.
The Mumbai incident has again proven instrumental in detracting the track 2 diplomacy and has flushed away all the gains of Confidence Building Measures that the two South Asian nuclear rivals had been up for the past half a decade. It clearly proves this very presumption wrong that ‘keeping all other maters hijacked by the Kashmir issue is insane and ill productive’. There had been a push in trade relations making Pakistan the most viable material supplier for the booming Indian housing industry, Sir Creek and other border issues were being sorted out, exchange of prisoners, visits of celebrities, swap of delegations, peace missions, matches, concerts…all being done while keeping the throbbing issue of Kashmir in lull.
A single incident thousands of miles away from the trigger of all previous wars proved fatal in opening the paradox again. This not only proves that normalizing relations on the pretext of ‘Kashmir-later’ strategy is not only flawed at its very core but jeopardizes any gains made in all other areas whether be diplomatic, trade or public front. Evident is case that the first and foremost causality of this fallacious strategy has been diplomatic disengagement, followed by withdrawal of trade and sporting events. It’s like erection of building on unsound grounds without strong lest any foundations at all. How beautiful it might look’ is bound to devour into the quicksand of myriad of sacrifices, the grave upon which its frail foundations were raised.
Kashmir is awakening. Excessively organized and yet peaceful processions engaging whole of the Muslim population has not only grabbed the attention of Indian and International media but has stirred the Indian policy makers. Previously all incidents were conveniently brushed aside’ being Pakistan sponsored and thus tagged interventionary’ but the latest spade of reaction from across the valley and the first ever economic blockade on the hands of Hindus has flared the relatively hibernated consciousness of freedom struggle against decades of Indian oppression. Seeing the magnitude of recoil, Indian media (known for keeping such issues buried) began questioning the logic of world’s largest democracy clamping sentiments of whole swathes of population. They for the first time ever sensed rage and exasperation that this Muslim community endured upon the hands of world’s largest military concentration. Indian government taken by surprise by the sheer size of Freedom marches ‘though always successful in defaming and debilitating such uprisings to be cross border instigations’ had its own hands bitten in an action to glorify Hindu hardliners by land transfer. Succeeded by incident that blazed the boiling sentiments’ a deliberate economic blockade as punishment on part of Hindus and Government; not only stirred the already fomented situation out of control but induced a cognizance of insecurity and discrimination on part of the sham democracy. This was first time in many years that the lost valley again heard the echoes of rousing Freedom, the roar that not only put cracks into the walls of Red Fort but clattered the world capitals.
Muhammad Shafqat
Nov 2008
