JK News Today Commentary
The inner dynamics of the Assembly elections are being decoded threadbare by the political parties and analysts alike , but there is something that is not on their plate is the plight of the people of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir .A revolt is simmering in Pakistan occupied territories, whether these are what we often call Pakistan occupied Kashmir just across the Line of Control facing Jammu and Kashmir , or Gilgit-Baltistan opposite Ladakh region on this side of the dividing line.
This analysis is important for two reasons , one , of course is the two different lifestyles on two sides of the LoC , second is the ante that has been upped by Kashmir -centric regional parties , National Conference and People’s Democratic Party , they have made it quite clear rather loudly in their manifestoes that India should engage with Pakistan to find a lasting solution to the “ Kashmir issue,”.
Honestly speaking , there can be no comparison between the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir , including Gilgit Baltistan , which we rightly see as part of Ladakh region, both integral part of India, . It would be insulting the people of this side of they are compared to the residents of so-called “ Azad Kashmir.” The people on this side have marched ahead miles upon miles , and they have made a niche in the national discourse where J&K is seen as a paradise regained , and which has special place in the Indian nation , despite the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status in August 2019 . this special place is defined by the investment in peace and harmony made by the Central Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah . Their plans of development , which J&K, had not seen ever before , were executed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for the past over four years , despite the epidemic of 2020 and 2021 , after effects of which were felt into 2022 as well.
Over the past two years , millions of tourists have visited J&K,, and the number of foreign tourists has gone up by several notches . The arrival of tourism , indeed is an economic activity that enriches economy , attracts investment , generates huge employment , but it is something greater than the statistics which the official agencies put to buttress their claim that things have changed in this part of the country . It is the confidence that has been infused among the people and the visitors they host . The era of instability and inferiority complex is gone .
It is necessary to look at the other side of the LoC as to what is happening there. POJK represent a negation of two-nation theory . The PoJK people who are reportedly told by Pakistani establishment that it were their tribes who “ liberated them” in 1947-48 , a clear reference to the invasion of princely state of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan sponsored army soon after the Partition , are now experiencing worst ever conditions . In their revolt against Pakistani establishment that they have stopped recognizing and following the state. Jirgas have started deciding their matters , challenging the writ of the state. They are not in a mood of rebellion, they have already launched a revolt against the system imposed on them by Pakistani military .
Recent agitations against Pakistani government and military in PoJK ,in almost each and every part of it in which the people faced bullets demonstrated that they were hurt and angry over the dilution of their identity and dignity . Their place has been flooded by Pakistanis and the military has spread its stranglehold over the real natives of the region . The revolting voices are heard in Gilgit-Baltistan as well , though there is huge difference in their respective topography , ethnicity and linguistic identities . The common factor is that they all are being suppressed and oppressed by Pakistani establishment and the added factor over the years is the way China has become part of this great game of colonizing these territories . China is expanding its influence , guided by its economic and geopolitical interests , Pakistan is surrendering to Beijing for it is seeking loan after loan to sustain itself . In the whole game POJK people are at the receiving end.
The regional parties in Kashmir talk of talks with Pakistan because they think that there still exists a constituency for this idea and if pushed further this can deliver political dividends in the election-time – Jammu and Kashmir is having its tryst with Assembly elections for first time in the last 10 years. But they refuse to talk about the plight of the people of PoJK . And if their argument of addressing the larger issue of Kashmir is to be taken into account , they have not come out with the definition of J&K as such. Their definition is selective and that too one-sided , unfortunately . It overlooks the game-changing reforms that have taken place in J&K over the years and the position it holds in the Indian nation , unlike POJK where Pakistan is tapping all resources and transferring to Pakistan mainland, leaving the territory high and dry .
India should be pro-active and challenge the misinformed narratives .
