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Mr. Chairman,
Our democratic founders of the UN gave hope to the post- war world by instilling the “principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples,” as the first article of the UN Charter. This proclamation was distilled from two of the most important treaties of the civilized world from which all other rights of mankind flow, the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which, proclaims for all of humanity to witness that "all peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development."
Mr. Chairman,
The UN General Assembly affirmed these principles by adopting resolutions No. 1514 and 2625.
From 1993 the world accelerated these compliances of the United Nations Charter starting with the Vienna Declaration of 1993, in 1994 the World Social Summit in Copenhagen, the Millennium Summit of 2000, the UN World Summit 2005 and most recently, the 15th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), all these reaffirmed the right of peoples to self-determination.”
These are the principles that must no longer be ignored. In what attracts Kashmir to the Agenda today I will not voice myself but from within India itself many voices of sanity have raised the volume to signify the plight of Kashmir. I will share some with you.
Kashmir is not only about “Kashmir.” Governing Kashmir is about India’s coming of age as a power. Kashmir is about nostalgia, about resources, and buffer zones. Lets examine what is happening in Kashmir.
Between June 11 and September 22 of 2010, Kashmir witnessed the death of 109 youth, men, and women by Indian forces. Since June 7, there have been 73 days of curfew and 75 days of strikes and agitation.
Such policy does not bode well and will produce intractable conflict and violence. All indications are that Kashmiri civil society dissent will not abate. It is not externally motivated, but historically compelled.
Kashmir resistance against occupation has entered a new and alarming phase. A new generation of the Kashmiri youth has assumed the mantle of struggle.
Now women have organized protests. Salim Pundit of the Indian “Nation” newspaper asks:
What is making the ordinary Kashmiri woman so angry that she is out on the street, throwing stones at police and leading the mob?
Is the Kashmiri woman’s new ‘movement’ all that new? Not really. Kashmir’s women have been coming out onto the streets since 1990, when the intifada began in the state. But this is the first time they have chucked stones, burned vehicles and led demonstrations against the police.
Asiya Andarabi, a woman leader, believes part of the reason is because Kashmir’s women can no longer ignore the death and mayhem outside their homes.
The question is does this reflect democracy, Ayaz Hussain of Srinagar writes for the “Nation”. If the last week proved one thing, it was how irrelevant both the Centre and state governments have made themselves in the Valley.
Sandeep Unithan and Bhawana Vija Arora writes:
Eid held up a harsh spotlight to the political landscape of the Valley last week, highlighting three months of protests, strikes and curfew in Kashmir. Even as lakhs, led by Hurriyat stalwart Mirwaiz Umar Farooq prayed at the Eidgath grounds. Until 1989, National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah would pray at Eidgah beind the Mirwaiz’s father… this Eid, Abdullah’s grandson and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was not be able to visit Eidgah. After prayers that morning, people marched to Lal Chowk, the business nerve centre of Srinagar. By noon, hundreds of thousands had reached the clock tower. It was under this very clock tower that Sheikh Abdullah of Kashmir recited to Nehru of India a Persian couplet declaring that the two nations had become one. It was here that Nehru promised, in turn, that there would be no “forced marriage” with Kashmir and reiterated its right to choose its future through a referendum.
Mehbooba says the crisis exists because India willfully tooled itself into believing the 2008 election was a referendum in its favour. Here, the dominant discourse is freedom; we have to address this aspiration to the maximum,” she says.
Mainstream politicians know the yawning chasm that separates their populist public positions from the actual ones and they know that the people know it too. Crippled by guilt and an awareness of their flawed practices, when rage walks the streets, defying bullets, when shouts of freedom rend the air, mainstream politics does not – cannot – reach out to its people. It sinks, instead, into the chasm.
Upper House Minister CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury visited Kashmir and was asked:
What is your assessment of the ground reality in Kashmir?
The gravity and depth of alienation is much deeper than we thought. People speak of freedom passionately even in hospitals.
Kuldip Nayar, Ex-MP and High Commissioner to UK and veteran journalist says:
“The excesses committed by the security forces there are reprehensible and there should be an inquiry by a judicial commission to find out why they indulge in violence. The promise of zero tolerance doesn’t mean anything when children are killed in action taken against agitators.”
“I think we owe it to ourselves as a nation built on liberal democratic principles to guarantee as much democracy and freedom as possible to the people of Kashmir.”
The New York Times quoting Professor Amitabh Mattoo of India at Jawaharlal Nehru University himself a Kashmir Hindu, “says it is not about fair elections. It is about reaching out to a generation of Kashmiris who think India is a huge monster represented by bunkers and security forces. Simon Tisdall writing for the Guardian in London sums it up by saying that the New Delhi blinkered Kashmir policy since partition in 1947 ignoring UN demand for a self-determination plebiscite, rigging elections, manipulating or overthrowing elected government and neglecting economic development – lies at the heart of problem”.
While we await a much needed action plan on Kashmir by the UN, the most important event ever to have taken place between the years 2000-2010 was the Kashmir Study Group Report, which was developed as the Livingston Proposal. The Professor of International Law at the Fletcher School in Tuft University, Prof Horst Heitman wrote a memorandum in this regard called “Kashmir a way forward.”
For the first time in history of the sub-continent both sides of the line of control participated, including the former Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan, Mr. Niaz Niak and Mr. SK Singh. They were subsequently followed by Foreign Secretary of India and Pakistan, Mr. Riaz Khokher and Mr. Dixit.
At one stage former President Musharraf of Pakistan quoted from this report so extensively that it emerged as his own plan. A lot of people seem to forget that the plan was developed by the people of Kashmir and not by others and it belonged entirely to the wishes of the people of Kashmir. This plan should be considered within the scope of self-determination as it is the only step forward in the past 60 years history of Kashmir and seems to have a developed accepted principles on the ground.
A peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions would create the atmosphere of durable peace and stability, so needed in South Asia and in the end I quote former Prime Minister Tony Blair who once said:
“The dragon’s teeth are planted in the fertile soil of wrongs unrighted, of disputes left to fester.”
Thank you .