From: “Siddharth Sinha” <siddharth.sinha@wipro.com>

To: <defjrnl@pathfinder.com.pk>

Subject: Speak my mind

Hi

My name is Siddharth Sinha and I’m from Mumbai India. I am a regular reader of Defence Journal because I feel that this is a right medium to gauge the mind set of the other side. Well although the mind set here is more hawkish than my liking. I do not know whether you will print this or not but I feel that as an equal participant in the discussion (the enemy remember!!) I should be allowed to have my say.

Firstly I feel that the moment Islamic countries reserve all their sympathy for only the muslims around the world they lose their neutrality. I mean it is always arguing for the rights of the Muslims in Bosnia, Kashmir or Palestine, if you would show  more sympathy for atrocities commited on Non- muslims (whether by Muslims or Non-Muslims) then may be your arguments on human rights violations on Muslims would be more effective. I mean thousands of ethnic African Blacks have been killed in Sudan by the Muslim regime there but no one says a word about it except for the corrupt west. Any country you have a population of muslim population of more than 50% you go and declare it a muslim country with Islam as the major religion. It is fine with others as long as you use the same gauge and respect the feelings of the majority of the countries where muslims are in a minority. Secondly the bone of contention between India and pakistan that is kashmir.Well the ground realities are different now then 50 years when there was a talk of the plebiscite. Now if you start of with such rights of self-determination then you can spark of unrest in other parts of a diverse country like India. Would you ever be able to imagine  the ramifications that a second partition could have on the muslim minorities in India. For all your concerns for the Indian muslims you would be subjecting them to atrocities for no fault of theirs. There are solutions wherein you can have a porous border in kashmir and kashmiri people on both sides could be free to travel and buy property in essence lead normal lives while issues like defence, external affairs of the two regions could be under the control of the two countries running them right now.

What I mean to say is that some sort of compromise has to be reached. If we sit on our high horse that no talks about Kashmir and you would be happy with nothing else but complete independence then sorry but I really don’t see an end to this problem soon. And it makes no difference whether who hurts more, whether its us or Pakistan we’ll both be getting damaged because of a conflict that can be avoided. There’s really not much I can do about it or will do (I am more than happy with my life and don’t want to get into a confrontation which serves absolutely no purpose) but  what I can do is speak my mind and hope that someone on the other side, well  if not in totality then at least in part agrees with me.

Warm Regards

From: “Shahid Anwar” <sats89@hotmail.com>

To: <defjrnl@pathfinder.com.pk>

Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002, 1:22 PM

Subject: Attn: Editor Op-Ed

Advani’s confederation

Shahid Anwar

In the 54-year history of troubled relations between India and Pakistan, the twin states have been entangled in hot and cold wars. India paints Pakistan as the villain of the piece (‘epicentre of terrorism’ after September 11) and presents itself as a victim of terrorism. On the other hand, Pakistan has been wary of the hegemonic aspirations of India.

At a public level, many articulate Indians see the partition as a historic mistake. On this side of the border, it is just an outrageous attack on the idea of Pakistan. What most neutral observers of the Indo-Pak conflict fail to recognise is that the role of the Indian leadership in breeding the fear of a Hindu  majority among the Muslims, the same fear converted into fear of Indian hegemony. Had the Indian political elite been committed to pluralism and secularism, the history of the subcontinent (and might be geography) would have been different. This history of conflicting perceptions goes back to the pre-partition colonial period.

The Indian political and intellectual elite disdained the very idea of  partition of India. The Congress remained committed to ‘Indian nationalism’ and left no stone unturned to keep Hindustan united. However, its leadership miserably failed to realise that as a majority  community, it was their responsibility to inspire confidence among minority communities. Noteworthy is the fact that the Muslim League under Jinnah had been striving for constitutional guarantees for the Muslims of the subcontinent. From the Nehru Report 1928 to the Cabinet Mission plan 1946, the attitude and policies of Congress, instead of winning the trust of Muslims, further reinforced their apprehensions and fears.

When the Congress committed itself to present a consensus constitutional proposal in response to a statement by Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for India, that Indians could not present a unanimous report, it came out with the Nehru Report, which sharpened the polarisation instead. Ironically, the Nehru Report could only prove that Mr. Birkenhead was right. This became ‘the parting of the ways’ in Jinnah’s words. Two other events: the formation of the Congress ministries in 1936-37, and  Nehru’s interpretation of the Cabinet Mission Plan 1946, paved the way for partition and thus made Pakistan inevitable.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad has noted with utmost regret, “This was one of the greatest tragedies of Indian history and I have to say with the deepest of regret that a large part of the responsibility rests with Jawaharlal. His unfortunate statement that the Congress would be free to modify the  Cabinet Mission Plan reopened the whole question of the political and communal settlement.” The Maulana was a great admirer of Nehru, yet he deemed it fit to comment, “I have nevertheless to say with regret that this was not the first time that he [Nehru] did immense harm to the national cause.

He had committed an almost equal blunder in 1937, when the first elections were held under the Government of India Act. ”The Indian political elite has never forgotten or forgiven the partition of India. However, instead of accepting their failure in keeping India unified — largely due to their own narrow outlook — they blamed Jinnah for everything gone ‘wrong’. The Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity and the driving spirit of the Lucknow Pact 1916 (the only agreement between the Congress and the Muslim League) has been painted as a ‘communalist’ and ‘obstructionist’.

This kind of imaging through textbooks, media, and movies has created a mindset in India that partition was a sinful betrayal with dharti mata and it was the Muslims ‘misled’ by Jinnah who committed it. This view creates hatred among the Indian public on the one hand and strengthens the perception in Pakistan that India has never accepted Pakistan, on the other. The occasional statements about a “possible confederation” between India and Pakistan, coming from across the border, only raise suspicion about the Indian intentions.

Only recently, Indian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister L. K. Advani said that if Germany could reunite, then why could not India. This analogy is fallacious in historical, cultural and political terms. India has never been a political entity in the modern sense of a state except during the British rule. Culturally the caste-ridden Hindu ethos allows little openness and respect  for diversity.

Politically, the partition of India had come about when all the political actors finally agreed that they could not agree on a united political framework. The Cabinet Mission Plan was the last proposed mechanism to keep India united (for at least 10 years).

If the great leadership of the pre-partition era with liberal, socialistic, secular and democratic orientations could not find a way to live together in a federal structure, then how can the ‘karsavek’ of Hindutva talk about confederation? They have yet to learn to let their own citizens (Muslims, Christians) live with peace and dignity in the ‘safety’ of the ‘largest democracy’ of the world.

The time has come that civil society in India realises the damage done to the peaceful co-existence of the people of South Asia by the ethno-centric and self-righteous attitude of their leadership. India itself is fast moving from ‘Indian nationalism’ (territorial) to ‘cultural (Hindu) nationalism’ — Hindutva — which poses a serious threat to the fabric of Indian society.

Is not it strange that the ruling party of officially secular and democratic India is heir to an extremist Hindu philosophy that killed Mahatma Gandhi for supporting Pakistan on the issue of releasing due assets? The recent genocide of Muslims in Gujarat did evoke a universal condemnation from Indian civil society, yet the BJP government remains unmoved and unwilling to review its “Hindu majoritarianism” on the issue of the Ram temple.

We, on this side of border, have our own brand of Advanis and Bal Thakereys, who have been thoughtlessly raising the slogans to ‘crush India’ and to hoist ‘the flag of Islam’ on the Delhi Fort.

Fortunately, they have never been voted to power in Islamabad, but unfortunately, they have been in the past able to dictate their narrow foreign policy agenda to the state.

The people of the subcontinent need a break from hate-driven policies,  militancy, and militarism.

Shahid Anwar

2-Officers Colony-II

Toba Tek Singh

046-2510852

By: Colonel A.M. Khajawall, MD. ABFM., ABDA.

“Great grand gestures-Yes. Grand posturing-No!”

And

“For the triumph of evil it is necessary that the concerned people do nothing”

Dear Editor

Thank you for raising the views of the people of Kashmir before your readers. Please publish the following message for the people of Kashmir[ Elections hold little promise in Kashmir, Some Kashmiris Say, August 4, 2002, by Mannika Chopra]. Kashmir American Mission fully concurs with the articles, content and sentiment.

As the spokesman of Kashmir American Mission categorically announce that the announced Kashmir Elections are being simply orchestrated and conducted to dupe and deceive the world. Sadly. once again it is meant to deprive the occupied and oppressed people of Kashmir the freedom.

We are sure and certain that these elections are once again simply meant to deny and delay occupied and oppressed people of Kashmir to decide their future freely, fairly without any fear and favour. Kashmir has been and is militarized like a massive concentration camp.

In this environment of massive concentration camp scenario to claim that these election will be free and fair is one more big, sad, and tragic joke played onto “Tormented People of Kashmir .”

Sadly the announcers and planners of this futile, fictitious, and farce election exercise have little or no concern about the over one billion people of Indo-Kash-Pak region.

As the spokesperson of Kashmir American Mission, I am forced to say, suggest, plead to the oppressed and occupied people that you should not become party to this sinister and disastrous exercise.  It may not be bad idea to handle it as one more dark day in the history of Kashmir.

Historically you have known and witnessed that there be massive rigging at the ballot box and counting will not even occur, still the designated persons will be declared winners.

This exercise will add to your pain, anguish, and misery to which you have been accustomed to for last 55 years. Stay away from it.

Do not dirty your hands by touching these ballot papers or machines. Stay indoors and pray for sensibility and sanity of sincere people of Indo-Kash-Pak region who will look for the future of over one billion people caught up in this personal, partisan political brinkmanship and posturing at the cast of your freedom, dignity, and honour.

Above observations and suggestions are made by every fibre of my body, heart, and brain and with sure sadness.

The parties to conflict are simply playing with your future and over rest of one billion people of the region.

Let me assure you that the day is not too far away when the virtuous, wise, and visionary people will work hand in hand and remove your and their thorn [s] once for all.

Long live people of Kashmir, India, Pakistan, and rest of the world.

The solution is tripartite dialogue with the help of impartial and committed world powers and leaders. The Line to Control which is The Line of Conflict has to go and sooner the better. The beautiful and better way to bring peace to people of Kashmir and Indo-Pak region is summarized as PTP [Peace Thru Plebiscite].

Submitted sincerely for publications.

Col. Ali M. Khajawall, MD, ABFM. ABDA

Email: kashmirkam@aol.com & khajawall@yahoo.com