Rightly rebuffed

The Kashmiri leaders have done well to reject Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs latest offer of autonomy. The Kashmiri leaders knew very well that the offer was bombastic nonsense and that nothing genuine would come out of it. They rightly stated that instead they wanted an end to Indian occupation. New Delhis plan was to actually get the support of these leaders and use it to quell the ongoing protests that have rocked Occupied Kashmir. However, the Indians were gravely mistaken. The Kashmiri leadership has consistently proved that it is genuine and would under no circumstances compromise on the freedom struggle. Crowds of people rallying behind them and resisting the Indian hegemony bear testimony to that. It is heartening to note that more and more people, especially women, are now flocking to the streets and joining the struggle for freedom. But will PM Manmohan Sing hear the cries of these people? Certainly not. The Indian leaders throughout history have given precedence to the status quo brutal and cruel to say the least, rather than listening to the voice of their conscience and he is no exception. Thousands have been killed so far, yet this massacre has not satiated the security forces thirst for more bloodletting. A recent alarming development is that the Indian government is working on a plan to end transmission of Pakistani channels in the occupied valley. Pakistani media is of course the leading medium keeping not just the Kashmiris in the know but also showing to the outside world the horrors unleashed by the Indian Army. There are already harsh restrictions in place banning foreign correspondents and reporters from freely working in the valley. The harassment of the journalists including methods like torture, kidnapping and target killing, have seriously deterred journalists from heading for Kashmir. This gives the Indians the freedom to kill with impunity and also prevents the myth of Indian democracy from getting exposed. Pakistani leaders ought to follow the Kashmiri leaders, especially the way they have turned down Manmohan Singhs offer of talks. There is absolutely no point in wasting time in negotiations, when the Indians are not even willing to listen to a word that goes against their stand that Kashmir is Indias integral part. The world must come forward and join Pakistan in its efforts to get the Kashmiris their right of self determination and liberation from Indian occupation. The only way out is the implementation of the UNSC resolutions, which have been put in cold storage by the Big Five and New Delhi. At stake is our planets peace and security.

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