Friday, December 22, 2023

The armed opposition in Jammu and Kashmir reemerging but this time not in the valley of Kashmir. In the Poonch area, an attack on India army vehicles on 21 Dec 2023 at around 3:45 in the morning, killed five soldiers and injured two. Authority believed that there was a chance of hand to hand fight and they also took the weapons of the Indian soldiers.




The political question of Jammu and Kashmir from the outset was very simple, in line with the new norms of decolonization and the right to self-determination but the partition of India based on sectarian prescription was to legitimize the political map shaped by the East India Company army through wars and conquering of people and nations of the regions.

India and Pakistan instead behaved like new democratic countries, but instead, as the dominions of the British, acted like new colonial masters to grab more territories in the area rather than to respect the people and nation’s aspirations. This approach was the main reason for the situation that has been created in Jammu and Kashmir to make it a complex issue for many years.

India's decision to impose its will on the people of Jammu and Kashmir and turn it into a bilateral question to its partner in crime, Pakistan, rather than let the people make their decision democratically without any external threat and intimidation. The irony is that in 1953 the Indian government dismissed the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir and arrested the most popular leader Sheikh Abdullah. This move was seen as a violation of the people's democratic rights and has resulted in serious human rights violations over the years his party was not allowed to participate in the election and instead, Jamat-e-Islami was exported from Delhi to participate in the election just to misguide the world about India’s democratic attitude and practices and sowing the seeds of religious extremism in politics.

The armed opposition that emerged in response to this decision has led to a cycle of violence and instability in the region. The situation has been further complicated by the involvement of external actors and their interests in the region. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been caught in the middle of this conflict and have suffered greatly as a result.

It is important for all parties involved to come together and find a peaceful and lasting solution to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. This can only be achieved through dialogue and a commitment to respect the human rights and democratic aspirations of the people of the region. This is duty of India and Pakistan to allow the people from both sides of the divide to elect their representatives. The elected representatives can formulate the draft constitution with the consent of China, India, and Pakistan and the subject draft constitution to be put before the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the final vote. The referendum based on one pass the post cannot apply to Jammu and Kashmir because this state has always been a federal, multicultural political landscape living together for thousands of years.

In 2019, the Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two union territories indicating that the Indian government has no respect for people and nations furthermore the political system of Idina as a constitutional union means recognizing the historical nations is negation, replace with colonial approach to all.

Ultimately, the resolution of the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir will require a willingness to listen to all perspectives and a commitment to finding a solution that is acceptable to all parties involved. Only then can the people of Jammu and Kashmir hope to live in peace and prosperity and to end bloodshed on both sides. The deaths of the militants or the deaths of the soldiers and civilians indicate the failed policies applied by both India and Pakistan for the last 75 years and following the same footsteps means further bloodshed and wars, a self-destruction for all.

The Indo-Pak imposed conflict over Jammu and Kashmir has taken a heavy toll on the people of the land, with widespread violence and human rights abuses reported on both sides. This also led to suffering from economic stagnation and underdevelopment, with limited access to basic services such as job creation, healthcare, and education even though Jammu Kashmir was an exporter country to Europe in 1850.

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