I had the opportunity to do an interview which was taken by Dr Munawar Hussain ( Assistant Professor from Qaid – Azam University Islamabad ) published on 7 th January 2024 .
I am sharing the you tube link https://youtu.be/uzm7XWNGzz8?si=ZUkqQJdcrPpk3V7S of the same .
The total interview touches three main components
- Present situation in Kashmir
- In changed world scenario what will the Kashmiri Diaspora do
- What options are available for Pakistan as well as Kashmiris .
1.Present situation in Kashmir
With what has happened in Gaza which shows resonance in Kashmir as we have suffered in similar manner with the difference that Israel has completely bombed Gaza while as India has not done that although half of Kashmiris living in the valley have directly got effected ( The denial of the right of self determination has resulted in particularly from 1990 ,killing of more than 100000 Kashmiris ,150000 civilians arrested, 8500 custodial killings, 12000 disappearances, 110000 structures destroyed/arsoned, 11,170 rape cases, with injured running in hundred of thousands with at least 7000 with pellet injuries and out of them at least 700 with eye injuries resulting in blindness of different levels. Besides we have about 20000 widows as well as 1500 half widows while the number of orphans are more than 120000 .
These figures suggest more than 450000 families have been directly affected by the all-out war imposed on Kashmiris by India.
Given that Kashmir is a closely knit society, the number of people directly affected by this ruthless war is not less than 4.5 million keeping in view that with each family 10 is the minimum effected strength per family .)
Our freedom fighters are slowly and steadily now copying the Hamas model . Until now they have not attacked Indians in mainland India which has never been the case . If they are pushed to the wall we fear that they may do it . What will happen after that ?? India may react in the same way as Israel did and what will happen then . The difference in Gaza and kashmir is that Gaza is surrounded by countries who are not capable of fighting Israel but in our case Pakistan is a nuclear country capable of fighting India . The previous Prime Minister of Pakistan ( Imran khan ) quite explicitly warned the world community if a situation occurs where Pakistan has to fight it may be a fight to the last & we can understand the consequences of a NUCLEAR WAR .
India unfortunately did not agree to the model which we had proposed of a Free Economic Zone for both sides of Kashmir when I was the President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry from 2006-2009 , as well as when I was President of the Joint Chamber Of Commerce & Industry from 2012-2014 . That was one of the models of peaceful settlement of kashmir as we had suggested that the sovereignty issue be delayed for 5,7 or 10 years . This model would have given connectivity in the region and beneficial for both countries .
This model has been buried as such by the action of Mr. Modi on august 5th 2019 . We have to understand that diluting of 370 was started by the congress which did it subtly while BJP did it openly . What is the result of all this is . Issuing of domicile certificates in hundreds of thousands besides the model of settler colonies like Israel . The settler colonies will take different forms ( settler colonies of domicile certificates issued , Sainik colonies based on retired army personnel who have done duties in Kashmir , Pandith colonies . ) The fear is that with the train connecting Srinagar to other parts of India , thousands can be shifted to Kashmir from india .
With the new laws in place where landless people can be given small plots for settling / building houses there will be one fine day juggies made by these landless transported from India .
These people will be promised free land and housing . India has tried a model of increasing Amarnath Yatra pilgrims which in my childhood used to have pilgrims in hundreds and maximum thousands but now more than 700000 with free travel and free food provided by big Indian corporations in the form of langars along the route of amarnath .
- In changed world scenario what will the Kashmiri Diaspora do :
I am of the opinion that because of what happened in Gaza , Kashmiris who bear arms want to take Kashmir liberation forward .
The double standards of the world particularly the west is also on the mind of such people . In Ukraine people were asked to go to fight Russia and called freedom fighters while as in Gaza as well as Kashmir they are called terrorists which is part of the Islamophobia worldwide . The result of this is that people like us will go the background while as people who bear arms will be at the forefront of the freedom movement. Because of double standards of the west we even if getting the opportunity to talk to such people cannot convince that their way is wrong and our peaceful way is better .
Unfortunately the world powers trapped by sex scandals and exploited by countries like Israel to dictate policies of these leaders and India has also followed the Israeli model helped particularly by the need of the west to stop China . With no recourse to a world based on rules , world has not stopped india in the genocide they have done in kashmir as they have not stopped Israel in the case of Gaza .
- What options are available for Pakistan as well as Kashmiris .
Although an has a limited option and as I told in pakistan on my visit that Pakistan has to make its mind and do if india stops water or attacks lahore . If they consider Kashmir as their part they have to walk the talk and we do not see the previous action repeated like refusing to go to war in 1962 or even recently when the previous chief is on record as per our information in media etc that the pakistan army was not ready to go to war because of gaps in equipment or even the supply of diesel etc .
Kashmiris will never compromise on their right of self determination.
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