JK News Today Special Commentary
In the ongoing turmoil in Pakistan occupied Kashmir which Pakistan is seeking to cap by the brutal use of force, in fact is all about the Indian resources in the occupied territories, India should be more vocal about the situation there. The time for customary language to condemn Pakistani atrocities on the people of PoK is over, now the semantics must change and it should be more forceful than mere reiteration of the fact that PoK people and territory are integral part of India
Today’s situation in PoK is having different dynamics than ever before. It is not just a revolt against Pakistan and Pakistani establishment by the people of PoK, they are sending a larger message to India. Their high –pitched slogans of “Azadi” or freedom from the occupation of Pakistan is a firm appeal to India that they should not be left alone, as the Indian people and resources under Pakistani occupation are at stake.
This needs to be understood and response developed in accordance with the historical background and emerging geopolitics in the region. It has to go beyond rhetoric.
The issue in PoK concerns India the most. Needless to reinforce the pint that it is about own people and the territory that has been under the illegal occupation of Pakistan since 1947. The people there have been subjected to violent aggression by Pakistani army and Rangers. The protests for the basic amenities are being crushed by the use of brutal force, opening of fire on the protestors and destruction of their properties. Since it is matter concerning the people of India across the LoC, therefore India is taking cognizance of the situation there and has offered a diplomatic response.”.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in his media briefing on Friday noted that the protests in PoK in recent days, resulting in some casualties and termed the protests as a “natural consequence of the policies being implemented there, the systemic plundering of resources, and the alienation of the local population from their own resources.”
This is a statement of facts. When unnatural rules are imposed – keeping people away from their resources, the results are disastrous. This is what is happening in PoK. There is another dimension to it, which needs to be understood with clarity – it’s not PoK- Pakistan issue. In reality, Pakistan is stealing Indian resources.
like any other part of the world, or just across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan,
The MEA spokesperson also noted that “. the benefits of those resources are not reaching them, leading to these protests. The administration there is exploiting the people and failing to provide them with the benefits of their resources. As we have stated earlier, when it comes to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India and will remain so. This is our firm stance.”
It makes things clear that the Indian government is conscious of the situation and its implications in PoK vis-à-vis Pakistan, and has reiterated that for all practical purposes the territory is part of India. It’s now India’s turn to shake the international community to tell that Pakistan is brutal occupying force, and it should be taken out of the territory before it is too late.
