Ansari is a lesser evil, and kashmir is for kashmiris

Pawan bali

Published on July 28, 2004 By tejinder sodhi In Blogging

Ansari is a Lesser Evil But Kashmir is for Kashmiris, says Amanullah Khan
By Pawan Bali
AMANULLAH KHAN heads the Pakistan-based Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. He played an important role in organizing the ongoing armed struggle in Kashmir. in fact he was the man who would receive Kashmiri boys, look them after, once they crossed the LoC, that divides Kashmir into two halves, and then arrange their return from there along arms and ammunition. Almost all the senior commanders, many of whom have become leaders now, have enjoyed the hospitality of Khan, while in Pakistan administered Kashmir.
However, Amanullah Khan, even as he has devoted his life, to what he calls, 'realizing the dream of an Independent Kashmir', has always been under the dark clouds of controversy. Be that the assassination of Indian diplomat Mathre in Birmingham (UK), that hastened the execution death sentence awarded to Maqbool Butt, the legendary dream merchant of Independent Kashmir and founder of JKLF or his parting ways with Yasin Malik, once his dear darling.
Hated both by India and Pakistan, for his 'extremist' views, Khan spends most of his time at his party headquarters in Rawalpindi. Kashmir Monitor reporter pawan Bali of questions to Khan via e-mail. Following are excerpts os his replies:
Q: What do you think about the breakdown of Hurriyet?
A: Breakdown of APHC (Hurriyet) was long overdue as its members specially of Executive Council were tied up with each other not with a rope of any ideology or a clear mission but of monetary interests and per desire of their paymasters, as such, it was too weak to stand the pushes and pulls of difficult situations, hence the disintegration.
Q: Will this breakdown effect the on going movement?
A: Hurriyet was a necessary evil hence its disintegration, and the way it disintegrated, will harm Kashmiris' cause more than it will benefit. By the word Kashmiri I mean the 15 million people of entire J&K State including those of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Q: What do you say about the role of your son-in-law in this breakdown?
A: My son-in-law (Sajjad Ghani Lone, Chairman People Conference) had no direct or indirect hand in the breakdown of Hurriyet. This is what I sincerely believe. Please let me know if and why I may be wrong.
Q: What are your views about the latest offer made to the Hurriyet by the Indian Government?
A: We in JKLF have declared time and again that we are deadly against bilateral talks on Kashmir Issue whether between India & Pakistan, India & Kashmiris or Pakistan & Kashmiris and without participation of international community. Moreover Kashmiris have got to be represented not by those on the payroll of or have taken oath of allegiance to, outsiders but those who represent the overall popular sentiments. Indian offer meets none of these conditions.
Q: Which is the real Hurriyet, that led by Ansari or that of Geelani's?
A: Neither of them is real representative of Kashmiri people although the faction headed by Maulvi Abbas Ansari carries comparatively far more constitutional, political and moral weight.
Q: Whom do you support or consider a lesser evil?
A: For the above reasons and for its comparatively liberal approach, I consider Abbas Ansari's faction as a lesser evil.
Q: How do you view Pakistan supporting militancy in Kashmir?
A: Every freedom movement in the world has enjoyed the moral and practical support from outsiders. Pakistan is within her right as a party to Kashmir issue and as their neighbor, to support Kashmiris' freedom struggle but it has got to be unconditional.
Q: Any comment on Mufti Syed or his government?
A: I am not well aware that Mufti sahib or his government is gaining popularity.
Q: In Kashmir it seems as if people are confused, why can't they understand who the real representatives are?
A: The main result as also the cause of Kashmiris' long slavery is that they fail to distinguish between real and artificial freedom, between short and long term national interests and between selfish and selfless leadership. Unless Kashmiris fully distinguish between the aforementioned contrasts, there is little hope of them getting real freedom.
Q: What are your views about Yaseen Malik's signature campaign?
A: Let the history of Kashmir and not Amanullah Khan pass judgment on Yaseen Malik's individual deeds and overall conduct in freedom movement.
Q: What do you say about the return of Kashmiri Pandits?
A: Pandits are part and parcel of Kashmiri nation. It is so painful that the bulk of this necessary part is away from the main body. To some extent they themselves are to be blamed for it. Nevertheless we (JKLF) want them to be back home with due honor and dignity.
Q: Are you in favor of having a separate security zone for Pandits in Kashmir?
A: No, we are not in favor of our homeland being divided on the basis of religion, race, culture, etc. Every inch of J&K State belongs to its every national.
Q: Would you like to visit this side of Kashmir, or let me say Indian Kashmir?
A: Firstly, there is nothing called Indian Kashmir or Pakistani Kashmir. Kashmir belongs only to Kashmiris. I would love to visit Indian occupied part of Kashmir (where I have spent my boyhood and have sweet memories of those lovely years) but larger interests of the freedom movement keep me from doing so. I cannot legally visit Srinagar or Jammu as India has got international warrants of arrest issued against me and Pakistan has confiscated my passport. Moreover I would hate to visit my motherland on foreign passport and visa (Pakistani passport and Indian visa). Nevertheless I hope and may well visit my cherished land one day or the other.
Q: What do you think can be the amicable solution of the Kashmir issue?
A: We (JKLF) are clear about the solution of Kashmir issue and have prepared an easily
practicable Roadmap to implement the solution (We are the only Kashmiri party to do so). It has got circulated the world over and has been sent by post to all newspapers in J&K state. I don't know whether any paper of Srinagar or Jammu received or published it.
In a nutshell our formula is to reunite the divided Jammu and Kashmir state in five peaceful phases, under the supervision of an international Kashmir committee (IKC) to be appointed by the United Nations Secretary General and with the consent and cooperation of India, Pakistan and political parties of both sides of divided Jammu Kashmir State and to make it a fully independent country with a democratic, federal and secular system of government and having compulsory friendly relations with both India and Pakistan who should also guarantee that they would not violate the frontiers or interfere in the internal affairs of Kashmir who will, in return, undertake not to allow her land to be used by any country against any other.
Fifteen years after re-unification and independence, there be a UN supervised free and fair referendum in which the people of Jammu Kashmir will determine whether they should continue as a free nation or become part of India or Pakistan or adopt other course and that popular verdict be accepted by all concerned (India, Pakistan, all Kashmiris and the International community) as final settlement of Kashmir issue and implement it.
The IKC to be formally established by UN Secretary General, should comprise one nominee each of the UN Secretary General, P-5 Countries, Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), European Union, The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Germany and Japan. The UN Chief Executive is duty-bound under resolution NO 1172 adopted unanimously by the Security Council on June 8, 1998, to try his best to have Kashmir issue solved.
One can visualize that this formula solves Kashmir issue without hurting the national egos of India and Pakistan (as neither of them will have to give the part of Kashmir under its control to the other), without harming their national interest, specially security (as Kashmir will have friendly relations with both of them and will not allow its territory to be used by one against the other) without mass-migration and communal or ethnic disturbances and above all on the basis of the unfettered and freely expressed will of the people of the entire state.
I discussed the formula with Mr. Stephen Cohen, head of the most famous American Think Tank who said there could not be a better formula to solve the issue or a better solution but was not sure whether India and Pakistan would agree to it as it required broad-mind-ness and selflessness and neither of them seems to be in a mood to demonstrate those qualities at least about Kashmir. The only thing that can make them agree to it is a united and concerted movement from Kashmiris in favor of the solution. But unfortunately the majority of Kashmiri leaders comprise pets and puppets of India and Pakistan who seem to have agreed to disagree on all issues concerning a free, dignified and prosperous future for Kashmiris.
Q: Everybody in Kashmir is claiming to be the true representative of Kashmiris. How should it be decided. Who is right who is wrong?
A: The best yardstick to judge a leader is to see whether a) He has rendered selfless services to freedom movement;

Is not on the payroll of India or Pakistan and not being supported by them in any way; c) Is not after KURSI of any kind; d) Possesses qualities of leadership, political vision and knowledge of history as well as of current International affairs; e) There is complete conformity between his thought, action, claims and deeds; f) Is consistent in his ideology; g) Has moral courage to speak the truth whatsoever its results and h) Cannot be purchased or cowed down at the cost of national interests. Bigger the number of yes answers about a person, greater is he a leader.

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