Mohammad Shafi Khan
This speech on the Kashmir question was given at the Third General Assembly of the New Trade Union Initiative which was held at Aluva, Kerala, from 19th to 21st November, 2013. It calls for the backing of the trade union movement to the people of Kashmir who are faced by a violent military occupation and who require support for their national right to decide their own destiny.
Comrades
Let me start with what the first prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru has said about the Kashmir problem “Let me say clearly that we accept the basic proposition that the future of Kashmir is going to be decided finally by the goodwill and pleasure of her people. The goodwill and pleasure of this Parliament is of no importance in this matter, not because this Parliament does not have the strength to decide the question of Kashmir but because any kind of imposition would be against the principles that this Parliament holds.
“Kashmir is very close to our minds and hearts and if by some decree or adverse fortune, ceases to be a part of India, it will be a wrench and a pain and torment for us. If, however, the people of Kashmir do not wish to remain with us let them go by all means. We will not keep them against their will, however painful it may be to us. However sad we may feel about leaving we are not going to stay against the wishes of the people. We are not going to impose ourselves on them on the point of the bayonet.” Jawaharlal Nehru, Speech to the Indian Parliament, August 7, 1952.
“When a question becomes an international question like the Kashmir question, this Parliament can take many steps, of course, but it cannot solve the international part of it... the accession of Kashmir to India...-, was in that sense complete, not subject to anything except subject to the goodwill of the people of Kashmir.... It is a very important thing and by that declaration we are going to stand. It is left to their decision... Now it is before an international forum and how can I or this Parliament take it away?” Jawaharlal Nehru, Speech to the Indian Parliament, March 25, 1953. Comrades
You all may be wondering why I chose to start my memorandum with these quotes of the late Jawaharlal Nehru. The continued denial of the facts and truth about Jammu Kashmir by the government of India has made it important for us to remind all of you about the pledges and commitments made by Indian leaders about the Kashmir dispute and that too in Indian parliament time and again.
Comrades
Kashmiris are engaged in a struggle for their survival and we the oppressed hope that the help and sympathy from people like you, who believe in humanism, tolerance and above all freedom to live with dignity will always remain on our side. But alas! Today people of Jammu and Kashmir are being oppressed and their peaceful voices are being forcefully suppressed by the Indian rulers. Kashmiris at the persuasion of Indian civil society and international community adopted the path of non-violence and from 2008 onward Kashmiri youth pursued the path of non-violence, despite many provocations. But, the government of India instead of supporting and providing political space to this non-violent peaceful struggle has choked the space for it. From 2008 hundreds of our young men, women and children have fallen to the bullets of Indian soldiers. Thousand have been imprisoned, tortured and injured. During the mass uprising of 2008 more than 50 people and during the 2010 people’s revolution more than 120 people were killed during peaceful and democratic demonstrations. Before 2008 Kashmiris have witnessed massacres, genocide, torture, jails, custodial killings, disappearances, the dishonouring and molestation of women, pepper gas, pellet guns and many more repressive measures by India but after 2008 this has increased and so has the criminal silence of civil society. You all know that besides more than one lakh martyrs, more than 10,000 Kashmiri’s still remain absconding (disappeared) in Indian forces custody, more than 20,000 are those who have been killed in custody. We have tens and thousands of unmarked graves. We have thousands languishing in jails and interrogation centres. We have thousands injured and lakhs of widows, half widows and orphans.
Comrades
After a spree of killings in 2010, the Indian Government deputed a high level parliamentarian delegation to Kashmir to talk with the people of Kashmir. This delegation came and the Kashmir leadership welcomed them. This delegation made many pledges but till date fulfilled none.
Simultaneously the Indian government constituted a Kashmir committee under the chairmanship of Dilip Padgaonkar. This committee also made many recommendations to the government of India but the Indian state even refused those recommendations also. It is worth to mention here that despite so many pledges and statements not a single person from the police or forces who were involved in the 2008 or 2010 killings has been arrested so far.
Comrades
The gross human rights violations and denial of basic rights are painful but what has agonised and pained Kashmiris more is the criminal silence of Indian civil society, those who believe in humanity and human values and those who propagate Gandhian philosophy peace and nonviolence. The track record of civil society in India has been very disheartening and they have been always used by the Indian state as fire fighters in Kashmir. We have seen in the past that it is only when a major crisis erupts that visible efforts are made to engage and understand our aspirations. And as soon as the immediate crisis subsides the demonstrated and inherent political complacency and negligence is restored. This ignorant and unpopular attitude has to be changed because if this continues people of Kashmir will lose hope in democratic values and role of civil societies.
Comrades
For an entire generation, more than 20 years, Kashmiris have engaged in multiple exercises of dialogue and talks with the Government of India, We took risks to do so and some amongst us sacrificed their lives to tread the path of peace-making, while others amongst us paid with our credibility. We gave some suggestions with a view to generating a favourable political climate for a purposeful dialogue on questions like the draconian laws, release of political prisoners, withdrawal of troops and zero tolerance for human rights violations etc. but these suggestions were not taken seriously yet.
Comrades
For the last so many years after the dialogue process started between India and Pakistan, the people of Kashmir have not been included into any decision making process. We have always heard decisions taken by the two countries through the media. The principal party (the Kashmiris) to the dispute is not being included, without which no solution to this dispute is possible. I must say that no peace can prevail in the subcontinent till the Kashmir issue is solved once and for all. The leadership of both the countries should ponder over the repercussions of slow speed of the peace process. I think the next generation in Kashmir would be much harder to tackle if Kashmir issue is not solved with the consent of the people of Kashmir who are the principal party to the dispute. India and Pakistan are representing their own interests in dialogue process, leaving the Kashmiris unrepresented, who will safeguard our interests? Kashmiris are not drum- driven cattle and their destiny will not be decided by others. Kashmiris must get a chance to decide and shape their destiny.
Comrades
India and Pakistan have again started the dialogue process but I am very sorry to say that so far India and Pakistan are trying to exclude the Kashmiri leadership from the decision-making process on the Kashmir issue but they must understand that no solution without their participation will be acceptable to the people. Even so far the real players have not been identified and if the government of India has any doubts, let there be a referendum to identify the genuine leadership in Kashmir for a dialogue. One fails to understand why in the case of Kashmir everybody should not be on board irrespective of his or her beliefs and political ideologies, when New Delhi could talk to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (that fights for a separate homeland for Nagas) why in Kashmir it has a different yardstick? In Nagaland there are other parties as well which participate in elections, there is a Chief Minister and others but they are not included in talks.
Comrades
Kashmir is not a border dispute between India and Pakistan, nor is it a bilateral issue. Kashmiris want the settlement of this issue in accordance to their wishes and aspirations. The TUC has also tried successfully to enhance communal harmony and religious brotherhood through many programmes of which the TUC leadership has also been an active part. The honourable leaders of the Trade Union Centre, Kashmir, have participated with us and I am sure that they will share their experience with all of you.
Comrades
Our demand is a genuine one and we are pursuing it peacefully and democratically. We are demanding a political space for the Kashmiris in the decision making process; we are against any solution to the issue on the basis of division, or religion. Also, no readymade solution formed by India and Pakistan will be acceptable to us. We request to all of you to fully support our cause and raise your worthy voice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We appeal to you all to come to the rescue of humans in Kashmir and impress upon the government of India to shun its violent approach towards the Kashmiris and provide a proper space to the nonviolent peaceful struggle in Jammu and Kashmir.
I hope for the full support of the house.
Thank you.
Secretary General,