Who is a Kashmiri patriot?

Posted by on August 13, 2012 in Articles by Dr Shabir Choudhry | Comments Off

Who is a Kashmiri patriot?

 

Dr Shabir Choudhry  17 July 2011

 

Those who manage and support what goes on inJammu and Kashmirestablished a political culture that suited their agenda; and one important characteristic of this imposed culture is that you must attackIndiaif you want to be regarded as a patriotic Kashmiri. If on the other hand, you criticisePakistanand expose selfish and expansionist policy ofPakistan, then all your previous sacrifices and work is forgotten and you would be branded as a traitor and an Indian agent.

 

This is the dilemma we nationalists ofJammu and Kashmirface, and have been facing for many decades. It is because of this fear some nationalists ofJammu and Kashmirtend to only criticiseIndiaand remain quiet on issues related toPakistan.

 

Yasin Malik, Chairman of one faction of the JKLF visitedPakistanonce again. He took part in aKashmirdebate on a Pakistani TV Duniya. During the entire debate he ensured that he did not say anything:

 

  • About plight of people of Azad Kashmir, which is known as Pakistani Occupied Kashmir, where people have genuine problems resulting from the policies ofPakistan;

 

  • About the plight of the people of Gilgit Baltistan, which has been annexed byPakistan; and where situation in may ways is worse than that ofJammu and Kashmir;

 

Despite the fact that he did not speak a single word about our problems, he did not forget to complain that people of Azad Kashmir are less concerned about ‘occupied Kashmir’ (meaning Indian occupied – but to true nationalists entire State of Jammu and Kashmir is occupied) now and more interested in elections in Azad Kashmir. This was said to make us feel guilty that we are not fulfilling our duty to speak for rights of the people ofJammu and Kashmir; but what about their duty to speak about problems we face under Pakistani occupation?

 

He further ensured that he did not criticisePakistan’sKashmirpolicy; and those Pakistanis who were on the discussion panel were more critical ofPakistan’sKashmirpolicy then a Kashmiri ‘nationalist leader’. This speaks volumes about the position of Kashmiri leaders and why they refrain from speaking their mind because they don’t want to be accused of being antiPakistanand an Indian agent.

 

Now let us look at the situation.Jammu and Kashmiris occupied byIndia,PakistanandChina. Those who criticiseIndiaonly and defendPakistanthey are promoted as loyal and patriots. But those who are not occupied byIndiaand are under direct occupation ofPakistan, they are not allowed the same right to criticise the country that occupies them.

 

Those nationalists who live under Pakistani occupation, if they criticise Pakistan then they are called anti movement and Indian agents; and it is that fear of being called anti movement and an Indian agent that is forcing some to remain quiet on Pakistan’s Kashmir policy.

 

However, we nationalist of Pakistani Administered Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan reached this conclusion many years ago that those who are occupied by India let them fight India according to their needs and resources; and those who are occupied by Pakistan should concentrate exposing myths associated with Pakistan and holy cows who formulate, manage and dictate Kashmir policy to promote their agenda and do not care about interest of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

In this regard Baba Jaan, a nationalist leader from Gilgit Baltistan said: ‘We are part of the Kashmir dispute, but all regions are occupied and we all have to struggle against those who occupy us. India is an occupier on that side and people are struggling against them. We have no problem from India on this side, so our struggle cannot be and should not be against India. Our struggle should be against the country which has its big boot on our neck. We don’t want any lessons from anyone that we support this or that struggle, or adopt this ideology or that ideology; our first priority is to remove that big boot from neck that we can breathe.’

Baba Jaan further said, ‘We can have unity and coordination and support each other, but it is unrealistic to expect someone from Srinagar or Muzaffarabad to come here and fight on my behalf. Similarly we cannot go there and fight on their behalf. Those people or groups who promote this strategy that we should all liberate Kashmir occupied by India first are practically advancing Pakistani plan of diverting attention away from problems we face here and making the struggle more difficult.’

How sad that when leaders from the Valley Syed Ali Gilani, Shabir Shah, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Yasin Malik and others only target wrong doings of India; and turn a blind eye to blunders and imperialist policy of Islamabad they are called patriots. And how sad, that even though these ‘patriots’ remain quiet about occupation of 33,000 sq miles of their territory, and plight of their fellow countrymen, some people with tunnel vision and misplaced loyalty follow them and promote them as leaders.

 

How sad that, Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat more than once said thatJammu and Kashmirshould be divided, and he is still loyal and patriot; and some of those who attack me and other true nationalists remain quiet on issue of Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat. Is it because he is from the Valley and enjoys special status and can get away with these things; and we people are from an area of less importance and have to be punished for crimes we have not committed?

 

I am not addressing those who are on a pay role of secret agencies, as they cannot think and act independently. I am addressing those who think logically and who want to understand the situation and real issues. Why is it that:

 

  • When Yasin Malik does not speak about problems of people under Pakistani occupation and does not criticisePakistan, he is patriot;

 

  • When Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and Shabir Shah do not speak about our problems on the Pakistani side of the LOC and do not even speak about wrong policies ofPakistanthey are still patriots;

 

  • When Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat proposes a division ofJammu and Kashmirhe is still a patriot?

 

On the other hand we have never said that:

 

  • Kashmirbelongs toIndia
  • There are no human rights abuses inJammu and Kashmir
  • WhatIndiais doing is justified
  • Accession toIndiais final or
  • We want to be part ofIndia

 

Despite that clear distinction that we speak for the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir, as we say the entire State is disputed and people of the State should decide its future, we are promoted as ‘anti movement’ and ‘pro India’. Is it not clear that those who helped to start this struggle set up rules for this too – they created a political culture and wanted people to follow those rules and work within the para meters set out by them.

 

They wanted everyone to focus on the situation of Indian side of the LOC only; and must not speak what goes on in Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Those of us who disobey this rule and say that we are occupied by Pakistan on this side of the LOC, and it is only logical that we struggle against the country that occupy us, we become target of our occupiers and their proxies.

 

Sincere people who believe that Jammu and Kashmir is one political entity and must not be divided; and those who agree that the Kashmir dispute is not religious in nature, as Jammu and Kashmir is multi religious, multi ethnic and multi cultural State should understand designs of those who want to occupy us and divide us in name of religion and sects.

 

They also need to understand why those people are targeted who are promoting cause of all people of Jammu and Kashmir, and who say the entire State is occupied and disputed. Under the terms of the UNCIP Resolution any Kashmiri can advocate accession to India, accession to Pakistan, and an independent Kashmir, then why is that those who oppose accession to Pakistan are characterized as ‘traitors’. Does it not show that policy makers ofPakistanand their agents are creating these divisions to advance their agenda?

 

Writer is Head Diplomatic Committee of Kashmir National Party, political analyst and author of many books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs.Email:drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com

View my blog and web: www.drshabirchoudhry.blogspot.com

www.k4kashmir.com

 

 

About K4Kashmir

PROFILE OF Dr SHABIR CHOUDHRY Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in Nakker Shamali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and holds a dual nationality. Dr Shabir Choudhry has done extensive research on the issue of Kashmir and Indo Pakistan relations. He passed BA Honours in Politics and History, and Mphil in International Relations (title of the thesis, ‘Kashmir and Partition of India’); and title of his PhD thesis is ‘Kashmir- An issue of a nation not a dispute of a land’. Apart from this Dr Shabir Choudhry passed Post Graduates Certificates in Education, and NVQ Assessor’s qualifications; and taught English in London. Political Achievements Founder member of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front established in 1977) and got elected as a Press Secretary in 1984. • Became its Secretary General in 1985, and resigned from this post in 1996. • Got elected President of JKLF and Europe in May 1999, and decided not to contest in elections of July 2001. • Said good - bye to the JKLF as it is in many groups and is largely seen as advancing a Pakistani agenda on Kashmir dispute, and set up a new party Kashmir National Party in May 2008. . At present, he is: • Spokesman Kashmir National Party and Director Diplomatic Committee; • Founder member and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs; Previously • A founder Member and Trustee/ Director of London based registered charity, Kashmir Foundation International and resigned from this position in August 2001. • Regularly take part in the Sessions of the UN Human Rights (Commission) now Council in Geneva; and address various conferences and seminars to oppose violence and highlight the Kashmir cause. • Have addressed dozens of seminars and conferences in the British Parliament, European Parliament and other important capitals of the world on issue of Kashmir, violence and terrorism. • Addressed as a key note speaker in a Conference at New Delhi arranged by Jawahar Lal Nehru University. • Participated in a Round Table Conference on Kashmir, organised by Socialist Group of European Parliament in Brussels in 1993. • Addressed as a Chief Guest in a seminar on issue of Mangla Dam during the UN Sub Commission’s proceedings in August 2003. • Addressed as a key - note speaker in a seminar on the issue of Gilgit and Baltistan, organised by Association of British Kashmiris. • Addressed as a keynote speaker on human rights conference in Paris in 1991. • Addressed at Cambridge University as a Chief Guest in a conference on Kashmir in 1990. • Addressed as a keynote speaker at New Delhi conference on Kashmir, which was part of Track Two diplomacy in November 2000. • In September 2008, addressed a Conference arranged by Interfaith International in Geneva, topic of which was: “Kashmir Issue, Terrorism and Human Rights”. • Addressed as a speaker in a NGO Conference on Self - Determination in Geneva in August 2000. • Addressed as a keynote speaker in a fringe meeting of Liberal Democrats at their Annual Conference in Brighton in 1995. • Participated in World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993. • Before President Clinton's visit to India and Pakistan in 2000, lead a JKLF delegation to the State Department to discuss Kashmir dispute and situation in South Asia. • Also had two rounds of meetings with senior State Department officials before President Musharraf’s meeting to Washington in June 2003. • Apart from that had meetings with senior officials including Ministers of different countries, and also held many meetings with the State Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on number of occasions. • Played important role in advancing a Kashmiri perspective on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir; and also helped Baroness Emma Nicholson with her report ‘Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’, which was adopted by the European Parliament in May 2007. • Won first prize in an essay competition in Urdu in 1976. It was organised by High Commission of Pakistan in London, and title of the essay was 'Qaaid-e- Azam's role in Islamic History'. • Apart from that have addressed conferences in Brussels, Geneva, Toronto, Islamabad, Delhi, and Publications • Got first Urdu novel ‘Fareena’ published at the age of eighteen. • Second Urdu novel ‘Bay-Khataa’ which was about the problems of Asian youths living in UK published in 1983. • Third Urdu book ‘Pakistan and Kashmiri struggle for independence’ published in 1990. • Fourth Urdu book is also on Kashmiri struggle, 'Is an independent Kashmir a conspiracy?' • Apart from that has twenty five books and booklets published in English on various aspects of the Kashmiri struggle. • Recent publications are: Kashmir dispute as I see it • Different perspective on Kashmir • JKLF visit to Pakistan Administered Kashmir • Kashmir Needs a Change of Heart • If not self - determination then what? • Emma Nicholson report- who has won? • Struggle for independence, Jihad or proxy war (Introduction by Baroness Emma Nicholson) • Why 22 October 1947 is important in Kashmiri history? • New dimensions of the Kashmiri struggle. The following books are published by a German company and available on www.amazon.co.uk • New Round of the 'Great Game', ISBN 978-3-639-33084-7 • Liberation Struggle, Jihad or a Proxy War, ISBN 978-3-639-33424-1 • Kashmir Dispute: New Dimensions and New Challenges ISBN 978-3-639-33566-8 • Kashmir Dispute and Peace in South Asia ISBN 978-3-639-33732-7 • Terrorism, Kashmir Dispute and Possible Solutions ISBN 978-3-639-34239-0 • Kashmir And The Partition of India, (my Mphil research) ISBN 978-3-639-34801-9 • Kashmir – an Issue of a Nation not Dispute of a Land, (my PhD research) 978-3-639-35593-2 • Are Kashmiris part of the Kashmir Dispute? 978-3-639-37225-0 • A brief background Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in a small village called Nakker Shamali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and like other people from the region, holds a dual nationality. He left secondary school in 1970 with no qualifications and began his life as a textile worker. In 1975 he started part time studies and passed Matriculation from Government High School Panjeri, passed ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from UK, and resumed full time degree course in 1981, and passed BA (Hons) in Politics and History in 1984. He continued full time and part time jobs until he got his Mphil. He passed his PGCE (Post Graduates Certificate in Education) in 1990, and then started full time job as a Lecturer. Due to health problems he resigned from teaching in 1999. At present he is self - employed, provides private tuition, translation and interpretation and consultancy. Through out his adult life he has actively worked for the cause of Kashmir, and even during long illness he effectively carried out his responsibilities as a leader of the JKLF, a ‘prolific writer’ and consistent campaigner of Rights Movement and peace in Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia. Dr Shabir Choudhry Email:drshabirchoudhry@googlemail.com Telephone: 0044 (0)7790942471

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