Obama’s Kashmir lesson
July 18, 2012 by Team SAISA
Filed under Analysis
Shujaat Bukhari
United States President Barrack Obama’s statement that no solution on Kashmir could be thrust from outside has come on expected lines, keeping in view the changing dynamics of politics at Global level, particularly after 9/11 attacks. Obama was not cautious in his statement when asked about Kashmir solution, but he made it crystal clear that nations (India and Pakistan) must see their responsibilities, as “It is not the place of any nation, including the United States, to try to impose solutions from the outside.”
However, he has not completely ignored the issue of Jammu and Kashmir while expressing satisfaction over the continued “bonhomie” of India and Pakistan in the shape of increased trade and people to people contact. His statement also has a symbolic value as far as registering Kashmir as a problem is concerned.
Obama’s assertion about not intervening in resolving the protracted conflict has given a setback to the separatists, who apart from “sacrifices” of people in past 21 years had been banking upon the support from the International community particularly the United States. Since Kashmir continues to be alive in the United Nations in the shape of its resolutions, the Washington connection becomes more visible. With Pakistan being its ally in cold war period and subsequent power game in the region, it was visibly stronger making people to live in an illusion that it was Washington, which would make India to take a decision on Kashmir. In a sense Pakistan was a broker in highlighting Kashmir’s genuine cause at the international level. It was more because of human rights situation in Kashmir that attracted attention at the international level rather than Pakistan’s lobbying. Case of Kashmiri American Council executive director Ghulam Nabi Fai is enough to draw conclusions how irritated Washington has been with Pakistan and its policy. He (Fai) was booked and thrown into jail just because what they say he was on pay roll of Pakistani agency thus pushing into the background the political reality of Kashmir issue.
The situation had, however, changed in the past one decade, since Pakistan not only lost its stability to war in Afghanistan but also the India’s increasing proximity to Washington played a significant role in neutralizing its effect in making them (US) believe that their intervention in resolving Kashmir issue was inevitable. Until September 11 attacks on US, Pakistan’s position on diplomatic level was still forceful. It could maneuver support on Kashmir by projecting it as a “genuine political issue”. But in the aftermath of those attacks, Pakistan’s deep involvement in the so-called “war on terror” and its visible failure to contain Taliban for US, changed the dynamics of politics in the region. While Pakistan was seen as a breeding ground for “terrorism”, this argument was linked with the Kashmir problem as well, thus projecting it as part of “International Islamic terror network”. However, the fact remains that Kashmir has never been part of such a network and presence of any foreign militant notably from Pakistan has been merely a coincidence. There has not been any imprint of Al Qaeda or Taliban in Kashmir, which could make it part of such a network.
Pakistan’s weakness on home turf further gave a jolt to the process of resolving Kashmir issue. While it raised the tempo of Kashmir to the highest level in the first decade after 1990, the same plummeted to the lowest in the previous decade, thus distancing the world powers also from the issue. Pakistan’s threat to bargain over Kashmir resolution was also grounded after Al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden was caught and killed by the Americans last year. That was perhaps the only bargaining chip Islamabad could use to force the Washington to influence New Delhi for a resolution. During his last year’s visit to India, President Obama had given enough indicators about how important India was in the new scheme of things. Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and many more pacts have since narrowed the gulf between two countries, which have always remained at a distance especially during the cold war. Obama seeking 50,000 jobs for Americans in India was a subtle reminder about India’s growing influence, which in any case is at the cost of long time friendship between Washington and Islamabad. Today the intelligence agencies of both countries (CIA and ISI) are virtually at war, throwing their operatives out of the boundaries. With State department and Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry trying to maintain a semblance of relations, these agencies are out to “frustrate” the moves of peace. Recent issue of NATO supplies was also a grim reminder about the battered relations both the countries have. And Obama’s outright rejection of any intervention over Kashmir is reflection of the strand relations both are tied in.
Not only because of changing political goal posts in the region, but also the past record of Washington has been to play safe in Kashmir. Except from raising concern over human rights violations, it has not made any direct attempt to bid a solution on Kashmir. We need to clear our “impressions” that Kashmir was never on priority of US.
Distinguished American diplomat Howard B Schaffer in his book “Limits of Influence-Americas Role in Kashmir” under scores the need for understanding the limits Washington has in indulging in brokering a solution between India and Pakistan. “If any lesson is to be drawn from the events of past six decades is that Kashmir issue is complex and difficult and needs to be addressed with due respects for its tortured history” he says. But at the same time he argues that Obama administration can play a role to bring a conclusion to this dispute. That, however, is a caveat with the changing paradigm of relations between US, India and Pakistan in recent years. Kashmir’s struggle is genuine and leaders should refrain from making their illusions about such interventions firm.
Separatists’ angry reaction over his statement is not out-of-place keeping in the view their engagements at different levels with the US government. It is true that even symbolic intervention of players like US makes the difference but Kashmir does not fit in their priority, as it is a stake less region for them. Lesson, however, is that they (leaders) should rejuvenate themselves to build an opinion in Indian public in favour of their “genuine cause”.
It is true that any solution to Kashmir problem has to come out of an agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad albeit with the representation of views of people of Jammu and Kashmir, but to garner support at public level in both India and Pakistan for a formidable solution is the duty of these leaders who see more towards the world powers than to the real constituencies in the South Asia.
Syed Shujaat Bukhari is chief editor of the Rising Kashmir. This article first appeared in the Rising Kashmir of 17 July 2012. The views expressed are personal.
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Post colonial South Asia has an awful lot wrong with it besides Kashmir. Having reflected on the developments since the so-called independence I find myself forced to conclude that the two succesor states of British rule in India have to re-invent themselves to look like stable progressive entities. The ‘re-invention’ will most probably be more bloody than what happened in 1947. Obama and his predecessors –and now their Junior partner, Britain — wanted to sell a great deal of arms to India and Pakistan under a cynical Balance of Power approach by letting the Kashmir issue festor in the quagmire that they created in UN under chapter five sort of peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem.
Under a different set of assunptions than mine, the Indian thinker, Kishore Mehbubani appears to apprehend the on coming end of American domination of UN and global scale diplomacy. A new international ball game has already begun from the events in Libya and Syria — and in Iraq and Afghanistan before that. American power elite is has tasted defeat in Iraq where their largest sized embassy building has assumed a miserably ghostly appearance. A similar fate is awaited by a similar building under construction in Islamabad.
And the deepening Great Recession is set to decisively lower the American global profile. Many problems including Kashmir should come up for solution then.
The learned author of the article above is continuing to beat the dead horse of Solution to the Kashmir problem without even stating what the problem is! The problem as we all know is that of the newly carved out state of Pakistan attacking the State of Jammu and Kashmir who wanted to remain independent. However, under pressure of the attack the then ruler of J&K opted to merge with India and sought India’s help in preventing its occupation by Pakistan.
However, the then Indian Prime Minister who was more of an idealist than a practical person decided to seek intervention of UNO to end the Pakistani aggression. Little did he realize that he was going to have to contend with the same evil colonial powers (USA included) in the UNO again who were responsible for the dismemberment of India to serve their selfish agenda for the times to come. The outcome of the reference of the Pakistani aggression to UNO is too well known to require any elaboration here. Rather than call Pakistan the aggressor in Kashmir and to order it to withdraw from the areas it had forcibly occupied, the UNO acquired for itself to role of an arbiter and decided to conduct a plebicite. It however advised Pakistan to withdraw from the areas in Kashmir it had occupied before the plebicite is conducted. Pakistan is yet to comply with this requirement.
After 63 years of continued non compliance with the UN resolutions you want to maintain that the UN Resolutions are still valid and operative Syed Shujaat Bhukhari?
I am in complete agreement with Sultan Geelani in his following comment:
“Post colonial South Asia has an awful lot wrong with it besides Kashmir. Having reflected on the developments since the so-called independence I find myself forced to conclude that the two succesor states of British rule in India have to re-invent themselves to look like stable progressive entities. The ‘re-invention’ will most probably be more bloody than what happened in 1947″.
Infact Kashmir is no issue, it is the creation of Pakistani attack. The real issue is Pakistan itself. The reason lies in the very concept of its foundation i.e. a separate homeland for the Muslims of the pre-independence India since some of them believed that they could not live with Hindus. The truth is just the opposite; there are more Muslims living peacefully with Hindus in India than the Muslims in the theocratic state of Pakistan who are always at each other’s throat due to ethnic differences and mutually hostile tribal loyalties.
Yes Mr. Geelani, the process of “Re-invention” is going to be very very painful and bloody. But let us remember “Satyameva Jayate”, i.e only truth prevails…. always and every time. And the truth in our case lies in Indian history which is very old….ancient….the states fought among themselves, unified sometimes and divided again, conquered temporarily by the neighbouring ruler sometimes…. but only temporarily.
Reading of such events from history books does not trouble us because it belonged to a bygone era, but when we witness them happening with our own eyes we feel the pain.
But this will also become history soon, the future generations will read about us and will feel no pain.
Firstly for all the proponents of Kashmir Issue – the issue is dead. Locally the Kashmir issue is only talked about by those living between the Banihal and the Zojila Passes. The whole world is aware about the reality of the Kashmir Region. Kashmir was used as a stick by the NATO world in the Cold War era to keep India in place. There is nothing Islamic about Kashmir region as such and the people of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu have no ethnic affinity with the rest of the Islamic world. The Valley Kashmiris’ cannot speak on behalf the other regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Linguistically Kashmiri is not even spoken in Baramullah. There is no foreseeable solution to the problem of the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India. Basically it’s a dispute caused by Pakistan. To complicate matters it bequeathed the Shaksgam Valley to the Chinese. The people of the Valley have always made a noise against the Indian Government. Have they ever voiced their dissent against the Pakistan’s illegal occupation of parts of Kashmir. They won’t because they know that the Pakistanis have the will and the way to target then here in their own homes. As of now it is a no go situation. Obama is perhaps wise not to stick his finger in a situation which will only burn his hand.
Solution to Kashmir problem? What problem? Is there a problem? I see none! As I have already said the real problem is Pakistan and not Kashmir, if at all the prevailing imbroglio in Kashmir needs to be sorted out, sort out Pakistan first, Kashmir problem will vanish by itself.
The people whose favourite pass time is to talk about finding solution to the Kashmir problem have to realise that this problem is being kept alive by the Pakistanis and their sympathisers to justify the existence of Pakistan on the world’s map. As it is there is no justification for this state to exist as a nation since it was created on the myth of founding a theological state. Separation of their eastern wing has dealt a deadly blow to this theory. The fact that people following the same faith have been at each other’s throat in Afghanistan for last 3 decades and also elsewhere including Balochistan and Pakhtoonistan regions of Pakistan, goes only to prove the absurdness of this theory.
Therefore, the people who talk about finding a solution to the Kashmir problem must see the writing on the wall….!