for the unification of these countries. If in reality, a constructive form is to be given between the mutual confidence between India & Pakistan, it is necessary to find a permanent way for the problem of Kashmir. If both the countries want to save the huge amount being spent on Military expenses, want to invest it on development sooner or later. The leaders of both these nuclear energy equipped countries will have to ditto the voice of the common people by adopting the path of unification. This is the only way that can make the heart shake & hand shake together. Beati pacifici. tanveerjafri58 (at) yahoo.co.in
BY
TANVEER JAFRI |
