Do not expect Pakistan to leave Kashmir alone

Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 5th July, 2011

A Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune, in an article on June, 30 titled, 'Leave Kashmir alone and focus on internal problems: Manmohan tells Pakistan" has stated that the "Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed hope that Pakistan will "leave Kashmir alone", as it has its own share of internal problems to deal with".

The newspaper purports that the Prime Minister made this statement during his interaction with selected five editors of Indian newspapers on Wednesday, June, 29. This comment has been carried by a large number of Pakistan newspapers and websites, but it has not been covered by the Indian media.

Dr Manmohan Singh's comment, it has created quite a flutter in Pakistan. The social networking website "Facebook" is full of hate mail against the Prime Minister. Most of the comments are unmentionable personalised attacks, but some of them give an insight into the thought process of the younger Facebook savvy population of the country.

A comment Umair Safdar says "Kashmir aik jannat hai aaj tak jannat na kisi kafir ko mili hai na millay ge...kashmir banay ga pakistan.... (Kashmir is a heaven and heaven never has and never will be granted to an infidel, Kashmir will become Pakistan). In another comment one Marina Mengal says " Isse yeh saabit hota hai India ki kamzoori hai Kashmir, aur humara tu maqsad hee Kashmir ko haasil karna hai" (This proves that India's weakness is Kashmir and our objective is only to get Kashmir)

The purported comment has also been subject to a number of chat shows in Pakistani Television channels. A chat show on the Pakistan based Dunya Channel gave credence to a view that a large number of Pakistanis are now blaming their government for going soft on the issue of Kashmir. The speakers highlighted the inability of the government to respond proactively during the turmoil that faced Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine controversy in 2008 and once again during the agitations that rocked the Kashmir valley in the summers of 2009 and 2010. The panelists also stated that the Pakistani government is no longer in a position to garner international support for the Kashmiri cause and that most of the western countries are no longer interested in the so called Kashmir problem.

A speaker attributed that purported comment by the Indian Prime Minister to the weakness of the Pakistani Army. He felt that since the Pakistani Army itself is acknowledging its inability to match up to India's strength, the Indian leadership has every reason to make such comments. The speaker went on to roundly castigate the government and the Army for their inability to contain the flow of terrorism in the country.

This debate generated in Pakistan indicates the level of anti-India indoctrination that the young Facebook savvy generation of the country has been subjected to. This generation may not have a clear knowledge of the Kashmir question, but it obviously has a very emotional viewpoint on the subject.

More serious is the feeling of hatred that some in the younger generation harbour for a neighbouring country which has, despite great military power, never shown any expansionist designs against their nation. The hatred simply cannot stand scrutiny of logic except when seen as the result of a well thought out propaganda. Those who thrive on such hatred will always be a source of danger in the sub-continental environment.

Unfortunately, the Pakistani leadership is fraught with contradictions with respect to the Kashmir issue . This could be the reason behind the acrimonious blame game that the leaders of Pakistan are now indulging in. Many fear that Kashmir is a lost cause and are working towards emerging from the mess with unsoiled hands.

There is a lot of merit in the perception that the western nations are no longer interested in Kashmir. This is because the international community has realised that the people of Kashmir have chosen to continue being a part of the democratic Indian Union.

The massive turnout in the recently held Panchayat elections, the huge tourist inflow which crossed all expectations and touched the three lakh mark in the month of May, the smooth conduct of the Amarnath Yatra, the good governance that the State government is seen to be providing have reinforced this opinion. There is realization that foreign sponsored terrorism has been contained by the security forces.

The writing on the wall is that the Kashmiri's have opted for democracy, peace, progress and prosperity within the ambit of the Indian state.

There are some in Pakistan who would like to project that they are facing danger from a mightier India . One hopes they will not succeed in their attempt. India has consistently demonstrated its abhorrence for expansionist designs,

The aura is being created to garner as much of the foreign aid as possible into the ambit of defense expenditure from where it can be looted with impunity.Thus, while preparing for an imaginary enemy they are creating an enemy within.

The Indian Prime Minister has given the sanest advise that can ever be given to Pakistan. Instead of wrangling over it, the country needs to introspect about its inherent problems..

Are we hoping too much? By Jaibans Singh (ANI)

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