Is Jammu & Kashmir equal to Kashmir alone?

HATS OFF to Arundhati Roy, Jug Suraiya and Prem Chand Sahajwala for coming forth to speak about the plight of the Kashmiris and ask the Indian government to think about ending its imperialism in Kashmir Valley. Jug Suraiya in his article 'India Minus K-word' in the Times of India dated Aug 20, 2008 writes 'what if he (the separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani) and his followers were to adopt the strategies of non-cooperation and satyagraha, which were used (by Gandhi) to gain independence'? The same was quoted by Sahajwala to further prove his point that Indian presence in Kashmir has only brought suffering to the people. Times of India, in it's August 21 editorial, has again questioned the Indian presence in Kashmir and wants the country to give freedom to the poor Kashmiris, who have been fighting for freedom for last sixty years. The general view-point is that India should give freedom to Kashmiris and if they want to go to Pakistan, let them join that country. But who are Kashmiris, what do they want, where do they live, is Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) equal to Kashmir alone? Do people have an answer to these questions? The problem, which India faces today is not Kashmiri separatism, militancy and threat from Pakistan, but the danger is posed by our own ignorant columnists, journalists and politicians, who have no clue about the real situation in J&K. Sitting in their air-conditioned offices in Delhi, they are trying to change the destiny of an entire state, which till the other day was a nuclear flash point in south Asia. Do they realise that each and every word written by them reeks of ignorance and misrepresentation of the facts and the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir? First of all, it is very important for all Indians to understand that Jammu and Kashmir is a huge state with three different regions comprising Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. All the three regions are very different in culture, religion and political outlook. Our columnists must understand that Jammu and Kashmir is not synonymous with Kashmir alone and only Kashmiris do not inhabit the state. J&K has Hindu Dogras in a huge number, it has Muslim Gujjars in huge number, has Muslim Paharis in Jammu, who have not much to share with Kashmiris, it has Sikhs, it has Dards, Shins and Buddhists. In Kashmir Valley, the majority of population is Muslim, but they also include ethnic Gujjars and Paharis along with Kashmiri speaking Muslims, who dominate the entire social, political and economic discourse in the state. Ladakh, a huge geographical part of the state has Buddhists, Hindus and majority of Shia Muslims, who also are Tribals.Barring the Kashmiris, all other groups in the state have their own regional and political aspirations and they do not identify with the Kashmiris and their separatist and Islamic cause.While a majority of the people in Jammu want to merge with India, the Ladakhis want a separate union territory under the ambit of the Indian nation. India, Indian politicians, scholars intellectuals and journalists have confused Jammu and Kashmir with Kashmir alone, forgetting that their false interpretation has lead to marginalisation of these communities and made the Kashmiris think that they can get away with anything in Kashmir. Dear Suraiya Sahib, Sahajwala and the ilk, you must understand that within Kashmir Valley, the people are not very clear about what they want. Even the separatist leadership is divided and not sure whether it wants to go the Pakistan way or it wants freedom. Except whipping up communal passion and frenzy in the name of Islam, the separatists and their politics has done nothing for Kashmir. Thousands of young men have died and anarchy prevails in the state.If you have doubt on this, please read Pravin Swani's story in the Hindu, dated August 21, "A meeting of secessionist groups, called to discuss the future of what has been characterised as the largest Islamist mobilisation since 1990, dissolved into chaos after members of rival factions exchanged insults and blows."Leaders of the Ali Shah Geelani-led Tehreek-i-Hurriyat and Srinagar cleric Mirwaiz Umer Farooq's All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) charged each other with engaging in actions damaging the course of the ongoing movement, provoking their supporters to engage in scuffles."Sources present at the meeting said APHC leader GM Hubbi were physically attacked by his Tehreek-i-Hurriyat counterpart Masrat Alam, and several important leaders, including Geelani and the APHC-affiliated Shabbir Shah, left the meeting in disgust. Other Articles by jammuwala
Amarnath Samiti flays Cong spokesperson Natrajan Jammu: SAYSS launches 'civil disobedience' Jammu goes Gandhi way, starts civil disobedience No blockade in Kashmir, 548 trucks reach Valley Jammu defies state amid 'Jail Bharo' outcry more >> " Are these people worthy enough to fight for the cause of Kashmir? How can Suraiya and you compare this corrupt, lousy and fundamentalist lot with leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and even Jinnah - forget about Mahatma Gandhi. The general feeling in Kashmir these days is that this movement has been compromised by the Hurriyat for some consideration. It is very easy to sit in Delhi and pontificate, but ask the thousands of Indian security personnel, who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of India. Will not they ask why did you waste our lives if Indian position in Kashmir was not legal, untenable and akin to imperialism.It is important that Kashmir is given it's due and if they want freedom, let them have it. But this should not be done at the cost of a huge population of the state, which has nothing to do with Kashmiris, their politics, philosophy and cause.