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It
is said that the darkest cloud has a silver
lining. The devastating earthquake in Pakistani
occupied Kashmir has undoubtedly been a human
tragedy of a colossal scale, but already some
bright spots have emerged from the darkness of
the tragedy. If things play right, this disaster
could be the seed that may eventually open the
eyes of the Kashmiri people and help them decide
which side of their bread is buttered.
Although the dedicated Pakistani Helicopter
pilots and the US Chinook pilots tried to make
as many evacuation runs for the injured, it was
like trying to bail water out of a sand pit on
the seashore. Rescue operations are critical and
the number of casualties begin to increase
exponentially with the passage to time. It is,
therefore, critical that, given the mountainous
terrain, a much more aggressive rescue operation
be launched. Guess who was there ready and
willing to help? India ! Guess, who did not want
this help because they did not give as much as a
rat’s rear to the people of the Kashmiri
territory that they had grabbed ? Gen. Musharraf
and his now marginalized fanatical support base
that favors separatism!
Let me give you this quote from a BBC website
article:
"That offer
was refused citing "military sensitivities"
- a concept that seems to be an overriding
concern for military establishments the
world over.
India's offer could have freed up Pakistan
helicopters, analysts say
But its invocation at a time of widespread
death and destruction in Kashmir generated
no small amount of revulsion in Pakistan.
Kashmiris have described Gen Musharraf's
refusal to allow Indian helicopter pilots to
operate on Pakistani soil as an equivalent
of "signing the death warrants" of thousands
of Kashmiris still stuck on top of
inaccessible mountains.
Some said it was evidence Pakistan was only
interested in Kashmir's territory and not
its people.
Others have wondered if it is possible to
explain the doctrine of military
sensitivities to a child with broken limbs -
stuck atop a mountain dying from hunger and
cold."
Finally after
almost a week of the devastating earthquake,
President Musharraf has reluctantly decided to
open up the Line of Control (LoC) and allow the
Indian army to help the people of the state of
Kashmir.
In the time that Musharraf dragged his feet,
thousands more who could have been saved, died.
It also washed the delusion from the eyes of the
people whose kin were injured, that Pakistan’s
claim over their land was only for the sake of
the grease in Mr. Musharraf’s (proverbial)
moustache.
Now that the border has opened up, the ball is
in India’s court once again. India must do two
things now: deliver aid and relief to the
injured of the state of Kashmir and gradually
remove the special provisions in Kashmir.
The Indian government should allow controlled
investment in Kashmir and help the state develop
tourism related industries – much like the
Bahamas or Hawaii. The Kashmiri should realize
now as to which stack of stick they need to be
in. Indian Muslims are the least oppressed
people when compared to Muslims living in most
Islamic countries. They are least fanatic and
most progressive. The separatists of Kashmir
should see the model of Rwanda – where the world
just looked away.
It is for the Kashmiris to decide which side of
their proverbial bread is buttered and where
there future should be. India, meanwhile, has
its work cut out. If the Indian government
prints maps showing the quake affected parts as
its territory, it must deliver aid (now that the
LoC is open) just as if it is providing aid and
rescue to Indians themselves.
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Comments: |
Just
saw a bearded Pakistani Military
Officer on PTV explaining to a crowd
why Indian soldiers should not be
allowed to enter POK. He presented a
weird logic tailor made for gullible
fools. He said "These people of POK
have suffered for decades because of
the Indian Army. Allowing them in
will be playing with the people's
sensitivities".
I do not understand how the
Pakistani people sit around lapping
up such garbage at this point of
time. If I am not mistaken only
living people have sensitivities. At
the moment the Pakistanis of POK are
dying in large numbers. Is it the
time to talk of sensitivities? Do
the people trapped out in the cold
without food and shelter on
treacherous mountain slopes care
about sensitivities?
Yes the Pakistani Military
establishment is scared. They would
rather want the people of POK dead
than these people turning pro-India.
The thinking of Pakistani Army is
clear. I wonder how very gullible
Pakistanis are to sit around
listening to such concocted logic at
a time when their brethren are
freezing to death. If there is no
public outcry at this attitude of
the Pakistani Army, we can conclude
Pakistanis have lost their
sensitivity completely. As was so
aptly put, they do not give a rat's
rear about what happens to the
people of POK. - Rajesh Chaubey -
Oct. 20, 2005 |
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