Dr. Jaipal Singh
Neighbour Sponsored Separatist Movement in Kashmir
Postlude
It is not the lack of evidence that prevents Pakistan from acting against the terrorists and anti-India activities on its soil but, in fact, it's compulsion of geo-political legacy and military strategy that flourishes on anti-India sentiments and propaganda. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to state that causing harm to the Indian interests is encoded into Pakistan's DNA and state agencies are religiously preserving this genetic stuff. A few rationalists in Pakistan too occasionally question and debate the dubious ways of the state agencies like the ISI and army but they represent minority view and are religiously dismissed and ignored. As a matter of fact, the role and authority of army in Pakistan is unquestionable and history is witness that any civilian government has not survived for long without its patronage and support. In the past, Indian prime ministers reposed faith in Pakistani leadership on many occasions to achieve a long term peace and cooperation with neighbour but these moves were everytime sabotaged by them at military, political or diplomatic level.
For any reference from the Indian side about Pakistan's laxity or complicity in handling terrorists and their activities, Pakistan invariably poses self as the victim of terrorism referring to own casualties suffered in terror incidents. Also as counter measure, it charges India of inciting trouble in Baluchistan and elsewhere to malign its image before international community. Currently, there is a stalemate in Indo-Pak relations and any peace and cooperation appears a remote possibility. After years of dilemma and bickering, the US and allies have finally acknowledged Pakistan's continuing support to the terror groups like LeT and JeM and also that it has not done enough to destroy terrorist networks or curtail their activities. This is a significant development because this would mean that henceforth Pakistan would face many sanctions including restrictions on foreign assistance, a ban on defense exports and sales, certain controls over exports of dual use items and even find it difficult to receive loans from the international financial institutions like International Monetary Fund and World Bank. This means Pakistan has difficult days ahead unless it mends its ways and put break on its coercive and treacherous activities against neighbours.
When some Indian and most Pakistani people argue that Kashmir is the root cause of conflict and major bottleneck in normalization of relations for a sustained peace and harmony between India and Pakistan; on face, it appears a very cogent and strong reason. Notwithstanding, it is also a fact that now the dispute is over seventy years old and umpteen efforts have been made internationally under the aegis of the United Nations and influential world leader countries like the US and UK as also bilaterally by the top leadership of the two countries from time to time under various treaties and agreements, yet the issue remained unresolved. So one needs to cautiously ponder as to who is actually responsible for this conundrum and what is that unreconcilable issue that ultimately spoils any chances of settlement between the two stakeholder nations.
UN Mediation Efforts on Kashmir
Seeds of conflict between the newly created dominions of India and Pakistan were sown by Muhammad Ali Jinnah himself when he declared Kashmir as “The Jugular Vein of Pakistan” in 1947. It is of common knowledge and part of recorded history how Pakistan army supported militant Muslims and Pashtun tribesmen made invasion and advances into Kashmir valley in 1947 to forcibly occupy it by overthrowing the Dogra King. It was only after the Maharaja formally sought intervention of India and signed an instrument of accession on 25 October, 1947 that the Government of India dispatched its armed forces to save Kashmir. The war between the Indian forces and Pakistani invaders continued till 1948 untill Indian leadership under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sought intervention of United Nations Security Council in January 1948 for the resolution of the issue.
Among several resolutions on India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir, the one passed by the UN Security Council on 21st April 1948 was most crucial which inter alia provided for three major stipulations. As the first step, Pakistan was called upon to make best endeavours to secure the withdrawal of all Pakistani nationals and tribesmen putting an end to the fighting in the state. As the second step, India was expected to progressively reduce its armed forces to the minimum level as required for keeping law and order. In doing so, India was expected to administer law and order in consultation with the UN Commission, engaging local personnel as far as possible. Finally as third step, India was asked to make sure that all the major political parties were invited to participate in the state government forming a coalition cabinet. Following this, India was to appoint a Plebiscite Administrator nominated by the United Nations for a free and impartial plebiscite.
However, both India and Pakistan had reservations and objections over certain provisions in UN Resolution. For instance, India had reservations about the suggested coalition government allowing participation of pro-Pakistani elements while Pakistan was reluctant to vacate territories already captured. Thus due to mutual mistrust and differences over the implementation of these conditions, two sides could never implement their part of pre-requisites of plebiscite for long. In other words, Pakistan never vacated the occupied territory of Kashmir which they called ‘Ajad Kashmir' and India never demilitarized fearing more adventures and surprises from the Pakistani side. Subsequent intervention of United Nations with revised formulae too could not resolve differences of two sides. The question of plebiscite gradually became impractical and irrelevant and United Nations stopped considering the issue of plebiscite after 1962 and, instead, kept advising both nations to settle dispute through bilateral talk.
To be continued…
(Courtesy:www.boloji.com)
(The author is a retired civil servant having his interest in history sports, literature, art and culture. Currently, he is engaged as Advisor with a Central Autonomous Body and a Public Enterprise.)
