Letters and Editorials 9394 Views by Ameer Tarin

Indian insensitivity frustrates United Nations







Reported in the sections of the media (February 09, 2014) UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon stated that United Nations was fed-up dealing with India the age-old Kashmir issue and asked India to withdraw its case on Kashmir that it filed with the world body in 1947. "Kashmir is one of the oldest cases in UN, almost as old as the UN itself. And the case is stuck in time warp". In a jeering remark he added "We feel like a bunny bear whose one ear is being pulled by India and another by Pakistan, this is a frustrating situation". Secretary General as reported, however, suggested that Kashmir under the circumstances could approach NATO and seek redressal to undo the wrong. Yahoo news quoting Reuters reported that Secretary General was very concerned about cross border violation resulting in the loss of innocent lives.

American Congressman Dan Burton (October 04, 2014) reminded President Barrack Obama of his Kashmir pledges and urged him for intervention to resolve the humanitarian problem. The resolution of the issue is vital for the peace and stability of the region and the delay in this regard is only adding to woes of hapless people of Kashmir suffering anguish for the last sixty six years. US official stand that Kashmir needs a solution as per the wish of people of Kashmir stressing on a dialogue between two nuclear power rivals becomes too much for India to swallow.

The escalation of tension on LOC wasting quite a few expendable lives in Kashmir comes very handy to deal with the situation and finds it easy to put blame on Pakistan and unsuccessfully taint Kashmir uprising as ´terrorism´. Hindustan Times reports (October 14, 2014) "´Security forces´ in Kashmir have been alarmed after masked men carried ISIS flags after Eid prayers in Eidgah in Srinagar last week". However, imposed Chief Minister Of Indian occupied Kashmir, Omar Abdullah strongly denied of any ISIS presence in Kashmir.

As a matter of political expediency, Indian intelligence RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) swings into action hatching a conspiracy to conveniently tell the world that Kashmir is becoming part of international terrorism. Further India, after ´secret´ understanding with President Obama, expects the world community to support it to keep Kashmir under its control and justify the brutal methods used to keep occupation intact.

Hindunet .org reported (November 27, 2002) "The United States believe that Kashmir is a disputed territory and the longstanding US position on Kashmir is that the issue must be resolved through negotiations between India and Pakistan, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people".

Howard Schaffer, deputy director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University wrote in Washington Times (September 03, 2008) "Kashmir is again becoming very dangerous. Stabilizing Afghanistan, avoiding a potential nuclear face-off between Pakistan and India, and steadying the fragile democratic government in Pakistan are critical U.S. interests today, far more than in previous decades. They are all at risk if Kashmir sparks a new India-Pakistan crisis, and the United States can ignore Kashmir only at its own peril". The situation in the region worsening day by day, many believe, might get out of control.

Burton Mail of UK reports (October 11, 2014) that British MP Andrew Griffiths, chairman of All Parties Parliamentary Group, is marching to London on October 26, 2014 with an expected one million strong supporters to highlight longstanding Kashmir Issue and the need to find a peaceful and lasting resolution. Turning the pages of recent history, Indian Prime Minister late IK Gujral gave a statement on his official visit to Durban, South Africa that "Britain is a third rate power". This was in a sharp reaction to the statement given to media by then Labour foreign minister Mr Robin Cook who had said that Kashmir needs a solution as per the wish of people of Kashmir.

The official stand of successive governments in the United Kingdom have always stressed that Kashmir requires a political solution as per the wish of people of Kashmir. Bradford Telegraph reported (July 27, 2014) British parliament member David Ward having said that "The issue of Kashmir, its right to self-determination and concerns with human rights have not been debated for some time in the House of Commons and with the change of government in India, it seemed that now is the time for us in parliament to have a full and frank debate about Kashmir".

The history of India-Pakistan-China fighting full-scale wars has always given the international community tense moments. Sharing borders, the three nations equipped with lethal nuclear weapons and conventional military hardware have capability to annihilate the region in a matter of minutes involving the world with unforeseeable catastrophic results.

Indian allergy to third party mediation to resolve Kashmir imbroglio creates uncertainties and a volatile political situation. The people of Kashmir were pleased to learn that Barrack Obama just before Presidential election showed eagerness to appoint President Bill Clinton as a special envoy to mediate between India and Pakistan. Kashmir was deeply distressed on leaning that India, as expected, refused such mediation creating gloom and charged up atmosphere in Kashmir.

India´s intransigence to allow a third party to facilitate negotiations touches the sensitivities of its successive governments as the fear of gross human right violations, excesses in torture chambers, disappearances and widespread rapes surfaced puts Indian democracy, secularism and perfidious intent open to international debate.

Obama administration has all along stressed and encouraged India and Pakistan to sit across the table to find a solution while offering neutrality keeping in view Indian sensitivities for a third party mediatory role. United States maintains its position accepting Kashmir as a political problem needing a solution as per the wish of people of Kashmir. US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf in the recent past stated that "India and Pakistan need to improve their bilateral relations and work together on the Kashmir issue". She further stated that US remains concerned about the issues of peace and stability in the region. As reported this would be the most likely position of US on Kashmir "unless of course the situation between India and Pakistan deteriorates to a point causing damage to US strategic interests".

Soon after the high profile meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi, a statement was issued, without naming, by senior US officials saying that "Kashmir issue never popped up in the meeting between two leaders, which became headline news all over India. However, it was stressed that democratic societies tend to advance stability, prosperity and become better neighbours. There was a very strong desire to take actions that support and strengthen democratic institutions, including in Pakistan, and valuing Pakistan´s democracy as well." Political pundits of the region and on international level believe that US official’s statement was meant for local Indian consumption and had nothing to do with US official stand on Kashmir.


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