Kashmir: Graveyard of Peace

Current Kashmir unrest must be read in context of a complete failure of world powers in Afghanistan resulting in fluid political and military situation in the region

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by Fida Iqbal

( August 22, 2016, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Killing of many young Kashmiris and more than six weeks of siege is not less tragic and unfortunate for millions of Kashmiri people. Hundreds of maimed and scores of blinded people speak of a grave state of conflict; a conflict that has engulfed a generation of young people comprising more than fifty percent of our population. This time round the contours of unrest seem to be different. This unrest unlike earlier uprisings seems not only against the present political dispensation and establishment, but against all who exploited the sentiments of Kashmiri people from time to time, irrespective of their position in power and politics or their own geopolitical interests. All stake holders of Kashmir conflict should read a bold writing on the wall, a writing of extreme anger. No political party within the state and no nation around the geographic territory of Kashmir should feel itself out of present Kashmiri anger. In my three decades of public life I have never experienced such widespread, deep-rooted resentment within the psyche of Kashmir people, against one and all.

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4000 Kashmiri youth injured in Indian forces pellet firing: Kashmir University association

Srinagar: Kashmir university ministerial staff association (KUMSA) expresses its concern over the use of pallet guns against the civilians and condemned the killing in the valley. The pallet gun used by security forces have left more than 65 persons dead and more than 4000 youth have received pallet injuries and some of them have lost their eyes. The use of pallet and bullet on the unarmed protesters is highly condemnable and is serious violation of human rights which needs to be stopped urgently to avoid further loss of life. – agencies

Present prevailing huge annoyance in Kashmir and its selective exploitation compels me to think of not only Kashmir and its people, but beyond mountain ranges of Kashmir, far and wide into the whole subcontinent. The adverse effect of this seven decades old conflict and unrest with existing unethical political manipulation by almost all stakeholders will have far reaching effects on the peace, political stability and economic wellbeing in the subcontinent. With lethal nuclear weaponry and treacherous political hostilities in the vicinity of Kashmir hot-spot, Kashmir conflict is bound to become a flash-point that will consume the whole region. The recent tectonic shift in foreign policy of one of the giants of the region for a desire to have direct interference into matters of other countries will have dangerous consequences on peace in the region. Baluchistan has a long history of friction with the federal setup of Pakistan since 1948 and during seven decades of its making India never raked up such issues as a matter of its foreign policy of non-interference into internal matters of other nations, but present outburst regarding Baluchistan gives an idea of an prospective realignment or an indirect push to an idea that will create a political stir in the region. Any such situation—a long cherished wish of America to generate trouble in a particular area and create a niche for its interests in the region for minimum dependence on capricious Pakistani establishment to chase its agenda will obviously change geo-political set-up in the region. At present these equations seem more or less hypothetical and embryonic conceptions of a huge intelligence grid of different nations working in this region and any small glitch in such probable plans will surely prove more counterproductive with huge military and political ramifications in the region and obviously Kashmir conflict will work as a catalyst in any such situation.

Current Kashmir unrest must be read in context with complete failure of world powers in Afghanistan over the period of time resulting in fluid political and military situation in that country and ever shifting stance by both India and Pakistan. Afghanistan at present is a free for all country, providing a hotbed to international conspiracies where world and regional powers try to create place for themselves and shape strategic alliances to ensure a reasonable sway in a region with vital Chinese military and economic interests. This geopolitical development in making will not only trigger fresh re-alignments in the region and influence Kashmir conflict, but will generate an unstable situation of conflict in the region. Quick and huge political developments and re-alignments in the region, where no one seems to be anyone’s friend will lead towards a situation of uncertainty and the festering sore of Kashmir conflict will surely add fuel to the existing turf war in the region. And the worst sufferers of this cold turf war will be the people of this region and not the powers who venture into troubled waters from far-off regions and are out to manipulate and exploit political and socio-economic equilibrium of the region for their own petty interests. Sooner the regional powers realize this fact and settle their issue; including Kashmir the better it will be for people and peace in the subcontinent.

( The writer is columnist for the Greater Kashmir)