Kashmiri Ehle Danish Se Aik Mulaqat

In the capital of Azad Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, gatherings around “Mr. Box” continued for four consecutive days. My dear friend, Saqib Awan, kept calling his knowledgeable friends, inviting them to join because there was a guest with whom they would have engaging conversations. Some of his elder friends attended as well, but Saqib had a “bundle” of fresh questions ready, leading to an interesting discussion.

However, during the night between the fourth and fifth day, our esteemed friend, the renowned lawyer Syed Zulfiqar Haider Naqvi, provided an opportunity for friends to meet and benefit from discussions at his residence in Khetar Syedan, Upper Tandal. In this evening gathering, besides the host, Raja Anwar-ul-Qamar Advocate, well-known journalist, thinker, and author Malik Abdul Hakeem Kashmiri, member of the Muzaffarabad District Council Syed Ali Raza Sabzwari Advocate, Raja Aqib Safir Advocate, and Syed Shabir Shah were also present. Our host’s young son took the lead in hosting his father’s guests.

This gathering, which lasted for almost five to seven hours (in two phases), allowed the student to benefit from discussions among friends regarding the culture and history of Kashmir, the wounds of partition, 77 years of oppression and exploitation, and future prospects.

During this time, although there were discussions on Pakistani politics, governmental systems, the establishment’s “flights,” literature, knowledge, and history, the enjoyment of listening to the remarks of Kashmiri friends was distinct.

Renowned journalist, thinker, and author Malik Abdul Hakeem Kashmiri presented the case of the Kashmiri people with remarkable skill and precision. Mr. Kashmiri is also the author of a research book titled “Kashmir Dispute in the Mirror of Reality.”

Interestingly, there is a ban on his publication in the “base camp” of Azad Kashmir. Reading the preface and the author’s case in this book amplifies the realization of how many “gems and geniuses” have been known and imposed in the freedom base camp.

Strangely, the book that should have been part of the curriculum in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is under government ban. Why? The simple answer to this question is that there is no tradition of hearing the whole truth here. Politicians, who are uninterested in research, study, and realism, know that if the new generation begins to analyze historical truths and ground realities with contemporary awareness, even if their businesses don’t close down, the number of customers gradually dwindles.

In the conversation with Kashmiri friends at Syed Zulfiqar Haider Naqvi Advocate’s residence in Khetar Syedan, one particular point stood out: the current generation of Kashmiris is not only fully aware of the wounds inflicted by the forced partition of their homeland but is also well-acquainted with the roles of both outsiders who caused the wounds and insiders who provided assistance.

The open and informal atmosphere of the five to seven-hour conversation, held in two phases, served as a lament for today’s generation alongside the history of the Kashmiris.

During the discussion, at one point, Faqir Rahmon whispered, “Shah, we like laments, but we do not feel the knock of the anguish and pain present in them, nor do we consider it necessary to heal the wounds along with correcting the mistakes.”

Khetar Syedan is located at an altitude of three thousand feet above sea level. The splendid weather, coupled with the discomfort of hosting and the discourse on literature and history intertwined with the deep wounds of partition, as well as the various shades of contemporary politics, made participation in this splendid gathering nothing short of a blessing for the student.

In the above lines, I mentioned the book “Kashmir Dispute in the Mirror of Reality” by renowned journalist, author, and researcher Malik Abdul Hakeem Kashmiri. Due to travel fatigue and illness, I could only read the preface and a few pages of this book. However, every line I read reflects the writer’s research and contemporary and historical awareness.

I will continue to reference Malik Abdul Hakeem Kashmiri’s work for the readers’ benefit in the coming days. For now, please benefit from the brief excerpts from the preface and introduction.

“The greatest lesson of history is that no one learns anything from history. Today, the rulers of India and Pakistan continue to follow the path of not learning from history, labeling forced annexation as freedom and the right to self-determination, while extreme elements and alien forces operate within the state.”

“Development goals are sacrificed for the sake of forced relationships that compromise collective prosperity.”

“The misfortune is that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is divided into three parts (note that this book was published in 2014; today, the Kashmir under India’s control is divided into three parts, and according to the Kashmiris’ case, the Pakistani-administered Kashmir is divided into two parts—Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan). The Kashmiris are acutely aware that they were stripped of their national identity in the 1947 incident and have faced religious division. The borders have been drawn between the homes of Kashmiris.”

“Every power occupying Jammu and Kashmir claims that Jammu and Kashmir is its part, or the people of the state wish to remain with them (Pakistan and India), a notion that contradicts the genuine meaning of the right to self-determination (freedom).”

“For 77 years (the author wrote 67 because the book was published ten years ago), under the influence of India and Pakistan, our new generation has been subjected to a curriculum based on the pains of slavery, especially in educational institutions where slogans for annexation are imposed in the name of freedom, such that our new generation continues to perceive slavery as freedom.”

“The very ones who were the assassins of the nation, those who caused the division of the homeland (Jammu and Kashmir) and increased the suffering of the people, have been deemed heroes.”

“This is what happened to us; in nations fighting for freedom, grand titles and small characters become the cause of prolonged slavery. This is what happened to us, as the killers imposed forced annexation as freedom. The slaves of the British awarded their masters with titles such as ‘Lion of Kashmir,’ ‘Leader of the Freedom Fighters,’ ‘Hero of the Nation,’ and ‘First Mujahid,’ thereby naming the politics of power as the struggle for freedom.”

“13,297 square miles are under Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. Gilgit-Baltistan has been given a separate identity. A large part comprising Jammu, Ladakh, Kargil, and the valley is under India’s occupation.” The identity of the Kashmiris lies within the geographical limits spread over 84,471 square miles.

“It is a matter of identity and the right to make one’s own decisions, which includes Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and other religious communities.” The above excerpts are from the early pages of the book and help understand the overall thinking of the Kashmiris, illustrating their pain.

Especially, those who live under the laws of the countries occupying their own land, unable to form even their own constitution according to their aspirations.

In the gathering at Khetar Syedan, friends expressed concerns that certain forces wish to merge Azad Kashmir with Pakistan in such a way that Azad Kashmir is “donated” as a division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two divisions of Punjab. Malik Abdul Hakeem Kashmiri stated, “Those thinking this way are turning a blind eye to the consequences.”