For the most part this is a good article. As the author points out, India has failed to expose Pakistani manipulation of "Azad" Kashmir and Gilgit/Baltistan people. These Pakistani occupied Kashmir areas directly under the thumb of the Paki prime minister and the army. Over six decades, Pakistan has totally changed the demography of these occupied areas through settling of Punjabis there. Especially in Gilgit/Baltistan section, the native Shia population has been rendered a minority by Punjabi sunni settlers. Read about the plight of the native Gigit/ Baltistanis here: balawaristandotnet.
If a few thousand Indians, from India and the diaspora, walked from Delhi to Kashmir this winter, representing every faith, ideology and ethnicity in our country, and without slogans, promises or apologies simply stood-side-by-side for a day or a week with Kashmiris who have been hurt, bereaved or humiliated, a world of good will follow for Kashmir and for our country. Every human heart yearns for dignity, every people yearn for recognition of their experience.
I'll come home to India this winter for the walk if enough people will join me. Almost sixty, I'll train for the walk here in the low hills of Pennsylvania around my home.
Padyatras are what we Indians do when faced with challenges. Force is for aggressors; Kashmiris are our own people.
Re: The Most Constructive, Audacious Proposal I've Read on Kashm
by jayanta chakraborty on Aug 12, 2010 11:35 AM
wow..Mr Sidhartha...ur every words touched my heart..U wrote like true patriotic sense...I hope ur desire will fulfill.god bless u..Jayanta chakraborty -delhi
Re: Re: The Most Constructive, Audacious Proposal I've Read on K
by jet on Aug 12, 2010 11:56 PM
many indians from other states are also hurt and humiliated.. why they are not talking about azadi and waging a war against this country. Jammmu and Ladak are also part of J&K, why are they not asking for Azadi. There should be no mercy on the people who want break this country on religious grounds. Our motherland was broken and pieces of her were taken by these sons of invaders. these guys are trying to the same, no mercy on these guys who want to observce aug 14 as solidarity day with pakistan. Let them suffer for the atrocities they have done to kashmiri hindus since 500 years. India should remove article 370 and let other patriotic indians settle there. those who are hurt , humiliated can go to pak or their ancestral countries, After all there was no muslim in kashmir 500 years ago.
Re: Re: Re: The Most Constructive, Audacious Proposal I've Read
by Siddhartha Banerjee on Aug 13, 2010 04:19 AM
Thank you for your response, Jet. "They" have talked about azadi and will do so again whether for religious, ethnic or ideological principles. The cohesion of India is non-negotiable. What should be negotiable is an alternative to violence. As a practical matter, violence has not worked except in Bluestar, and even there the civic follow-up by holding to account the killers of innocent Sikhs is, as usual in these cases in India, absent.
India cannot fight endless insurgencies and still continue to develop, perhaps even survive. I'm not suggesting that we mollycoddle separatists; just that we try to change the terms of engagement. South Africa did with its Truth & Reconciliation Commission and survived.
'stone-age autonomy' can be given to the valley alone, after jammu and ladhak are made separate states of india. indian security forces confined to 5km on loc only. all indian grants and currencies withdrawn. they can carry on with pak-sent fake-notes, besides using the stones they throw at eachother as alternate currency. they can live peacefully in their own stone-age.
Re: valley-folk can be given stone-age auttonomy
by coimbatore on Aug 12, 2010 08:26 AM
I think the solution is the correct ones, give union territoryb status to Jammu and Ladhak. Separate Kashmir out. Allow to brew for some more time. It is enough we have pampered the state further money drain is unwarantted.
'stone-age autonomy' can be given to the valley alone, after jammu and ladhak are made separate states of india. indian security forces confined to 5km on loc only. all indian grants and currencies withdrawn. they can carry on with pak-sent fake-notes, besides using the stones they throw at eachother as alternate currency. they can live peacefully in their own stone-age.
In 1947 kashmir called help from India to save their ass from Pakistan. At that time due to sardar patel; Kashmir first became an integral part of India and then India saved Kashmir from Pakistan’s attack. After independence of India; again somewhere from 1989 kashmir started looking for freedom; this time from India! This is indeed stupidity. Kashmir already had some kind of autonomy than any other state in India and their leadership did nothing good for them. It’s quite visible that Pakistan is helping and creating such tensions in Kashmir for no good reason. India has to incept the main point into each and every kashmiri people that Kashmir is very well integral part of India and by any riots, terrorism or war won’t able to separate that state from India.
As kashimiri people are tired of security personnel; it’s same from security men as well. They also tired of day to day fighting and shootings. Remember they are there to ‘defend’, if they goes to ‘offensive’ mode then by this time no one would live, every one would be dead.
It’s very simple those who wanted ‘azad kashmir’ then they should go to ‘Azad Kashmir’ created by ruled by Pakistan. They can’t create azad state wherever and whenever they want in India. There are many people don’t like India or their
