In the wake of India’s annexation of Indian ‘administered’ Kashmir, the Pakistani zeitgeist has been consumed by a singular question. What ought to be Pakistan’s response? Some Pakistanis are demanding a militaristic response. Some advocate caution and diplomacy. So, how should Pakistan respond to India’s latest hegemony?
One thing Pakistan can do is to celebrate a rare and comprehensive moral victory. By using brute force to impose an artificial union upon the people of Kashmir, India has tacitly admitted defeat. She knows no favorable outcome is possible in a truly democratic referendum or plebiscite. In 72 years, India has tried everything from carrots to sticks. They have offered incentives and scholarships. They have held elections. They have rigged elections. Each year, Kashmiris have become more resolute in their rejection of India. Each year, India tactics have become more brutal. There have been over 80,000 Kashmiris, mostly civilians, killed by Indian forces. There are countless abductions and custodial killings. Compare India’s curfews and lockdown in the Kashmir valley to the calm and tranquil tourism of Pakistan’s Gilgit, Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Unlike India, Pakistani Kashmiris live a life of relative happiness, dignity and freedom. This is our moral victory.
Along with grief for our Kashmiri brethren, we can also feel a bitter sense of vindication. Pakistan warned Kashmiris of India’s hegemonic design. Pakistan had already experienced Indian perfidy on the question of the three unresolved principalities of partition. Each were swallowed by India. Hyderabad was invaded on the pretext of its Hindu majority irrespective of the Nizam’s wishes. Junagarh was taken on the same pretext even though the Nawab acceded to Pakistan. Kashmir was taken at the Maharaja’s request irrespective of the Muslim majority. All three principalities were taken on a contradictory pretext. Invasions and annexations of Goa, Sikkim would follow. Only China would check India in her ill-fated forward policy. Our elders advised Sheikh Abdullah to not be taken in by those sweet and solemn Nehruvian promises. Abdullah did not listen and languished in Indian jails for his troubles. His progeny, first Farooq then Omar, learned nothing from their father’s imprisonment. Now under house-arrest like the rest of the populace, history repeats itself. Today, even the staunchest pro-Indian Kashmiri in the valley knows this fundamental truth. Indian promises to Kashmiris were a mirage, a cruel deception. Pakistan’s prescient warnings for Kashmir were proven on the 5th of August.
Now Pakistan must not surrender this moral upper ground. It should let Kashmiris decide their next course of action. There should be no compulsion or interference by Pakistan. After 72 years of broken promises, custodial killings and pellet blinding, Kashmir despises India in perpetuity. India’s land-grab is a watershed moment like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan or American entanglement in Vietnam or West Pakistan’s attempted colonization of erstwhile East Pakistan. In each of those cases, the local populace was united, decisive and resolute. They would fight back in every cave, jungle and swamp. They would suffer the insufferable to win their freedom. Kashmiris find themselves at this same unenviable juncture. The time for stone-pelting and vacillation has passed. Do Kashmiris want liberty or subjugation? Do they acquiesce like Abdullah or fight like Burhan? The Kashmiris alone should make this momentous decision.
As for Pakistan, her path is clear. It should provide unconditional support to the Kashmiris. If the Kashmiris accept annexation, Pakistan should avoid judgment and be at peace with the Kashmiri decision. On the other hand, should the Kashmiris decide to truly fight, Pakistan must prepare herself for a protracted struggle for Kashmir. Either way, Pakistan must steadfastly remain on the right side of history.
One thing Pakistan can do is to celebrate a rare and comprehensive moral victory. By using brute force to impose an artificial union upon the people of Kashmir, India has tacitly admitted defeat. She knows no favorable outcome is possible in a truly democratic referendum or plebiscite. In 72 years, India has tried everything from carrots to sticks. They have offered incentives and scholarships. They have held elections. They have rigged elections. Each year, Kashmiris have become more resolute in their rejection of India. Each year, India tactics have become more brutal. There have been over 80,000 Kashmiris, mostly civilians, killed by Indian forces. There are countless abductions and custodial killings. Compare India’s curfews and lockdown in the Kashmir valley to the calm and tranquil tourism of Pakistan’s Gilgit, Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Unlike India, Pakistani Kashmiris live a life of relative happiness, dignity and freedom. This is our moral victory.
Along with grief for our Kashmiri brethren, we can also feel a bitter sense of vindication. Pakistan warned Kashmiris of India’s hegemonic design. Pakistan had already experienced Indian perfidy on the question of the three unresolved principalities of partition. Each were swallowed by India. Hyderabad was invaded on the pretext of its Hindu majority irrespective of the Nizam’s wishes. Junagarh was taken on the same pretext even though the Nawab acceded to Pakistan. Kashmir was taken at the Maharaja’s request irrespective of the Muslim majority. All three principalities were taken on a contradictory pretext. Invasions and annexations of Goa, Sikkim would follow. Only China would check India in her ill-fated forward policy. Our elders advised Sheikh Abdullah to not be taken in by those sweet and solemn Nehruvian promises. Abdullah did not listen and languished in Indian jails for his troubles. His progeny, first Farooq then Omar, learned nothing from their father’s imprisonment. Now under house-arrest like the rest of the populace, history repeats itself. Today, even the staunchest pro-Indian Kashmiri in the valley knows this fundamental truth. Indian promises to Kashmiris were a mirage, a cruel deception. Pakistan’s prescient warnings for Kashmir were proven on the 5th of August.
Now Pakistan must not surrender this moral upper ground. It should let Kashmiris decide their next course of action. There should be no compulsion or interference by Pakistan. After 72 years of broken promises, custodial killings and pellet blinding, Kashmir despises India in perpetuity. India’s land-grab is a watershed moment like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan or American entanglement in Vietnam or West Pakistan’s attempted colonization of erstwhile East Pakistan. In each of those cases, the local populace was united, decisive and resolute. They would fight back in every cave, jungle and swamp. They would suffer the insufferable to win their freedom. Kashmiris find themselves at this same unenviable juncture. The time for stone-pelting and vacillation has passed. Do Kashmiris want liberty or subjugation? Do they acquiesce like Abdullah or fight like Burhan? The Kashmiris alone should make this momentous decision.
As for Pakistan, her path is clear. It should provide unconditional support to the Kashmiris. If the Kashmiris accept annexation, Pakistan should avoid judgment and be at peace with the Kashmiri decision. On the other hand, should the Kashmiris decide to truly fight, Pakistan must prepare herself for a protracted struggle for Kashmir. Either way, Pakistan must steadfastly remain on the right side of history.
