The freedom movement of Kashmir has entered a new stage especially after the martyrdom of Burhan Vani. Consequently the scholars, the institutions of policy making and international think tanks have stressed on efforts to seek a solution through negotiations. New efforts can be made on its basis. Some important points are being given in this regard are:
Firstly, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir needs a solution and to declare it a settled issue is absolutely incorrect.
Secondly, this issue cannot be solved by military action. The military solution has two options. Firstly, the freedom movement should be suppressed with force by India. This will cause a bloodshed that we have been observing since 1990. The freedom movement has to face many challenges. But it could not be ended in spite of that more than one lac people were martyred, countless were wounded or made disable, thousands were arrested or abducted, a large number of missing persons, seduction of women and ban on democratic freedom. 600,000 Indian troops and their assistants are engaged only in the Valley of Kashmir and they are not answerable to anyone for their actions. Still the movement of resistance has not been crushed in 26 years. But the condition is that “Itna hi phir ubhray ga jitna ke dabadain gey.”
The second option for the immediate solution is the use of force between India and Pakistan for a solution. It has been tried for three to four times and it gave some results, but the problem remained unsolved. Now both India and Pakistan are atomic powers. This option has become dangerous and unimaginable. So, no option is left, other than to find a political solution to this issue. A solution that should be democratic and trustworthy. This solution is nothing but the right of self-determination. It will be a historical opportunity and we should start advancing towards it.
Thirdly, it is also being acknowledged openly that the freedom movement of Kashmir is a local movement. Hizab-ul-Mujahidin is a purely Kashmiri organisation from its inception. All Parties Hurriat Conference has also the same status and is leading on the political front.
Vajpayee, Musharraf and Manmohan who were trying to find a middle course remained unsuccessful. If we observe carefully, we’ll find that from the matter of the allotment of land to Amarnath Trust in 2008 to the martyrdom of Burhan Vani, in the freedom movement of Kashmir, the aspects of the militancy have decreased and the national and democratic aspects have increased. It has changed the ground realities. After the event of 8th July the movement has been accepted as insurmountable because of its real power and political status. It is this difference, which discriminates the present stage of the movement from the all previous stages. It was acknowledged for the first time in Indian media and to some extent in international media, thinktanks and other research institutions. A journalist of the US based Foreign Policy magazine published an article in May, 2016 with a title “India is Losing Kashmir”. New York Times in its edition of 21st July 2016 has acknowledged that the movement of Kashmir is local. It also described the changing condition of Kashmir in its editorial. Dozens of articles on Kashmir have published in the newspapers of India in the previous two weeks. This ground reality has been accepted in a way or the other. This change in attitudes can play a role in solving the Kashmir issue.
Fourthly, it is being accepted directly and indirectly that whatever happens in Kashmir cannot be declared the involvement of Pakistan only. The role of Pakistan in the movement of Kashmir has reduced since the regime of Pervez Musharraf. The assistance to the activities of Jihad has almost come to an end. The barriers and electric wires have been fixed on the borders according to the strategy in Israel after 2003. It has become impossible to take weapons or man-power there.
More important is the policy of the Government of Pakistan which is full of confusion and weaknesses. The people of Kashmir are disappointed now. Though they still love Pakistan. Burhan Vani was wrapped in the flag of Pakistan before putting into grave. The clocks in the Occupied Kashmir are according to the clocks of Pakistan. Kashmiris celebrate Eid with Pakistan not with India. In spite of all these facts, we are ashamed of the policies of our rulers as a nation. Our rulers have adopted such policies, especially in the Government of Musharraf that were un-Islamic and politically harmful. These policies were also damaging to regional peace and stability. There is a dire need to change these policies. But this weakness, confusion and disloyalty of 14 years resulted in two miracles. Firstly, the Indian propaganda proved false that whatever happens in Kashmir is because of ISI and the jihadi organisations of Pakistan are the backbone and real support of the movement of resistance. Secondly, they learnt how to become confident inleadership. This movement became a local movement completely. The Kashmiri youths have taken the control of the movement totally.
They concentrated on different aspects, for example, visits to Pakistan, trust in getting weapons from other regions, stress on military aspects and lack of attention to political, national and other fields. A new strategy was developed. Self-sufficiency was adopted as a future plan. It was decided to act upon the teachings of Islam strictly. They planned to compensate for the wrong beliefs that were being adopted in the different parts of the world. Burhan Vani has become the symbol of a militancy which is free from a conflict, a source of reformation, is and within the boundaries of moralities. No doubt Hizab-ul-Mujahidin, like the Al-Badar of East Pakistan 1971 has the same aim and target that their activities will never be based on tyranny. They will completely follow the teachings of Islam about Jihad. This aspect is very prominent in the movement of Kashmir presently. It also has a deep connection with this concept that the freedom movement of Kashmir is not only for the liberation of Kashmir from Indian occupation but it is also for the real identity of Jammu Kashmir, the development of Islam, Islamic culture and civilisation. This movement has political objects as well as ideological, religious, historical, cultural and moral aspects.