U-Turn

It wasn’t a SAARC conference but a shark conference that gulped down a lot ideological differences, cultural contrasts, border disputes, differences on water resources,,,,,,,,all gone in a single swallow. The conference boasted peace talks, messages of solidarity, songs of love, setting up common borders, celebrating the historical event of 1857 together, it put forward suggestions of single currency and common passports, fresh cooperation and joint ventures in sport and culture, an accord was signed to curb terrorism, and pledges were taken to check border infiltration.

The pro-Hindu, hardened politician L K Adavni is beside himself with the success of the SAARC conference. Not only him but many international leaders, Pakistani politicians, and analysts are also giving out messages of felicitations. Yes, one should be happy at prospects of peace. War is not the answer to domestic and foreign problems. War turns cities buzzing with life into graveyards. Thousands of citizens are disabled and wounded, the road to development is blocked, business goes downhill, inflation hits the sky, the people cry out for a small piece of bread.

The Quran-e-Kareem illustrates the devastation of war concisely in the words of Queen Bilqees (Queen of Sheba),
“She said, when (conquering) kings enter a city or town it is ruined to rubble and its honorables are humiliated.”

War does not affect any one element but all aspects of life so it is always better to avoid it. The view taken by those intellectuals and writers makes sense, who continuously advocate peace and the pressing need for dialogue. On the other hand the views taken by those scholars cannot be ignored who are consistently warning us against an enemy who is known for its meanness, malice, prejudice, intolerance, selfishness, and hypocrisy; who is well known for its unique policy of stabbing in the back; who has not accepted us after the passage of 56 years; whose hands are dripping with the blood of eighty thousand Kashmiris; who is responsible for defiling the honour of thousands of respectable women; that with whom we not only have a political and geographical, but also an ideological conflict; who has never missed a chance to injure us or take revenge; who has never forgotten the one thousand years of Muslim rule over them. Those, who’s Prime Minister announced on the Fall of Dhaka,

“We have taken the revenge of a thousand years’ subjugation.”

The only reason for the barrage on River Chenab and Jehlam is to deprive Pakistan of their waters that will result in shortage for agriculture and give rise to a draught. The talks of free trade are not to improve Pakistan’s business but to boost their own. This was the very same desire for spreading business and a new market that played a key role in the creation of Bangladesh. Bharat was in urgent need of a market where it could dump its second-rate products. Today it has arrived on the same mission in Pakistan.

Let’s suppose that making transportation easier will encourage good relations between the two nations, but the question is, before the partition both nations had scores of chances to develop good relation every day, why did they not fraternize then? Let alone occupied Kashmir, talk of free Kashmir, and still further, Skardu and Gilgit on which they have set their eyes. We admit that some sort of sacrifice is needed for the solution of problems but this far? Where our national existence and our borders are compromised, no it is not acceptable to any of us.

The mujahideen of occupied Kashmir have put forward five conditions before the Indian Government to cease gorilla attacks: one, that India end the repeated mantra of calling Kashmir its “atot ang” (inseparable part) and accept it as a disputed territory; two, the problem of Kashmir be solved according to the wish of the people of Kashmir; three, the release of all Kashmiri prisoners; four, bring to a halt the persecution of unarmed civilians; and five, call back its army from Kashmir. Despite being weak, inadequately armed, and without any official support, they have respect for themselves and put forward terms of their own for a compromise. But we, who have not only nuclear power but are also a free nation, have not given any kind of stipulations.

We only want to give and want nothing in return. Yesterday we took a U-turn over the Afghan issue and today we want to turn about on the question of Kashmir. Yesterday, we betrayed the Taliban and today we want to close our eyes to Kashmiris. Do negotiate and try to create a better atmosphere, do give peace a chance for the 15 billion populace of both the countries as there is no question of progress without peace, do organize more SAARC conferences; but for God’s sake do not let it become a Shark. A shark which is going to eat up our freedom, ideology, identity, our jihadi sentiment, our individuality, our customs and culture, our nation and land, even our very existence.