Dr Abdul Ruff Colachal
Recently, after a long wait, Indo-Pak LOC trade or “cross border trade” has opened between India and Pakistan, ostensibly to boost economic development of Kashmir and mutual tensions between India and Pakistan, but many Kashmiris do suspect of some hidden agenda of India. Although there has a sense of satisfaction among the business community in the state, Kashmiris do have apprehensions about the real motive behind this India sponsored trade exercise without any visible links to Kashmir resolution. Media reports suggest that basically it is an exercise in boosting Indo-Pakistan trade without in fact Kashmir getting anything tangible in return.
In effect the Loc trade should mean trade within Jammu Kashmir without any possible hindrance, and not just to boost trade between Kashmir’s neighbours while Kashmir remaining a transit corridor to promote the trade while not being able to redeem its lost independence and glory. But Indian intentions are gloomy and confusing to the world. Is India interested only in business or Kashmir freedom as well? Or, is USA and India are trying to use the region for advancing their oil interests?
India wants to use USA for advancing its regional interests and reduce the Chinese influence on Pakistan. A criminally silent India has not said the trade would eventually lead to Kashmir freedom and regional peace. Already badly hit by continuous torture and genocide by occupying Indian terror forces, innocent Kashmiris wonder if this is yet another ploy being employed by hegemonic India with the help of Pakistan to try yet another strategy to kill the remaining Kashmiris regularly, or they really means to boost Kashmir economy as a prelude to surrendering sovereignty back to struggling Kashmiris.
Pakistanis wish everything well for Kashmiris and they have done it by giving up their own precious lives in wars with India. India always wants to split the Pakistan-Kashmir bonds by using its anti-Muslim media both in India and Jammu Kashmir. Kashmiris are really weary of this Indian mischievous strategy to weaken Kashmir freedom movement.
It is an established fact India wants to keep Jammu Kashmir under its terror control for the obvious security purposes. Big powers like USA and Russia fight wars on alien lands so that their own lands and people are safe. While Russia keeps its former Soviet space as its outer security zone, USA considers every other country its legitimate security asset. New Delhi’s drive to keep Jammu Kashmir as its outer security zone as per its core military doctrine and hence it began heavy militarization drive in Jammu Kashmir with the help of the Hindus in the region as agents and pro-India Muslims as under –dogs on payment basis. India wants to fight wars with its neighbours Pakistan and China only in Jammu Kashmir so that “the enemy” does not reach New Delhi.
Cross-border terrorism was encouraged by India, though officially it criticizes, so as to keep the region under tension and use the opportunities to make Kashmir an extended military cantonment of India with all modern equipment. Indian military has been authorized to kill the Kashmiris demanding freedom from Indian hegemony, oppression and genocide.
Now both India and Pakistan have decided to replace the terrorism regime with trade across the borders. But in between Indo-Pakistan borders lay the Jammu Kashmir under Indian military occupation and the trade passes through Kashmir. In effect India is now using Kashmir as a tool to enhance its trade with Pakistan and vice verse.
Obviously, one does not know the hidden agenda of India in this economic project and what puzzles more is the suspicion if India is trying some more tricks to split the Kashmiris who stay in between the present trade route!
But how far the cross border trade between two neighbours on either side sandwiched by Kashmir would benefit Jammu Kashmir and in which way that trade would lead to freedom of Jammu Kashmir and its re-establishment as it existed before it was tactfully annexed by “democratic” India in 1947? Even in the LoC trade affairs talks, Kashmiri freedom leaders have not been involved at any level. But they should have been since Kashmir is the theme and subject the entire exercise. Nor UN was involved. This gives rise to suspicion among the Kashmiris about the Indian intentions.
Kashmiris have been demanding freedom form occupying India, but India is shamelessly keen to impose polls on unwilling Kashmiris and postpone the issue of independence almost indefinitely. Issue is quite clear: if India and Pakistan, especially India, wants to use the trade across the border to boost economy of Kashmir and clear ways for Kashmir re-independence, that would be a positive side and most welcome, but if it constitutes an Indian hidden exercise in retaining the control over both parts of Kashmir, then it would be bad for all the three parties, but can be disastrous for Kashmiris in particular. The problem is Pakistan is busy with killing Muslims in Pakistan in the company of USA supported by India through Afghanistan.
Since Indian leaders, including president, premier and UPA chairperson have not yet said a single word about Indian intention of surrendering sovereignty back to Kashmiris and the LoC trade is towards that direction. Indian criminal silence is in fact confusing Kashmiris who are otherwise badly hit by Indian terror forces and disappointed by the poll thrashing. Does it not indicate mal-intentions on the part of India as endorsed and supported by “new” Pakistani leadership? In fact the recent statement by Pakistan leadership about “terrorists” in Jammu Kashmir has stirred the psyche of Kashmiris fearing onslaught from terror India taking that statement as legitimacy to further kill the innocent Kashmiris, without even trying to understand what he said could also mean Indian terrorists killing Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir
Rightly so, Kashmiris over years of Indian oppression and genocide have developed zero faith in Indian actions. As Pakistan failed to use it US connections to get freedom for Kashmir, India, as per its hidden agenda, also has miserably failed to make Kashmiris go against Pakistan.
October 27 was observed a Black Day in Jammu Kashmir on both sides of the “great divide”, but in fact all the days the people of Jammu Kashmir have spent so far under Indian military occupation and genocide have also remained historical Black Days for Kashmiris who continue to fight for their sovereignty and encounter the Indian oppression bravely.
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Dr Abdul Ruff Colachal has been a university teacher, and has worked in various Indian institutions like JNU, Mysore University, Central Institute of English FL, etc. He is also a political commentator, researcher, and columnist. He has widely published in India and abroad, and has written about state terrorism.
Peace and Justice Post 
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