|
|
|
 
 
 
 
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
A new concept from Kashmir separatists– United States of Kashmir – it is time for India, Pakistan and all other countries to have decentralized Governments
The world is experiencing a new wave of freedom, people’s wish of less Government, less tax and above all less of politicians! That is true in America, in Europe, in China and in South Asia. The people in Kashmir now are eager to have their land and culture back to them. Like in US, the model makes decentralized Governments working as part of a larger Federation. The model can work in Kashmir, in all of India and Pakistan – even in the rest of the world.
According to media reports, Moderate Hurriyat faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has propounded a new concept for resolving the Kashmir issue - one of the ''United States of Kashmir'' in which people would be able to move freely.
"We desire to be citizens of the United States of Kashmir and we desire India and Pakistan to give a free hand to the Kashmiri leadership to come up with new proposals," he said adding the Hurriyat conference has decided to take the initiative.
He was addressing a "Symposium on Kashmir: looking towards the future'' organised by Pakistani daily Dawn in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan peace coalition and the Islamabad council for World Affairs in Karachi on Saturday.
"I don''t want to take the bus 20 years down the line, I want to fly to New Delhi, Islamabad or Tashkent. We want to move beyond the traditional line," he said without elaborating.
Farooq said "Conversion of the LOC into a permanent border or the status quo was not acceptable. Apart from these two, we are ready to explore other options. Decisions should not be imposed from New Delhi or Islamabad".
As India was not ready for tripartite negotiations, the moderate Hurriyat leader said, "A way out could be triangular talks between Kashmiris and Pakistan, between Kashmiris and India and between Pakistan and India."
Farooq said the United Nations, the organisation of Islamic Conference and the international community have failed to address the Kashmir issue and mitigate the "agony" of the people of Kashmir.
"We should forget about the international community and the people of Kashmir should choose their own course," he said. The "people of Kashmir were never in favour of a violent course, the situation was imposed on us," he said adding the Hurriyat supported the peace process.
He also sought to clarify that their visit to Pakistan did not mean that there was a complete unanimity of views on the issue.
JKLF chairman Yasin Malik said it was not for New Delhi or Islamabad to represent the people of Kashmir or to decide who was their leader.
"Kashmiris should be included in the dialogue process as equal partners".
Former Hurriyat chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat said sensitivities of India and Pakistan had to be taken into consideration in resolving the issue but the two countries cannot move ahead unless they took the Kashmiris into confidence and engaged them as equal partners in the dialogue process.
POLITICAL ARTICLES
|
|
| Click here to get ad specs and place your ad or Click here to contact the advertisement department |
Send Letters to the Editor |
Add RSS headlines