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Independence DayIndependence Dayfor Kashmir for Kashmir

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C olonialismC olonialism

OnOn August August 1515,, IndiaIndia celebratedcelebratedindependenceindependence fromfrom thethe BritishBritish RajRaj. .

ButBut Kashmiri sKashmiri s stagedstaged a a bandhbandhdemandingdemanding independenceindependence fromfrom IndiaIndia. . A A dayday symbolisingsymbolising thethe endend ofofcolonialismcolonialism in in IndiaIndia becamebecame a a daydaysymbolisingsymbolising IndianIndian colonialismcolonialism in in thethe

Valley Valley..

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N ationN ation- -BuildingBuilding

T rue,T rue, nationnation- -buildingbuilding is is aa difficultdifficult andandcomplexcomplex exercise,exercise, andand initialinitial

resistanceresistance cancan givegive wayway toto thetheintegrationintegration of of regionalregional aspirationsaspirationsintointo aa largerlarger nationalnational identityidentity thetheendend ofof T amilT amil secessionismsecessionism waswas aaclassicalclassical exampleexample of of thisthis ..

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Kashmirs Integration With IndiaKashmirs Integration With India

OnceOnce hopefulhopeful ofof Kashmir'sKashmir's integrationintegration withwithindia,india, butbut afterafter sixsix decadesdecades of of effort,effort,KashmiriKashmiri alienationalienation lookslooks greatergreater thanthaneverever. . IndiaIndia seeksseeks toto integrateintegrate withwithKashmir,Kashmir, notnot rulerule itit coloniallycolonially. . Yet, Yet, thetheparallelsparallels betweenbetween BritishBritish rulerule inin IndiaIndia andandIndianIndian rulerule inin KashmirKashmir havehave becomebecome tootoocloseclose forfor anybody sanybody s comfortcomfort. .

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Kashmir Accession IrrelevantKashmir Accession Irrelevant

M anyM any IndiansIndians saysay thatthat KashmirKashmir legallylegallybecamebecame anan integralintegral partpart ofof IndiaIndia whenwhen thethemaharajamaharaja of of thethe statestate signedsigned thetheinstrumentinstrument of of accessionaccession.. Alas, Alas, suchsuchlegalismslegalisms becomebecome irrelevantirrelevant whenwhen groundgroundrealitiesrealities changechange. . IndianIndian kingskings andand princes,princes,includingincluding thethe M ughals,M ughals, accededacceded to to thetheBritishBritish RajRaj. . T heT he documentsdocuments theythey signedsignedbecamebecame irrelevantirrelevant whenwhen IndiansIndians launchedlaunchedanan independenceindependence movementmovement. .

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Imperialist ApproachImperialist Approach

T heT he BritishBritish insistedinsisted forfor aa longlong timetimethatthat IndiaIndia waswas anan integralintegral partpart ofof

theirtheir Empire,Empire, thethe jewel jewel inin itsits crown,crown,andand wouldwould nevernever bebe givengiven upup..ImperialistImperialist BlimpsBlimps remainedremained in in denialdenialforfor decadesdecades. . II fearfear IndiaIndia isis inin similarsimilardenialdenial onon KashmirKashmir asas itit oftenoften claimsclaimsKashmirKashmir toto bebe anan integralintegral partpart ofofIndiaIndia a a crowncrown onon itsits headhead. .

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Kashmir & JunagadhKashmir & Junagadh

T heT he politicallypolitically correctcorrect storystory ofof thethemaharaja'smaharaja's accessionaccession ignoresignores a a

devastatingdevastating parallelparallel eventevent. . JustJust asasKashmirKashmir hadhad aa HinduHindu maharajamaharaja rulingrulingoverover aa M uslimM uslim majority,majority, JunagadhJunagadhhadhad aa M uslimM uslim nawabnawab rulingruling overover aaHinduHindu majoritymajority. . T heT he HinduHindu maharajamaharajaaccededacceded to to India,India, andand thethe M uslimM uslimnawabnawab to to PakistanPakistan. .

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Kashmir & Junagadh ( C ontd.)Kashmir & Junagadh ( C ontd.)ButBut whilewhile IndiaIndia claimedclaimed thatthat thethe KashmiriKashmiriaccessionaccession to to IndiaIndia waswas sacred,sacred, it it diddid notnotacceptaccept Junagadh'sJunagadh's accessionaccession to to PakistanPakistan. .IndiaIndia sentsent troopstroops intointo Junagadh,Junagadh, just just asasPakistanPakistan sentsent troopstroops intointo KashmirKashmir. . T heT hedifferencedifference waswas thatthat PakistanPakistan lackedlacked thethemilitarymilitary meansmeans toto interveneintervene in in Junagadh,Junagadh,whilewhile IndiaIndia waswas ableable toto sendsend troopstroops intointoSrinagarSrinagar. . T heT he JunagadhJunagadh nawabnawab fledfled totoPakistan,Pakistan, whereaswhereas thethe KashmirKashmir maharajamaharajasatsat tighttight. . India'sIndia's doubledouble standardstandard on onJunagadhJunagadh andand KashmirKashmir waswas breathtakingbreathtaking. .

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Kashmir & Junagadh ( C ontd.)Kashmir & Junagadh ( C ontd.)

D oD o youyou thinkthink thethe peoplepeople ofof JunagadhJunagadhwouldwould havehave integratedintegrated withwith PakistanPakistan

afterafter sixsix decadesdecades of of genuinegenuinePakistaniPakistani effort?effort? No?No? T henT hen cancan youyoureallyreally bebe confidentconfident thatthat KashmirisKashmiriswillwill stopstop demandingdemanding azaadiazaadi andandintegrateintegrate withwith India?India?

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P lebisciteP lebiscite

T heT he BritishBritish camecame toto IndiaIndia uninviteduninvited. . ByBycontrast,contrast, SheikhSheikh Abdullah, Abdullah, thethe mostmostpopularpopular politicianpolitician in in Kashmir,Kashmir, supportedsupportedaccessionaccession to to IndiaIndia subjectsubject to toratificationratification by by aa plebisciteplebiscite. . ButBut hishis heartheartlaylay inin independenceindependence for for Kashmir,Kashmir, andand hehe

soonsoon beganbegan maneuveringmaneuvering towardstowards thatthatendend. . HeHe waswas jailed jailed byby Nehru,Nehru, whowho thenthendeclareddeclared Kashmir'sKashmir's accessionaccession waswas finalfinalandand nono longerlonger requiredrequired ratificationratification by by aa

plebisciteplebiscite. .

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Democracy & ElectionsDemocracy & Elections

.. T he fact that Kashmir had a M uslimT he fact that Kashmir had a M uslimmajority was held to be irrelevant, sincemajority was held to be irrelevant, sinceIndia was a secular country empoweringIndia was a secular country empowering

citizens through democracy.citizens through democracy.Alas, Alas, democracydemocracy in in KashmirKashmir hashas beenbeen a afarcefarce forfor mostmost ofof sixsix decadesdecades. . T heT he rotrot beganbeganwithwith SheikhSheikh Abdullah Abdullah in in 19511951: : hehe rejectedrejectedthethe nominationnomination paperspapers ofof almostalmost allallopponents,opponents, andand soso wonwon 7373 ofof thethe 7575 seatsseatsunopposed!unopposed! NehruNehru waswas complicitcomplicit in in thisthissabotagesabotage of of democracydemocracy. .

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S eparatistS eparatist A MinorityA Minority

M anyM any IndiansIndians pointpoint toto longlong episodesepisodes of ofpeacepeace inin thethe Valley Valley andand saysay thetheseparatistsseparatists are are just just aa noisynoisy minorityminority. .ButBut thethe BritishBritish rajraj alsoalso hadhad longlong quietquietperiodsperiods betweenbetween GandhianGandhian agitations,agitations,whichwhich involvedinvolved just just aa fewfew lakhslakhs ofofIndia'sIndia's 500500 millionmillion peoplepeople. . OneOne lakhlakhpeoplepeople joined joined thethe QuitQuit IndiaIndia movementmovementofof 19421942,, butbut 2525 lakhlakh othersothers joined joined thetheBritishBritish IndianIndian armyarmy toto fightfight forfor thethe

Empire'sEmpire's gloryglory..

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Economic Development & FreedomEconomic Development & FreedomBlimpsBlimps citedcited thisthis asas evidenceevidence thatthatmostmost IndiansIndians simplysimply wantedwanted jobs jobs andand

aa decentdecent lifelife.. T heT he RajRaj builtbuilt thethebiggestbiggest railwayrailway andand canalcanal networksnetworksinin thethe worldworld. . ItIt saidsaid mostmost IndiansIndianswerewere satisfiedsatisfied withwith economiceconomicdevelopment,development, and and thatthat independenceindependencewaswas demandeddemanded by by aa noisynoisy minorityminority. .T hisT his isis uncomfortablyuncomfortably similarsimilar toto thetheofficialofficial IndianIndian responseresponse to to thetheKashmiriKashmiri demanddemand forfor AZAA D I AZAAD I .. ..

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Q uasiQ uasi- -C olonialismC olonialism

.. IndianIndian rulerule inin KashmirKashmir is is notnotclassicalclassical colonialismcolonialism..IndiaIndia hashas pumpedpumped vastvast sumssums intointoKashmir,Kashmir, notnot extractedextracted revenuerevenue as asthethe RajRaj diddid..KashmirKashmir waswas amongamong thethe poorestpoorest

statesstates duringduring thethe Raj,Raj, butbut nownow hashasthethe lowestlowest povertypoverty raterate inin IndiaIndia..

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Q uasiQ uasi- -C olonialismC olonialism (C ontd.)(C ontd.)

IndiaIndia hashas soughtsought integrationintegration withwithKashmir,Kashmir, notnot colonialcolonial rulerule. .ButBut KashmirisKashmiris neverthelessnevertheless demanddemand

Azaadi Azaadi. .And And rulingruling overover thosethose whowho resentresent it itsoso stronglystrongly forfor soso longlong isis quasiquasi- -

colonialism,colonialism, regardlessregardless of of ourourintentionsintentions - - UNUN chartercharter standsstandstestimonytestimony to to thisthis bitterbitter factfact

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A P romise.A P romise.

IndiaIndia promisedpromised Kashmiri sKashmiri s a aplebisciteplebiscite sixsix decadesdecades agoago. . LetLet IndiaIndiaholdhold oneone now,now, andand givegive themthem threethreechoiceschoices: : independence,independence, unionunion withwithPakistan,Pakistan, andand unionunion withwith IndiaIndia. .

Almost Almost certainlycertainly thethe Valley Valley willwill optoptforfor independenceindependence.. JammuJammu willwill optopt totostaystay withwith India,India, andand probablyprobably LadakhLadakhtootoo. . LetLet KashmirisKashmiris decidedecide thetheoutcome,outcome, notnot thethe politicianspoliticians andandarmiesarmies ofof IndiaIndia andand PakistanPakistan..

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