Impressions after a second visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. What is striking, though, is the strong support for India-Pakistan Confidence Building Measures.
For a journalist working in Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmir on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) is always on top of one's mind. I have been fortunate to visit the area that Indians know as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), and Pakistanis know as “Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” (AJK) twice. The first time was in 2004. A conference organised by “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” University last month gave me the opportunity for a second visit.
As a resident of Baramulla, I should have been able to make it to Muzaffarabad, the capital on the other side, within five hours by road, had the governments of India and Pakistan allowed our three-member delegation to travel on the much-vaunted cross LoC bus.
However, the walls between the two sides built over 60 years forced me to travel via Delhi-Lahore-Islamabad — the journey thus took me almost three days.
Nevertheless, this longer route was interesting in itself. The 180-km Islamabad-Muzaffarabad road reminded me of the winding Srinagar-Jammu highway, while the mountainscape and the gushing waters of the Jhelum resembled Patnitop and the waters of the Chenab.
Entry point
In the approach to the Kohala bridge — this is the first entry point to Jammu and Kashmir state from the Pakistan side; it is also the place where Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was detained in 1946 on the orders of Maharaja Hari Singh — no one can miss the signposts and hoardings with “Aao Kashmir Chalein (Let us go to Kashmir”). The slogan is everywhere, from security bunkers to road signs, somewhat similar to Border Road Organisation signs that remind us that “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, India is one.”
As we drove past the signs on the Muzaffarabad road, I could not help wondering: was this for tourists from Pakistan? Or was is it an exhortation to Pakistanis to “conquer Kashmir”?
The Kashmir “trade mark” is claimed obsessively in PoK. But if Kashmir denotes an area where the people speak the Kashmiri language, the Kashmir on the Pakistani side is far from this benchmark. The main language spoken there is Hindko, an offshoot of Pahari, followed by Gojri and other dialects. Kashmiri is spoken by hardly five per cent of the population.
In other ways too, PoK is closer to Jammu than Kashmir, and to the Punjabis of Pakistan. But this has not dimmed the enthusiasm of the people in PoK for the “cherished dream” of claiming the beautiful Valley of Kashmir as their own.
Some voices
“We have been living with the imagination of the stunning beauty of Kashmir,” said Tanveer Ahmad a scholar. “We love Kashmir more than our lives,” he said.
Scholars and writers in PoK have written a number of books about the Kashmir valley depicting its beauty and its culture, and more recently, the “sacrifices given by people for Azadi” in the wake of “gross human rights violations by Indian forces.” Any discussion about the Indian side of Kashmir is dominated by “repression by India.”
There are voices in PoK, particularly in Mirpur, an area dominated by expatriate Kashmiris, which are for complete independence of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, from India and Pakistan. But those voices are not strong for many reasons — a sizeable section of the population is for merger with Pakistan; also, the basis of political life in PoK, the political parties, are all either regional off-shoots of the political parties in Pakistan, or ally themselves with them. Also constant discouragement by Islamabad is evident — invisible pressure on PoK from Islamabad and the continuous surveillance on the people is part of a permanent structure in Muzaffarabad.
At the AJK University, where the students are quite vocal, there is a range of voices. “We are for merger with Pakistan but only after (your) Kashmir gets freedom,” said Sama Gazal a post-graduate student in AJK University. “We are a dependent state on both sides so it is better to be with Pakistan. India has done so much of repression in Kashmir.”
Countering her were Syed Mohisin Raza and Gowhar Javed, who said they were for independence. “We cannot go with Pakistan. Abhi unkey saath rehna majboori hey (it's only because of circumstances that we are with them now),” said Raza. Interestingly there is not much support for violent struggle for “liberating Kashmir.”
But barring the disgruntlement with political interference from Islamabad, people largely feel “comfortable” with Pakistan.
After the devastating earthquake in 2005, the face of Muzaffarabad has completely changed. It looks a well planned city. Perched on the hills on all four sides, are magnificently modern houses, which have come up with generous aid from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Expatriate Kashmiris have also played an important role.
The Saudi government is building the new campus for AJK University at a whopping Rs.700 crore. The UAE government has also constructed a state-of-the-art hospital spending more than Rs.100 crore. A make-shift university campus built by Turkey was inaugurated by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In fact, Turkey's extraordinary involvement in rebuilding the city has brought about a surprising change in the landscape — some mosques in Muzaffarabad display typical features of Ottoman architecture — gentle domes and “pencil minarets.” “We see Pakistan along with us as two important Islamic countries in the world today. So our interest in helping people here is self explanatory,” said Muharem Hilmi-Ozev, a political scientist from the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies in Istanbul who was there for the conference.
Muzaffarabad and Srinagar
Comparing Muzaffarabad with Srinagar, the second oldest city after Varanasi in South Asia, would be unfair. Though Muzaffarabad was among three main district headquarters of the state before 1947, Srinagar has always been the epicentre of cultural and political awakening with a population of 14 lakh souls.
Muzaffarabad, with a population of just over 6,00,000, looks cleaner than Srinagar (PoK has 10 districts with an estimated population over three million in 2009). Even during my previous visit in 2004, I found that the stories of “under development in PoK,” fed to us on this side, are off the mark. This time, I noticed road connectivity and power supply to houses even on the upper reaches of a hill. In contrast, many villages in Jammu and Kashmir even today are without basic facilities. Neither does Muzaffarabad seem to be lagging behind in education and health compared to the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir though progress is more in tune with Pakistani literacy rates. In the past few years the development in these two sectors has been rapid. The literacy rate in PoK has touched 65 per cent which is higher than for any other area in Pakistan. In conversations, both the young and old in Muzaffarabad say that Pakistan has “never discriminated” against the region.
“We had several top generals in the Army. Diplomats, scientists and officers in Pakistan civil services continue to call the shots in policy making of Pakistan,” said Kamran Basharat, a student. However, he said, people in AJK do see themselves differently from Pakistan and seek more political autonomy.
Many agree with the argument that “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” is hardly “free” in the real sense of the term. Islamabad's interference in its internal matters through its all powerful Kashmir Council is a bone of contention in PoK politics.
But the symbolic nomenclature of “President, Prime Minister” as also a separate Supreme Court and Election Commission gives an impression of more distinctness from Pakistan, on the face of it, than Jammu and Kashmir from India.
“It is a source of pride for us,” said a political activist, but added that “lot more needs to be done.” Generally, however, people do not have many grievances with Pakistan as they feel that there are many areas in that country which are less developed than PoK. Perhaps this is because Pakistan's strategic interest in PoK makes building roads and better infrastructure inevitable, exactly like what New Delhi does in Kashmir. The absence of heavy industries is another common feature between the two sides. Likewise while entering Muzaffarabad from Kohala, a stern reminder to “foreigners” about registering themselves reminds one of Srinagar. Even as both India and Pakistan claim that Jammu and Kashmir state across the LoC is one, a Kashmiri state subject becomes a “foreigner” in Kashmir by virtue of his Indian or Pakistani passport.
CBMs
Even while Kashmir remains an “integral part” of the “unfinished agenda of partition” across the LoC, there is strong support for the Confidence Building Measures (CBM) launched by India and Pakistan after the 2003 ceasefire.
Over a period of five years the CBMs have demolished the stereotypes and myths created by “vested interests” on both sides. While Indian discourse has harped on how backward, underdeveloped and controlled PoK is, Pakistani propaganda, intended to attract more and more jihadis and to keep alive the “unfinished agenda” slogan, has worked well by spreading stories such as how “the Indian Army does not allow Kashmiris to pray in mosques.” The many violations of human rights by the Indian Army on this side of Kashmir also provide grist to the Pakistani mill. But the CBMs have helped the people to understand the realities better.
“It is the best mechanism to build understanding on both sides,” said Abdul Hamid a refugee from Kashmir of the cross LoC bus service. Since there are thousands of divided families on both sides, the bus service is most sought after but has left people disappointed due to the procedures involved. Cross-LoC trade too is mired in bottlenecks over currency and the absence of proper communication facilities between the two sides. Most believe that the potential of these CBMs will remain unfulfilled unless they are made more accessible.
To the Kashmiri eye, the two sides have many similarities as well as differences. But as the CBMs have shown, with some constructive policies, there is much space to bring them together at both social, economic and psychological levels.
Keywords: PoK, Muzaffarabad, India Pakistan relations
Well balanced article. Let the good work continue.
i am very much impressed ,with this kind of article. Let us throw hatred in dustbin and begin good relations with love and peace. hats off to you.
Aeally a very well written article. You have given a candid description about the feelings of the people of AJK. The state of J&K has to unify and then the people can decide their fate.
It is intriguing that Shujaat Bukhari has chosen not to mention the pertinent comment that he himself made at the conference that echoed routine anti India propaganda. His vehement opposition to the calls of plebiscite on the ground that it would divide the state further in to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir is a reflection of ground realities that separatism is indeed Kashmir valley centric only, obviously only on account of its Muslim majority character. People of Jammu & Ladakh across religious spectrum have time and again spurned the separatists' moves to spread their tentacles in these regions that are opposed to even continuation of article 370 seeking further integration with the Union of India. No guesses there, ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits on account of their faith and that they were seen symbolising Indian presence in the valley did not figure at the conference.
i want to comment on the same issue that kashmir will get indepandence from both the two neibouring countries india and pakistan.it is time for the both countries to solve the problem peacefully other wise there would be a situation like 90 ies. Shujaat bukhari work is praise worthy and commendable.Such type of article should be appreciated.
Interesting article for sure. Don't really care what Nehru did in the 60s or 50s but today the fate of Srinagar and the reason for 'under-development' of Kashmir (I won't include Jammu or Ladakh because realistically, Kashmir has little to do with them!) is mainly due to the lopsided nature of the Kashmir valley in India. Kashmir is an uncomfortable anomaly in India which is declared as Indian yet not all Indians may own land or may go as they please. Terrorism has definitely been another factor and finally, the extreme Police measures adopted to deal with the terrorists and the 'agitations' have ALL contributed to the under-development of Kashmir.
I don't think the Indian government needs to spend any more on the Kashmir valley for the return on that investment will be very little. India would be much better off by dividing J&K into three parts and then liberalizing and opening up Jammu and Ladhak to Indians and Indian investment. While Muzzafarabad may be 'cleaner', 'better built' etc than Srinagar, it has not been due to Pakistan's efforts. It was built through aid and aid meant to 'bolster' the idea of an Islamic state. I would like to know how many Kashmiri pandits remain in Muzzafarabad and what their plight it! The Pakis keep talking about 'Kashmiris' why aren't they concerned about the Pandits ? Where are the Pandits in Pakistan's 'Azad Kashmir' ?
Mr. Kumar, therein lies the problem. Indians have been fed bunk since before 47 about how much Kashmiris love India and that only Pakistan is behind their wanting of rights. The simple fact is that no one in Azad Kashmir (Pak Administered Kashmir) wants India. And it's not because of 'state repression', since there are ample number of people in Balochistan that express their desires despite repression. PAK isn't the place where thousands have been killed, tortured, and raped for wanting their inalienable rights. Admittedly if given a free choice under the UN, the people of the region should and would decide on complete independence, both from India and Pakistan.
Generations of Indians and Pakistanis have been brainwashed into believing that Kashmir is - as the vernacular phrase it - their grandfather's property. Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris BEFORE it belongs to either India or Pakistan. Nehru certainly had a special penchant for doing the inexpedient thing, whether against Pakistan in 1948 or the Chinese in 1962. No Indian - especially outside the so-called 'heartland', the most benighted and least rational part of India - will doubt that the Indian State is highly oppressive for Kashmiris. But as of now, with sincerest best wishes for the people on the Indian side of Kashmir, I cannot see what they will gain by merging or aligning with a state as fragile and undemocratic, hag-ridden by a selfish military, and with no concern for its own economic development - simply because it is Islamic. The Turkish 'missionaries' are no doubt well-meaning, but the Pakistani state is not to be trusted even by Kashmiris; its talk about CBM is so much hot air, and, btw, the person who justifies the persecution of Pandits does not know very much about the impact of Sufis in Kashmir. Among Sufis, only the Chishtis opposed forcible conversion of non-believers. Kashmiris must use the Internet more efficiently to get out word about their oppression and persecution, on both sides of the LOC.
Well written article. I wish the Indian Government spends wisely on actual development rather than filing few favoured family's pockets. I have been to jammu and kashmir as a tourist and i am appalled to see the lack of roads, infrastructure and basic amenities like power. only development can bring an end to unemployment and possibly some peace. Leaving aside the political games played by both the neighbours it is important to develop this heaven on earth. I equally wish the Pakistan Government to stop meddling in Indian affairs and better set their house in order. PoK needs freedom to express and choose who governs them (can PoK ever have a hawk who can propose merger of PoK with India, thats the sad state of affairs in Pakistan) and J&K needs development as they already gave the freedom and right to choose who governs them (can't help if a section boycotts election)...
Article has described vividly the development of pak administered kashmir. Whereas people from Pak seem to be content with thier government as in the case of indian kashmir it is quite opposite. By blaming Nehru the hindu fundamentalists try to figure out the problem. Had not elections have been rigged in 80's in order to keep islamic parties from power, Kashmir would not had witnessed the blood shed. It is majoriatrian mentality of hindu fundamentalists by which they claim narendra modi's government is legal despite of massacres of muslims and continued persecution in the name of fake encounters but cannot tolerate a islamic party in kashmir.
Indeed one of the very few piece on POK/azad Kashmir with impartiality.
At last a balanced article from the Indian side.
Well, the Kashmir sentiment in AJK has little to do with the Kashmiri language or other cultural aspects of the Valley as you've rightly inferred. It's more to do with the generic idea of a land thought to be divided and occupied by foreign forces. It mainly relates to the desire for the integrity, restoration and continuity of the erstwhile Dogra State (minus the monarchy, replaced by a genuine democracy). Undoubtedly for some, it relates to Pakistan's 'unfinished agenda of partition' and the State of Pakistan has certainly cultivated a 'stronger than actual link' between itself and the valley of Kashmir. In the public domain, that narrative is certainly dominant, is certainly deeply etched in the minds of most Punjabi Pakistanis and many 'AJKites' (if I can call them that). Given the prominent 2-nation theory-partition of the Pakistani kind, Pakistan had to develop a stronger narrative than the naturally evolving one which referred to the religious inclusivity, multi-ethnic diversity, geographic continuity, positive strategic elements of a land-locked territory, abundant water resources and various other pre-liminaries as the basis for discussing it's future. That was a hard task for Pakistan and it used guile, force where necessary, intimidation and various other economic tactics to ensure that the Kashmir Valley was perceived according to a Pakistani narrative. Thus, it quelled freedom of speech and other freedoms thereby depriving AJK of natural evolution. Funding in the region for infrastructure has also reflected Pakistan's defence (or offence) prerogatives. The crimes aside, evidently we all need to focus on an enduring political solution for the whole region. Thus, opening democratic space between the Indian and Pakistani public on one level and allowing Kashmiris unfettered cross-LOC movement to enable them to shape public opinion according to their naturally evolved thinking will bring about a concrete basis for that all-illusive solution. From a (generic) Kashmiri perspective, CBMs must be converted into OBMs. Finally, for sure you cannot compare Muzaffarabad with Srinagar. - The quality of education is more important than the quantity in certain key respects and if the English language and social sciences were used as an indicator, AJK is abysmal and would rank at the very lower end of the global scale. - I for one, still can't drive my jeep from Sehnsa to Srinagar and I reckon it's cleaner than Muzaffarabad!
Well written Shujaat sahab. I don't understand the ethnic cleansing of hindus in Kashmir by facts. Indian government records say only 210 or something like that is the number of hindus killed post millitancy in Kashmir while the number of Muslims killed stands over 1 lakh. By facts the term ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri pandits is propagandic and driven by hate. Kashmiris accepted Islam not by force but through sufi culture from central Asia. Taking the our conversion to Islam as an issue makes us feel what evil designs you people have in mind against us. We have no other option left but to keep our likings with Pakistan at least they are the people who raise our voice when atrocities are committed on us. We can't bank upon Indian people who just see us a Muslims being killed rather than humans. Religion has importance in our lives, we won't be atleast called terrorists in Pakistan. People of India want to fight with pakistan, we won't stop you or hate you, if you fight it in Delhi and taste the destruction.
Anti-Nehru elements of the country spreads the message of failure of Nehru Family in Kashmir problem.Nehru family is to reckon with when it comes to the formation of Modern India.Nehru is the Architect of Modern India, whom world accept. Indira Gandhi renowned for Bank Nationalisation,stoppage of privi-purse and strong administration.Sanjay made automobile revolution in India,Rajiv Gandhi was the front runner of all technological advancement.
Come back to the subject, It was Nehru succeded in accession agreement with Raja Hari Singh.Now Kashmir problem is an offshoot of global terrorist movement.we had in J&K, panchayat election held smoothly.whatelse pakistan wanted.How India can permit plebiscite in J&K. WOULD PAKISTAN come forward for referendum in his own areas. self rule and self determination is a global trend. But in autocratic society it is justified.India is the biggest democracy.
Kashmiris' include hindus and ladakis too. if Kashmir is seperated from India whoelse in the world can protect lives ,properties and self respect of these Hindus and Ladakis.
praveen purakkad
It is not just Kashmir only, Jinah's two nation theory driven vivisection of India saw the Punjab, Bengal divided too. And there must be more divided families from any one district of UP than in the whole of J&K state. In any case the valley, the centre of pan Islamism inspired secessionism today, saw migration of only the disgruntled Muslim Conference followers after accession of the state with the Indian union. POK & Kashmir except Islam have no other common features in terms of language & culture generally.
It is intriguing that Shujaat Bukhari has chosen not to mention the pertinent comment that he himself made at the conference that echoed routine anti India propaganda. His vehement opposition to the calls of plebiscite on the ground that it would divide the state further in to Jammu, Ladakh & Kashmir is a reflection of ground realities that separatism is indeed Kashmir valley centric only obviously only on account of its Muslim majority character. People of Jammu & Ladakh across religious spectrum have time & again spurned the separatists' moves to spread their tentacles in these regions that are opposed to even continuation of article 370 seeking further integration with the Union of India. No guesses there, ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits on account of their faith & that they were seen symbolising Indian presence in the valley did not figure at the conference.
well written,
Mr Bukhari has omitted to analyse the correct perspective in Indo-Pak relations. The principal bete noire for the two is Kashmir. The Kashmir problem was deliberately created by Jawaharlal Nehru - as a perusal of the 1947-48 war shows - when he allowed MA Jinnah to consolidate his hold on POK by ordering a unilateral ceasefire just when the Pakistani invaders were on the run out of J&K hotly pursued by the Indian army. Subsequently, we surrendered our superior military gains of the 1965 war at Tashkent and to crown it all, a spectacular victory gained by our armed forces in the 1971 war was gifted by Indira Gandhi to Zulfi Bhutto at Shimla. There is a tacit understanding between India and Pakistan to keep the Kashmir problem alive as it is more profitable to do so than resolve it. Shimla proved this point. Today the Kashmir Valley has become India's biggest anti national segment, in fact a mini Pakistan, while our powers-that-be look the other way, just for a few votes. All this talk about CBMs is nothing but a hoax to fool the naive and gullible Indian citizens. Why are we desperately protecting convicted terrorists like Mohd Afzal and Ajmal Kasab from the gallows?
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