Blueprint on July 13
http://www.gaash-online.com/articles/175/1/Blueprint-on-July-13.html
Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani
Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani is a jurist. He is secretary general of JKCHR-NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations. He is an expert in Peace Keeping/Humanitarian Operations and Election Monitoring Missions. By Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani
Published on 07/13/2009
The body and soul of Kashmir have bled more in the last 19 years from 1990 than in the early 113 years from 1877 to 1990. A social conscience and a collective character that we prided in the previous 113 years seem to have gone amiss during the recent 19 years. We have given up on the Galilean courage and be able to say without fear of being condemned that 'Earth revolves round the Sun' in the context of our duty to the habitat and inhabitants of Kashmir.
It is time that every conscientious Kashmiri steps in and stands up
The body and soul of Kashmir have bled more in the last 19 years from 1990 than in the early 113 years from 1877 to 1990. A social conscience and a collective character that we prided in the previous 113 years seem to have gone amiss during the recent 19 years. We have given up on the Galilean courage and be able to say without fear of being condemned that 'Earth revolves round the Sun' in the context of our duty to the habitat and inhabitants of Kashmir.
Today is July 13 and one faction of Hurriyat has announced to observe it as a National Day. It has announced that it would release its blueprint for the resolution of the Kashmir issue on the occasion. The alliance, has already called for a Lal Chowk march to commemorate Kashmir's Martyrs' Day. Let us pray that all goes well on the streets of Kashmir.
Never before during the last 78 years since 1931 or at least during the last 19 years since 1990 have our leaders accorded the kind of interest to the day as they seem to have suddenly decided to accord it by observing it as a National Day. It is never too late to revisit the merits and demerits of a political agenda and more so when a people are out and bleeding in pursuit of their national title, a revisit is binding for every citizen of Kashmir.
On this sobering day, we should keep our arithmetic in order and ponder that Kashmir lost only 22 lives on 13 July, 1931. It was a people's spontaneous surge to stand up and defend the rights of a prisoner who was being held in solitary confinement. As against this we have lost a generation in the last 19 years, lost self confidence, have suffered unprecedented indignity of all manner and Kashmiri men and women are in jails, yet we can't take pride that we were a different and more confident people on 13 July 1931.
There would hardly be a person who would not join the call to commemorate 13 July, 2009 as a National Day. However, we need to exercise our choice as conscientious members of the community and ask about the content and timing of "release of a blueprint for the resolution of the Kashmir issue on the occasion". Hurriyat faction which has given a Lal Chowk march call and has announced to release a blueprint for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, has many questions to answer. It is 19th year of the political and militant movement and the blue print is going to be announced at a time when the State is passing through turbulent times. It sounds like arranging a musical event in the close proximity of families who have just put the last shovel of clay on the fresh grave of their loved ones. Has the leadership again misdirected its ability to take a mature step?
In principle Hurriyat as collective has already committed itself to a blue print on 31 July 1993. Serious consequences of all manner have followed from the blue print given in Chapter II article 2 (I) to (v) in the Hurriyat Constitution adopted by our leaders on 31 July, 1993. All other formulae namely, out of the box solution and 4 point formulae etc are way remote from the blue print given to the people of Kashmir in July 1993 and for which sacrifices of all kind have been made by the common man and woman. The habitat and inhabitants of Kashmir have been put through unprecedented sacrifice and continued suffering as a consequence of this blue print.
It is need of the hour that Kashmir has more than one Galileo in all walks of life to ask the Hurriyat and other leaders to explain their position in respect of an earlier 'blue print' to which they remain committed and honor bound. Hurriyat has been playing hot and cold between its agenda defined in its Constitution and an agenda handed over to it by ex President Musharraf. The latter choice has been for personal interest and it did not embed any regard for the welfare of the people of Kashmir. Hurriyat chose to remain on the side of the political need of Musharraf and self interest. People of Kashmir and all the consequences that followed from their earlier blue print were stashed away without remorse.
We hope that the announcement is referred to people first and its merits are debated. Unfolding a 'blue print' has to be a serious move and it can't be allowed unless Hurriyat leaders publicly announce that they were either non serious in committing the youth and people to the July 1993 agenda or have failed to prosecute it as a duty. A departure from July 1993 blue print entails a serious criminal and civil liability for the leadership. They shall be held accountable for 100,000 deaths, rapes, loss of honour, loss of dignity, destruction of property, social upheaval and unprecedented suffering of the people.
In the last 19 years the Indian soldiers have descended from hills and are out of their barracks. They remain at a body brush distance in our homes and streets. We have suffered in all kind and manner as a consequence of this blue print. We have killed the Right of Self Determination as a reality and are left with Self Determination as a principle. Unless the leadership offers itself for a free and public debate, allowing it a new gimmick during a charged political environment would be a collective suicide of a nation. We shall be accounted as a nation of poor souls who failed to show the riches of their collective character in times of need.
A leadership which is influenced by a recession in financial market, by change of Government in India and Pakistan and elections in America or by the appointment of a Kashmiri in Obama administration and does not keep to the political programme that it has given to its people on 31 July, 1993, has no argument to convince that its new 'blue print' to be announced on 13 July, 2009 is in any way different than its previous failed 'blue prints'. It is an enigma and more than a riddle that at a time when every nook and corner of Kashmir is bleeding and shell shocked Hurriyat leaders have decided to announce a 'blue print' to resolve Kashmir.
Hurriyat may have all angels to witness in their favour yet common sense demands that we defy the angels and seek to know about the 'authors' of this new blue print. The collective character of the constituents in Hurriyat and the broad spread of their non transparent private and public life in Kashmir, India and Pakistan does not make them reliably qualified to author a new blue print. Even if one accepts the effort as bona fide it would still fail the test of popular approbation. It has to be put to the members of public for a good and detailed debate. Kashmir does not have many more youths left to be walked down for a slaughter. Our women have gone beyond the endurance of prophets and human endurance can't tread any further.
We can't continue to mourn our failures in Kuna Poshpora, Shopian, Kupwara and precipitate a habitat which favors an organised institution of prostitution. We can't sit idle and let our youth swing from militants to renegades and from despair into finding a living by joining the same army which our leaders have claimed to be occupiers and against whom we encouraged our youth to hold a gun for 19 years.
Let us seek to add to the pride that has remained associated with 13 July 1931. The sacrifice of 22 people seems to outlive the massive sacrifice made in the last 19 years. It is time that every conscientious Kashmiri steps in and stands up as Galileo to question the change of horse's midstream. It is time to ask about the fate of first blue print which was given on 31 July, 1993 before there is any fresh talk about a new blue print. And who has authored this new blue print and who has approved it - a common Kashmiri has a right to know? It is the common citizen who shall have to offer a sacrifice of all manners. The leader will be an Indian 'protectorate' or a 'dear darling' of Pakistan.
Today is July 13 and one faction of Hurriyat has announced to observe it as a National Day. It has announced that it would release its blueprint for the resolution of the Kashmir issue on the occasion. The alliance, has already called for a Lal Chowk march to commemorate Kashmir's Martyrs' Day. Let us pray that all goes well on the streets of Kashmir.
Never before during the last 78 years since 1931 or at least during the last 19 years since 1990 have our leaders accorded the kind of interest to the day as they seem to have suddenly decided to accord it by observing it as a National Day. It is never too late to revisit the merits and demerits of a political agenda and more so when a people are out and bleeding in pursuit of their national title, a revisit is binding for every citizen of Kashmir.
On this sobering day, we should keep our arithmetic in order and ponder that Kashmir lost only 22 lives on 13 July, 1931. It was a people's spontaneous surge to stand up and defend the rights of a prisoner who was being held in solitary confinement. As against this we have lost a generation in the last 19 years, lost self confidence, have suffered unprecedented indignity of all manner and Kashmiri men and women are in jails, yet we can't take pride that we were a different and more confident people on 13 July 1931.
There would hardly be a person who would not join the call to commemorate 13 July, 2009 as a National Day. However, we need to exercise our choice as conscientious members of the community and ask about the content and timing of "release of a blueprint for the resolution of the Kashmir issue on the occasion". Hurriyat faction which has given a Lal Chowk march call and has announced to release a blueprint for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, has many questions to answer. It is 19th year of the political and militant movement and the blue print is going to be announced at a time when the State is passing through turbulent times. It sounds like arranging a musical event in the close proximity of families who have just put the last shovel of clay on the fresh grave of their loved ones. Has the leadership again misdirected its ability to take a mature step?
In principle Hurriyat as collective has already committed itself to a blue print on 31 July 1993. Serious consequences of all manner have followed from the blue print given in Chapter II article 2 (I) to (v) in the Hurriyat Constitution adopted by our leaders on 31 July, 1993. All other formulae namely, out of the box solution and 4 point formulae etc are way remote from the blue print given to the people of Kashmir in July 1993 and for which sacrifices of all kind have been made by the common man and woman. The habitat and inhabitants of Kashmir have been put through unprecedented sacrifice and continued suffering as a consequence of this blue print.
It is need of the hour that Kashmir has more than one Galileo in all walks of life to ask the Hurriyat and other leaders to explain their position in respect of an earlier 'blue print' to which they remain committed and honor bound. Hurriyat has been playing hot and cold between its agenda defined in its Constitution and an agenda handed over to it by ex President Musharraf. The latter choice has been for personal interest and it did not embed any regard for the welfare of the people of Kashmir. Hurriyat chose to remain on the side of the political need of Musharraf and self interest. People of Kashmir and all the consequences that followed from their earlier blue print were stashed away without remorse.
We hope that the announcement is referred to people first and its merits are debated. Unfolding a 'blue print' has to be a serious move and it can't be allowed unless Hurriyat leaders publicly announce that they were either non serious in committing the youth and people to the July 1993 agenda or have failed to prosecute it as a duty. A departure from July 1993 blue print entails a serious criminal and civil liability for the leadership. They shall be held accountable for 100,000 deaths, rapes, loss of honour, loss of dignity, destruction of property, social upheaval and unprecedented suffering of the people.
In the last 19 years the Indian soldiers have descended from hills and are out of their barracks. They remain at a body brush distance in our homes and streets. We have suffered in all kind and manner as a consequence of this blue print. We have killed the Right of Self Determination as a reality and are left with Self Determination as a principle. Unless the leadership offers itself for a free and public debate, allowing it a new gimmick during a charged political environment would be a collective suicide of a nation. We shall be accounted as a nation of poor souls who failed to show the riches of their collective character in times of need.
A leadership which is influenced by a recession in financial market, by change of Government in India and Pakistan and elections in America or by the appointment of a Kashmiri in Obama administration and does not keep to the political programme that it has given to its people on 31 July, 1993, has no argument to convince that its new 'blue print' to be announced on 13 July, 2009 is in any way different than its previous failed 'blue prints'. It is an enigma and more than a riddle that at a time when every nook and corner of Kashmir is bleeding and shell shocked Hurriyat leaders have decided to announce a 'blue print' to resolve Kashmir.
Hurriyat may have all angels to witness in their favour yet common sense demands that we defy the angels and seek to know about the 'authors' of this new blue print. The collective character of the constituents in Hurriyat and the broad spread of their non transparent private and public life in Kashmir, India and Pakistan does not make them reliably qualified to author a new blue print. Even if one accepts the effort as bona fide it would still fail the test of popular approbation. It has to be put to the members of public for a good and detailed debate. Kashmir does not have many more youths left to be walked down for a slaughter. Our women have gone beyond the endurance of prophets and human endurance can't tread any further.
We can't continue to mourn our failures in Kuna Poshpora, Shopian, Kupwara and precipitate a habitat which favors an organised institution of prostitution. We can't sit idle and let our youth swing from militants to renegades and from despair into finding a living by joining the same army which our leaders have claimed to be occupiers and against whom we encouraged our youth to hold a gun for 19 years.
Let us seek to add to the pride that has remained associated with 13 July 1931. The sacrifice of 22 people seems to outlive the massive sacrifice made in the last 19 years. It is time that every conscientious Kashmiri steps in and stands up as Galileo to question the change of horse's midstream. It is time to ask about the fate of first blue print which was given on 31 July, 1993 before there is any fresh talk about a new blue print. And who has authored this new blue print and who has approved it - a common Kashmiri has a right to know? It is the common citizen who shall have to offer a sacrifice of all manners. The leader will be an Indian 'protectorate' or a 'dear darling' of Pakistan.