KASHMIR REPORT

Kashmir Report

By India Foundation

Expectations from the Report

• • History of Kashmir
  • Partition and Kashmir
  • Role of Security Forces in Kashmir Valley
  • Resource allocation to Jammu & Kashmir
  • Discrimination of Jammu against Kashmir Valley
  • Kashmir movement – autonomy vs Azadi
  • The present CRISIS and its leadership-  aspiration and inspiration
  • What to DO?

History

• • Kashmir has known history of 5,000 years
  • The earliest documented rule is attributed to King Sandiman (2629-2654 BC)
  • The great ruler of Karkota dynasty Lalitaditya also ruled Kashmir (724-761 AD)
  • Invaders like of Zul Qadir Khan (Dulchu), Sikander and others killed lakhs of Hindus in Kashmir.
  • In 1819, Maharaja Ranjit Singh decisively routed the Afghans and assimilated Kashmir into the Sikh empire.
  • Kashmir became part of Hindu Dogra kingdom at the end of first Sikh war in 1846 AD under Maharaja Gulab Singh.

Partition

• • Hari Singh was the ruler of Kashmir at the Time of Partition.
  • On 22^nd October Pakistan launched attack on kashmir.
  • Jammu and Kashmir became integral part of India on 27^th October, 1947 when Hari Singh signed Instrument of Accession.
  • on 1 January, 1948. Pt. Nehru went to the UN  and accepted the demand to determine the future status of Jammu and Kashmir by plebiscite under UN resolution 47 passed on 21 April, 1948.
  • UN resolution 47 says Pakistan will withdraw its army from occupied part first then only plebiscite is possible.
  • Pakistan did not do the same till date. So there is no question of Plebiscite.

• • Kashmir was granted special status under Art. 370 of the constitution which was opposed by the senior leaders like Ambedkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
  • The Kashmir Accord between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah in February, 1975 brought Abdullah back to power also make it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Kashmir in last 20 years

• • Pakistani intelligence agency started operation Topac in late 1980s in Kashmir.
  • Operation Topac- a covert Jihadi invasion in Kashmir which meant infiltration of terrorists through the Kashmir border to foment disturbances in the state.
  • More than four lakhs Kashmiri Pandits were forced out of Kashmir Valley in 1989-90 after serial cases of rape, murder and loot.
  • Hindus and Sikhs were massacred in great numbers in 1990s. The massacre of 26 Pandits at Wandhama in 1998; the earlier killing of eight others at Sangrampora in 1997; the massacre of 26 Hindus at Prankote in 1998; and the killing of 24 Kashmir Pandits in Pulwama in 2003.
  • These are the worst of the many examples of the terrorists’ tactics to block any proposal for the return of migrants to the Valley.

• • Amarnath Controversy: Land was allotted Shri Amrnath Shrine Board for temporary shelters for Hindu pilgrims but after agitation by separatist leaders like Geelani Government took back the land.
  • After a rape case in Sopian, the leaders alleged the Indian security forces for the incident. But, CBI report found that no involvement of any any Jawan in the caes and it was a family disputes.

What they want?

• • It is very much evident that Separatist leaders of Kashmir want something more than Azadi.
  • Killing of Hindus and Sikhs, their slogans and speeches indicate that they want a Islamic Republic of Kashmir out of India.
  • Slogans: “Islam khatre mein hai” (Islam is in danger)
  • “Aes gacche’ Pakistan, Batav ros’ te’ batnev saan” (we want Kashmir – without Pandit men, but with their womenfolk)
  • “Mujahid’on aage bhado” (Warriors of allah – move ahead)
  • “Yahan kya chalega – Nizam E Mustafa” (What will rule Kashmir – Rule of Allah)

Role of Security Forces on Kashmir

• • Separatist leaders want complete withdrawal of Indian troops and removal of AFSPA from Valley.
  • There are allegation of rape and murder on Indian Jawans.
  • Research shows that deaths in Kashmir are lowest if compare with other disturbed areas of the world.
  • India’s intelligence services estimate that there are between 500 and 600 jihadists operating in the state today — less than a tenth of the numbers in 2001. All credit goes to Indian security forces.
  • 5,965 security forces personnel have been killed by terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir between 1988 and August 1, 2010.

• • If we compare the number of casualties the coalition forces suffered in Afghanistan, which is 1912 till 1 August 2010, fatalities suffered by the Indian security forces to the same date stands 4,390.
  • Since 1990, the security forces have faced 1,511 cases of human rights abuse. These were investigated by various agencies, including the National Human Rights Commission, and 1,473 were found to be false. In the remaining cases where culpability was established, 104 men have been punished.

• • AFSPA: Separatists want scrapping or diluting special laws given to the armed forces.
  • We should not forget that India is fighting a proxy war being aided and abetted by Pakistan.
  • The Army is not there out of its own will. Since Pakistan is fuelling terrorism in the state, Army has been asked to neutralise their nefarious designs.

Population of Jammu and Kashmir

Division	Population	% Muslim	% Hindu	% Sikh	% Buddhist/Other
Kashmir (53.9%)	5,476,970	97.16%	1.84%	0.88%	0.11%
Jammu (43.7%)	4,430,191	30.69%	65.23%	3.57%	0.51%
Ladakh (2.3%)	236,539	47.40%	6.22%	–	45.87%
Jammu & Kashmir	10,143,700	66.97%	29.63%	2.03%	1.36%
Statistics calculated from the 2001 Census India District Profiles

Resources to Jammu and Kashmir

• • The Kashmiri separatists lace their demand for independence with the argument that the government of India follows a policy of discrimination against their state.
  • These arguments are totally false. As a matter of fact the state of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the privileged states of the Union of India.
  • Among the 1.6 million households in Jammu and Kashmir, 37 per cent are covered by banking services, 65 per cent have radios or transistors and 41 per cent possess TV sets – one of the highest in the country. Per-capita consumption of electricity, at 759 kw (2006-2007), is much higher than in UP, MP, Rajasthan, Bihar and West Bengal (Rajya Sabha Question No 2908, 21 April, 2008). Some 81 per cent of households get electricity (rural 75 per cent and urban 98 per cent) and only 15 per cent are dependent on kerosene.

There is one argument that poverty and unemployment is one of the reasons for discontent among youth of Kashmir. But facts show that per-capita income of Kashmir is higher than atleast six states of India.

Jammu & Kashmir	Uttar Pradesh	Bihar	Madhya Pradesh	Assam	Jharkhand	Rajasthan
24 212	16060	11074	18051	21991	19928	23986

Both Assam and Jammu and Kashmir are special category states. The population of Jammu and Kashmir is one crore and Assam is 2.6 crores. But if we see grants given by the Central government for different schemes to these two states we find a great disparity. Here is account of grants given to two states in different fiscal years.

Year	1991-92	1995-96	2001-02	2004-05	2009-10
Asam	591	1424	2169	3570	11444
Kashmir	601	2171	4971	6677	13252

Both these tables show that the Central government is pouring enough money for development of Jammu and Kashmir and per-capita income is not the only reason for anger of youth of Kashmir.

Comaparing Jammu, Kashmir and Laddakh

• • The J&K government collects 70 per cent of its revenue from Jammu – it spends only 30 per cent of development allocation on the Jammu region.
  • There is no fair play in the administration, with only four out of 31 senior appointments going to Jammuites.
  • In the civil secretariat, Valley people are employed to the extent of 90 per cent, with Jammu residents cornered at 10 per cent.
  • The Valley, with only 35 per cent of educational and academic institutions, gets 70 per cent of the State’s budgetary allocation for education.
  • Jammu with 65 per cent of institutions sulks with 30 per cent.
  • Over 1.40 lakh people in education have got jobs in the Valley so far, but only 15,000 from Jammu have been accommodated.

• • Jammuites and Ladakhis want the free flow of the Constitution of India in their state, which is unfortunately hampered by Article 370.
  • The violent agitation of Ladakhi Buddhists in July-September 1989 was prompted by their strong resentment against the dominating and exploitative postures of the authorities in Srinagar.

Unsustainable Azadi

• • Two-thirds or 65 paise out of every rupee in Jammu and Kashmir came from the Centre.
  • Compare this with the 700 Rs. per capita that Uttar Pradesh gets. Worse, Uttar Pradesh would return 70 per cent of the grant while Jammu & Kashmir only 10 per cent.
  • Azadi seems romantic to many but can they afford azadi?

Present Crisis

• • A boy Tufail Mattu was killed by the tear gas bullet of a CRPF Jawan by mistake on 11^th June, 2010.
  • Agitations started protesting the killing of Tufail.
  • Tufail’s father Muhammad Husain Mattoo requested protesters not to do politcs over the death of his son.
  • The death was just the reason to start new technique Jehadi movement called INTEFADA.

INTEFADA

• • Intefada is a kind of popular resistance movement in which the role of motivated individual Muslims will become more important than that of organisations.
  • Intefada was adopted as a new technique of Islamic Jehad by Number 2 of Al-Qaeda Al-Jawahari.
  • What we are witnessing in certain areas of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) since last three months is the beginning of an Intefada of Zawahiri.
  • They have realised that terrorism is an old technique to mobilze Muslim youth.

The Leaders

• • Separatist leader wants to destabilize the Indian state and they are mobilizing youth of the Valley.
  • This movement looks like self-propelled but the ignition is being provided by different players and different level.
  • Geelani, Salahunddin, Masarat Alam, Ashraf Sherayi, Ashiq Hussain Faktu Alias Mohammad Qasim , Aisia Andrabi.

• • Government of India: There have been some reports of armed militants among the protesters in the crowd.
  • Paid Protests: One news channel has acquired transcripts of a conversation exposing how Separatists are trying to instigate violence in Kashmir. The conversation between Hurriyat-Geelani faction leader and his paid activist exposes how the hardliner separatists are trying their best to instigate violence during the protests.

Nizam-e-Mustafa (Rule of Allah)

• • The recent protests against atrocities have a larger agenda of azadi of Kashmir and establishment of an Islamist Kashmir.
  • Time and again the Kashmiri Muslims of Valley have tried to establish this fact that the Valley is just for Kashmiri Muslims.
  • Separatist leaders like Geelani openly support Islamic state of Kashmir. Geelani says secularism is antithetical to Islam.
  • The leadership of the movement is using everything from mosque public address systems to mobile phone text messaging to prepare for marches.

What to Do?

• • Don’t consider 1947 as vantage point of Indian history.
  • Kashmir is an integral part of India since time immemorial.
  • We should understand that azad Kashmir is not about freedom for Kashmiris.
  • They want freedom to make Kashmir an Islamic theocratic state, which will become a satellite of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.s

Geelani’s Demands

• • Geelani’s demand include consider Kashmir as disputed issue, repeal AFSPA, Withdraw troops and
  • Release Kashmiris in Indian prisons which include the name of Afzal Guru.
  • Geelani’s demand reflects that he does not want to talk and has a clear agenda of his own.
  • He wants a Nizam-e-Mustafa, an Islamic state which will be regulated by his masters in Pakistan.

• • Perhaps the only way out is a strong state intervention and a determined crackdown on all hues of separatists.
  • The long-term solution is to infuse the country with a strong nationalist spirit.
  • The separatists instead want a Darul-Islam here.
  • Hindus are a special target because despite Iran, Iraq, Egypt and other countries becoming majority Muslim, India after a thousand years of massacres, mayhem and innumerable inhuman atrocities committed against women remained dominantly Hindu.

• • Accommodation and compromise with Islamic terrorists is self-defeating and suicidal.
  • We should undo the “cleansing” of the state of Kashmiri Pandits by sending one million ex-servicemen and families into the Kashmir Valley for re-settlement.
  • Article 370 of the Constitution will have to be removed for that purpose.
  • According to the Constitution itself, it was supposed to be a “temporary provision” not requiring a Parliamentary two-thirds majority for amendment.
  • It can be erased by a Presidential Notification on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.

• • When the separatist leadership or the mainstream leadership talks about deep alienation because of erosion of their autonomy, they are basically talking about the denial of their right to create a Muslim state outside India or on the territory of India.
  • Politics of exclusion drove Kashmiri Hindus out on the point of gun.
  • Communal ideology of Islamic fundamentalism feels comfort with fundamentalists. It takes pride in jihad.
  • There should be efforts to integrate Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu fully back into India without any special privileges. Resettlement of Indians from other states to temper jihadi trends in the valley.