from Pakistan: Now or Never?:
Between the lines: Obama’s comments on Kashmir
President Barack Obama's words on relations with Pakistan were always going to be carefully scripted during his visit to India, where even to say the word "Kashmir" aloud in public can raise jitters about U.S. interference in what New Delhi sees as a bilateral dispute.
So first up, here's what he had to say during a news conference in New Delhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in response to a question about what role the United States could play in resolving the Kashmir dispute (NDTV has the video).
"With respect to Kashmir, obviously this is a long-standing dispute between India and Pakistan; as I said yesterday, I believe that both Pakistan and India have an interest in reducing tensions between the two countries. The United States cannot impose a solution to these problems but I have indicated to Prime Minister Singh that we are happy to play any role that the parties think is appropriate in reducing these tensions. That's in the interests of the region; it is in the interests of the two countries involved and it is in the interests of the United States of America.
"So my hope is that conversations will be taking place between the two countries; they may not start on that particular flashpoint; there may be confidence building measures that need to take place, but I am absolutely convinced that it is both in India's and Pakistan's interest to reduce tensions and that will enable them I think to focus on the range of both challenges and opportunities that each country faces."
"I do want to make this point though, that I think Prime Minister Singh throughout his career and throughout his prime ministership has consistently spoken out both publicly and privately on his desire, his personal commitment to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan and for that I very much commend him. I think Prime Minister Singh is sincere and relentless in his desire for peace. And so my hope is that both sides can, over the next several months, several years, find mechanisms that are appropriate for them to work out what are these very difficult issues."
A quick reading between the lines suggests that he is unfraid of referring to Kashmir in public and keeping it on the agenda, while also acknowledging that resolving the dispute may take years rather than months, and that the two countries might need to build confidence by agreeing on other issues first. He also steered a middle course between Pakistan's insistence that Kashmir is the core issue, and India's demand that "cross-border terrorism" must end before it will agree to talk.
Obama has moved quite some distance since his 2008 election campaign, when he raised hackles in India by suggesting a resolution of the Kashmir dispute could help in the war in Afghanistan by convincing Pakistan to focus on tackling militants holed up on its border rather than its traditional enemy.
U.N. concerned over Kashmir unrest
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has expressed concern over the weeks of violent anti-government protests in Kashmir which have killed more than 30 people, dragged in more troops and locked down the disputed Himalayan region.
A separatist strike and security lockdown has dragged on for nearly a month-and-a-half in Muslim-majority Kashmir, a region at the core of a dispute between India and Pakistan.
“In relation to recent developments in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Secretary-General is concerned over the prevailing security situation there over the past month,” Farhan Haq, Ban Ki-Moon’s spokesperson said in a statement.
The Secretary-General has called on all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and address problems peacefully.
But security forces, to quell the daily street protests, have launched a major crackdown across Kashmir and detained at least 1,400 people. The arrests are fuelling more anger.
Most separatist leaders have been arrested or placed under house arrest.
The government has ordered a judicial probe into the deaths of 17 people, mostly protesters, in an attempt to end the crisis amid the biggest demonstrations against Indian rule in two years across the Valley.
kahsmiris who wnt independece arnt bloody traitors you idiots. kashmriis are apeopel and they consider themsleves differnt to idnians – and they wre independent before india shoved thier flag over them
theyre patriots. theyre fighting for ther people. they cnsider their peole kashmiris!
tell me is india fighting for pakistanis? no? why not after all we share blood, historyc, culture, lingusitics. becase we have drawn a line ebtween idnia and pakistan. so we conider our own different to paksitan.
does india fight for afghansitan and iran? no ? why not, go back far enough and we were all indo-iranians! because we do not parade under the idno-iranian banner. similiry kahsmiris dont parade under the idnian banner and they dont have to if they dont want to.
Killing of civilians fuels Kashmir anger
Just days ago, scenic Kashmir, torn by two decades of war, was near normal.
Thousands of tourists were flocking to the region and honeymooners were once again gliding in shikaras, small Kashmiri boats, across the mirror-calm Dal Lake.
The disputed Himalayan region has seen a significant drop in violence between Muslim rebels and security forces.
But now the Valley is again under siege in the backdrop of rising public anger.
A curfew has been imposed in the summer capital, Srinagar, to prevent violent anti-India demonstrations following the death of a teenager blamed on government forces.
Police and soldiers armed with assault rifles have blocked off lanes with razor wire and iron barricades to prevent protests after scores were hurt in pitched street battles.
Earlier, the killing of three villagers in an alleged fake gun battle by soldiers sparked off fresh anger in Kashmir prompting a pledge by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to improve human rights in Kashmir.
Dear Waleekamil, DRShugufta, Adilmsw, I am not sure whether you represent the voices of Kashmiri in India, of separatists or just harping on false propaganda from across the border? Wherever you are, you are absolutely unaware of the ground realities of J&K. You talk of ‘right to self-determination’ – will you kindly enlighten us about the list of rights at present are not available in J&K and which you want for them in the name of self-determination? While talking of self-determination, kindly list out fundamental rights for self determination even you have wherever you live. Thereafter, compare them with other societies, states and nations in this world.
To my opinion in every social set up we sacrifice some of our personal rights for social order. These sacrifices are at all levels i.e. from individual to family, from family to neighborhood, from neighborhood to community, from community to states, from states to nations and nations to orders governing this beautiful World. Self determination of all rights to my opinion may lead to Jungle Raj. Even as a follower of a particular religion or its teachings we all sacrifice certain rights. Atleast list the practices prohibited by your own religion, whatever it is, to understand rights of self determination you lose by adopting a particular religion.
In India to my opinion, ‘social order’ can be best served by giving people right to vent their feelings in democratic way as long as it does not affect the life and liberty of fellow citizens. This beauty of Indian Constitution has allowed India surviving in a democratic way since its independence and year by year progressing ahead. The entire world recognizes it. Don’t try to fool citizenry of this country or J&K anymore. The silent democratic majority in J&K is well aware of such scandalous behavior and wants peace.
Need in J&K of Army, the laws you describe as draconian is to protect the silent democratic majority from hooligans on streets, from people who indulge in bandhs and disturbing social life in J&K, from people hiding behind the religion and advising others not to look through narrow prism of religion and also from leaders who shout Hurriayat at the pitch of their voice and never represented their credentials in any elections. Few people are denigrating the beautiful teachings of tolerance in Islam and I am ashamed that this is also being done by them in the name of Islam. Heads off to such teachings and preaching to GOI by the people who have never served for democratic values in last over 60 years and brought even the beautiful neighboring country on the brink of collapse in the name of beautiful religion ….. !!!
Put Kashmiris first, says Crisis Group
Any dialogue between India and Pakistan aimed at a solution to the decades-old Kashmir problem will fail if the two rivals do not first include people living on both sides of Line of Control (LoC) that divides the region, the International Crisis Group says.
New Delhi and Islamabad appeared willing to allow more interaction across the LoC but failed to engage Kashmiris in the process, the Crisis Group said in a report titled, “Steps Towards Peace: Putting Kashmiris First.”
The latest briefing from the Crisis Group identifies the key political, social and economic needs of Kashmiris that should be addressed on both sides of the divided state.
Here is the complete report.
Samina Ahmed, Crisis Group’s South Asia Project Director says the atmosphere of hostility is undermining the progress that had been made in softening the border that also divides the Kashmiri families.
Relations between the south Asian neighbours went into a freeze the Mumbai attacks killed 166 people.
“Since the Mumbai attacks by Pakistan-based militants in November 2008, tensions between the two neighbours have eclipsed Kashmiri hopes for political liberalisation and economic opportunity,” Samina adds.
Lately all types of people have started stirring the curry in Kashmir. People who have perhaps not even known the valley beyond the newspapers have been allowed to take centre-stage. Take for example the tenuous and callous edict of Arun Datti Roy, who has perhaps developed some kind of an affinity with the radical elements during her frequent rendezvous with them. Her proclamation might have won her the hearts of her beloved subversive kin in the valley and their mentors across the border but our hearts bleed to hear such rhetoric. The indigenous people like us, who have grown up in the lap of the vale and might have suffered the ignominy to be thrown out of our homeland, would not at all assimilate such sacrilege.
Ms Roy might be a credible writer but ostensibly she is a pathetic reader. Perhaps she has not cared to read and understand the backdrop, the cause and the purpose of the strife in the valley. It is ironical to hear about Kashmir and its tribulations from someone who is not at all qualified to talk about the subject. As a matter of fact, these days it has become fashionable for every dog on the street to open its mouth and vomit whatever it can chuck on Kashmir to gain cheap publicity, without caring about the sentiments of the people who have given blood to safeguard its sanctity.
It is worth reminding Ms Roy that not long ago, Kashmir was not what it is today. We have lived in a Kashmir which was an example of amity, serenity and tranquility. We fondly remember the times when Miwaiz Maulvi Farooq the slain father of Huriyat functionary Mirwaiz Omar Farooq used to travel to idgah for offering Idd prayers and on his return we, the Hindus living in his close neighborhood used to line up on the road side to wish him IDD MUBARAK and he used to return the greetings gratefully. Although Maulvi Farooq was a staunch crusader of azadi, but never did he transverse the path of secession in the right spirit due to lack of support from the people. The people were more concerned about earning their living rather than bother about azadi.
On the other hand the life of politicians across the border in Pakistan depended solely on the passion they ignited on Kashmir. They used every possible medium – Pakistan Television, Radio Pakistan & Azad Kashmir Radio, Tiralkand & Muzaraffabad and to some extend the local vernacular press to inculcate the seeds of azadi in Kashmiries. In April 1988, it took a historical maneuver by the very cunning General Zia-ul-Haq, the then military dictator of Pakistan, who devised a very realistic and viable plan to create instability and chaos in Kashmir. His doctrine named “OPERATION TOPAC” envisaged everything that Kashmir is passing through today. The situation created by Soviet occupation of Afghanistan ushered a God created opportunity for Zia to facilitate the fulfillment of his dream. What has happened to Kashmir would have never taken place without the intervention and connivance of Pakistan. If tomorrow Ms Roy’s dreams are realized and an independent Kashmir is formed, she should thank the genius of Gen Zia for sowing the seeds of secessionism in the Kashmiries.
We the Kashmiri Hindus, have suffered the most through the years of bloodbath and anarchy. Yet we would not dare to think of separating Kashmir from our motherland – India. Had we been having the kind of blood that is running through Ms Roy, we would have very easily compromised our jingoism and perhaps would have not been at the receiving end of misery and hardship that has become part of our lives today.
Would someone amongst us standup and make people like Ms Roy understand that every word spoken about Kashmir has got multifarious repercussions for the stakeholders and every word they speak has a bearing on the peace process that may be going on overtly or covertly in Delhi, Srinagar or Islamabad.
Will India’s Kashmir talks offer break fresh ground?
New Delhi said this week it will adopt “quiet diplomacy” with every section of political opinion to find a solution to the problems in India-ruled Kashmir about four years after it opened a dialogue with separatist groups there.
The response to the announcement is on expected lines — the moderates welcoming it and pro-Pakistan hardliners reminding any effort at peace without involving Islamabad would be futile.
New Delhi has not yet made a formal offer for talks. But the timing of the development appears to be significant.
Violence is at a low in Kashmir, elections there were largely successful and last year’s angry public protests against Indian rule have now subsided.
On the other hand, the security situation is at its worst in Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan appears to be in a decisive phase.
There is also growing realisation in Washington about the impact of the India-Pakistan rivalry on the Afghan war as pointed out in this Reuters analysis.
Pakistan has long demanded that resolution of the Kashmir dispute be made part of any effort to stabilise South Asia, a move strongly resisted by India.
will kashmir agree to a further division- kashmir A made up of muslim pro-pak people; and kashmir B made up of non-muslim kashmiris? if not, then how can they seek a division from india? will PoK also be returned to kashmir A? since the biggest advocate of kashmiri independence is itself guilty of gobbling up a completely independent country – tibet! how safe will kashmir A&B be? one day, nepal will be like tibet of today: no boundaries except the one it shares with india. our intelligent neighbours have realised that they don’t have to launch any attacks on us to destroy us, we are cumbling from within. there is no indian alive today – only assamese, bengalis, biharis, marathis, UPites, tamil, oriya, gujerati, andhras, kannad, malyali, himachali, rajasthani, kashmiri, goanese, madhyapradeshi, gorkha, punjabi, haryanvi, manipuri, mizo, tripuri, naga. will the indian stand up and show his face? since when has it become mandatory for people to become one on the basis of language alone? every state in the union enjoys great autonomy, what more do you want? united we stand, divided we fall.
Why is China issuing separate visas to residents of Indian Kashmir?
New Delhi is barring residents of Indian Kashmir from travelling to China on separate visas issued by the Chinese embassy.
Saifuddin Soz, senior Kashmiri leader and member of India’s ruling Congress party, has said the decision by China to issue hand-written visas on loose sheets of paper to Kashmiris was “not acceptable”.
Why is China issuing separate visas to people from Indian Kashmir?
Separatist leaders say that China’s decision to issue visas to Kashmiris on loose sheets reflects Beijing’s recognition of Kashmir as disputed territory.
Kashmir, where tens of thousands of people have been killed since an anti-India insurgency broke out in 1989, is divided between India, Pakistan and China.
India controls around 45 percent of the former princely state, Pakistan around a third and China the rest, a largely uninhabited slice of high-altitude desert.
i did my graduation in shillong/the college was full of students from various racial or communal backgrounds/majority of them has always been the nagas and the mizos/one of them tries to dominate the other all the time in every sphere of college curriculum or extra-curriculum/sometime they go for full fleged battles/but ironically the fights begin from silly disputes like plates for food…….whereas the problem lies with their ego …………….this is exactly what is happening with India and China
Rex
I do not expect anything concrete from you. So don’t sweat.
Have fun!