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AMID a ray of optimism—for a zestful peace n’ amity in
South Asia—guns were put to silence along the Line of Control
(LoC), the Working Boundary and the Line of Actual Contact in
Siachen sector—Tuesday night—as a follow-up of Pakistan’s
unilateral overture for truce—which for the first time has
contracted a jovial n’ atypical feedback from India.
The feature is no doubt laudable—as this crucial region has as
confronted nothing except a spate of perils—ever since it
sought autonomy from the cage of a prolonged British rule.
Paradoxically, the two nations could not cultivate the finest
rapport—due to the raison d'être—of which every pragmatic
realm around the globe is well-acquainted. Its’ a fact that
India—right from the day-one—did not acknowledge the fabulous
emergence of Pakistan on the world Atlas as a sovereign state
and instead got itself engaged in every gambit to disseminate
a spiteful propaganda crusade—to inflict impairment—with a
pushy style.
Simultaneously, New Delhi
eluded every logical n’ genial offer of Pakistan for the
amputation of the vital irritants which have—by now blemished
vistas for an affluent South Asia—via the solution of the core
issues—with the Kashmir dispute atop.
Though the ceasefire has
gone into effect—with the consensus of India, the suspicions
vis-à-vis New Delhi’s actual mindset shall continue to
persist—till the time a process of malodorous n’ meaningful
dialogue is set off for an idyllic n’ marvellous relationship
between the two nuke-neighbours, which can be
accomplished—only through the solution of the
dilemmas—responsible for emotions of abhorrence for
each-other, which have pragmatically been the antagonistic
Indian outlook towards the ground realities.
It is therefore, an apposite time for India to eschew its
inherited egotism by opting for a ‘positive course’ as has
been done by it on Pakistan’s proffer for a truce. It can
conveniently—be translated into a reality—ones India bends
before the universal call for reconciliation of all the
issues—explicitly—the Kashmir dispute, in line with the UN
resolutions—adopted for more than a dozen time n’ that
too—with one-voice, reflecting the bona fide aspirations of
the gallant people of the fascinating Himalayan State.
Else, every manoeuvre—what
so ever it may be—shall eventually prove pointless. At the
same time world wants India to recognise a proactive role for
the United Nations Military Observers Group for India and
Pakistan [UNMOGIP] in monitoring the pronounced ceasefire
along the line ferociously dividing Kashmir between the two
nuclear-armed countries. With elfin hopes—yet with an icon of
optimism, as we move in the direction of resumption of
dialogue with India, it is only helpful that we quietly clear
the cobwebs that are a legacy of a past we better shed as good
riddance.
Ironically, we have tended
to be content moving in ruts, because we have lacked the
courage to emerge out of the deceptive security of immobility.
One such rut is the myth about the ‘Line of Control.’
Actually, this line has no political import or status, hence
no validity or relevance to any future dispensation. A
dauntingly great deal remains to be discussed about the
methodology of the discussions that lie ahead.
Amidst a clear-cut message,
beamed by President General Pervez Musharraf with a focus on
realism that there can't be any relationship with India on any
facet sans the settlement of the core issue of Kashmir [which
has invariably made New Delhi 'upset' as a truthful voice has
once again emerged literally devastating the deceitful
mentality of the Indian headship], a need for India to bend
before the Atlas voice—peace n’ tranquillity in South Asia—has
become all the more essential.
Nonetheless, if there is
agreement on the basics of a solution to the Kashmir dispute,
progress in search of a final settlement would be smooth and
steady, if not exactly swift. In fact, any insistence on haste
would be manifestly imprudent. Both sides should bring a
high-minded and big-hearted commitment to bear on the
negotiations. We cannot presume at this moment what exactly
the solution would be. But we do know that only a fair
solution will be sustainable with the sincere support of all
parties concerned.
In this context all concerned are, first and foremost, the
people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Only in the second
position jointly stand the people of Pakistan and India. What
all the parties concerned can agree upon straightaway is that
whatever the solution, it has to be one that is seen by all
concerned as just, fair and equitable to all. When placed in
the parameters of the principles set out above, the ‘Line of
Control’ ceases to have any relevance whatsoever. It has not
been drawn by the Kashmiri people. Nor can Pakistan or India
claim to be its authors.
As a matter of fact, both Pakistan and India have, in so many
ways, expressed inability to maintain the inviolability of the
‘Line of Control.’ India stands self-confessed as unable even
to mount an effective guard on this so-called ‘Line,’ though
it has a million-plus troops standing by. Once we settle down
to talk earnestly about a future solution of the core
dispute—Kashmir, the ‘Line of Control’ would simply fade out
of all reckoning. That would be the moment to address
surpassingly delicate and sensitive issues, intertwined with
which is the peace of almost a billion n' half populace in
this subcontinent—South Asia.
Virtually the ‘Line of
Control’ is no line; it controls nothing of significance or
substance. Not only that a resolution—still preserved in the
top index of the UN—makes it crystal clear that no
bar—whatsoever—can be imposed on Kashmiris' mobility, as they
were compelled by the India-backed ruthless n' tyrannical
Dogra Hari Singh rule to leave their ancestral abode in 1947
n' in a few follow-up years, taking refuge in Pakistan.
The grand n' salient
'Ceasefire Line Tor Do' [break the cease-fire line] movement
by the apex Kashmiri Leader, late Ch. Ghulam Abbas in 1958 [in
Sikandar Mirza's regime] is still known to all world-over,
which literally jolted the New Delhi stalwarts—as they have
had no legitimate way to stop it, specifically in view of the
all ready—aired global voice from the UN podium.
Pundit JL Nehru felt a sigh
of breath when Field Marshall Ayub Khan—by virtue of the
then political scenario—came in power n' eventually convinced
the magnificent n' dynamic voice of Kashmiri leader, late Ch.
Abbas to put his crusade in abeyance for sometime as he [Ayub]
would get the Kashmir Issue resolved in line with the
aspirations of the dwellers of the captivating Himalayan
State.
In a way he did try through
diverse means including via the Tashkant Summit—yet the
superciliousness of India persists even today—which on the one
hand speaks about 'allure for talks' yet on the other
amplifies rather magnifies the magnitude n' scale of its
brutalities on the guiltless people of India-held Kashmir [IHK]
with the advent of every dawn n' applies one ploy or the other
to get the realistic solution of the Issue delayed.
Hence New Delhi's 'gusto for a dialogue' has proved nothing
beyond a trick to hoodwink to world. With mounting pressure
from every sane nation n' more overtly with the unfolding of
the factual reports by world's human rights champions focusing
'the instant settlement of the core issue of Kashmir is the
only way for ensuring a durable peace in South Asia to the
eventual benefit of the world.
Kashmiris—by all
perceptions—are right in their outlook—as the UN commitments
on Kashmir fully endorse this uprightness—as clear as the
coherent n’ translucent as the waters of River Jhelum—with a
basis of flickering helix-like Spring of Veri Nag, flanking
the eye-catching n’ charismatic—Srinagar. This will have to be
accepted as an image of the Kashmiris’ mood—as an exact truth
as their kick against the Indian invaders will continue to
swell—till the time the despotic manacles are splintered for
all times to come.
With this realism—we expect n’ hope—that with the origination
of cease-fire course, India would now—give a sombre mind to
the ground realities—by opening a process of dialogue with
Pakistan to sort-out all the hazards which engulf this region
with lofty risks—n’ for this it shall have to espouse a
realistic approach—if not for any-one else—at least for the
affluence of its own people. We feel buoyant that the
Vajpayee-cum-Advani-led Indian leadership—shall expeditiously
n’ expediently take yet another step—if at all they are
excited for a long-term peace—on this part of the earth
planet.
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