India and Pakistan ‘miss’ the Kashmiri kiss

- D. Vishnumohan Rao

All the bilateral dialogues, talks and agreements between India and Pakistan safely landed into the dustbin untorn. Now, a fresh schedule of the bilateral talks and discussions between the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Parvez Musharraf are a fresh feed to it. Several reasons are being attributed by the Global political analysts to this eventual game of ‘basketing’ of bilaterals between the two neighbouring nations.

It should be recalled that all the bilaterals between the countries took place every time after an ‘almost war’ situation. It is to be regretted that immediately after two months into the formation of these two nations as independents the first fight sprouted on the borders. The sequential war like situation started from October 22, 1947 with the advancement of Pakistan army into the Indian land and occupying Muzafarabad (presently part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir) and is continuing beyond the recent Kargil war of 1999. Pakistan sighed with the Indian government approaching the United Nations for justice from the misdeeds of Pakistan. Until that time, Pakistan anticipated retaliation on the border. However, with the Indian action to take this issue globally, it converted the issue convenient to Pakistan.

Pakistan was in fact successful in brewing anti-Indian spark in the PoK during the past four decades. The aggressive country was also successful in diverting the attention from Muzafarabad, with communal riots in Srinagar and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. (Pakistan and its sponsored extremist bodies named the creation of violence in the Valley state as ‘Zihad’, a holy war). A separatist attitude was inculcated in the people of the region with militant training of youth in Pakistan and PoK. Right from the beginning, Indian government retaliated the attacks and attempted aggressions by the neighbouring country.

The first ever discussion for peace in the region between the two countries took off way back in 1966 it self.

Tashkent Agreement - 1966

A friendly bilateral discussion was initiated on January 10, 1966 with a view to shake hands in a friendly manner in a congenial atmosphere at Tashkent between India and Pakistan. The then Pakistan President Ayub Khan and then Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Sastry declared that they would settle the dispute amicably among themselves as heads of the nations merely with discussion to avert war and confrontation.

The total subject matter of the discussions was on Kashmir rather than emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir. For giving a peaceful living to the generations to come, in both the countries, they agreed upon very specific issues and both the countries heads signed on the Tashkent Agreement – 1966.

While Indian population applauded the agreements content, it was unfortunate that Ayub Khan's signing of the pact was openly opposed by the Pakistani's. Succumbing to the pressure from the domestic front, Ayub Khan was compelled to raise anti-Indian and anti-pact slogans. This was the beginning for the bilateral discussions, talks and agreements to be thrown into dustbin by the Pakistanis and their government. And, the never-ending story came to the beginning with this.

In 1971, India gave a bullet-to-bullet answer to the aggressors and they had to recede for the untiring and brave act of Indian Armed Forces. The courage of the Indian army and its intention to teach a lesson to the barging ill-willed miscreants was so huge that the Indian army drove them beyond five thousand square miles of Pakistan occupied territory. The almost dead Pakistan government with the chin down defeat, put up the proposals for a seize fire to the Indian government.

India, the generally peace loving nation accepted the offer on December 17, 1971 for re-establishing peace in the region. Then for the second time, bilateral talks took place between Pakistan and India.

Simla Pact - 1972

Even after a humiliating defeat, Pakistan did not check its untoward behaviour. It again started interfering in the internal matters of India and instigated acts on the borders. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took a daring decision over the situation. With her consent, Indian military forces took the Pakistani army men to task and tore them apart. With heavy casualties for Pakistan, the then Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto offered himself a bilateral preposition for establishing peace in the region again. Indira Gandhi considered the appeal of Pakistani President. A pact was signed at Simla on July 2, 1972 with two major conditions. That is for the Indian forces to withdraw from the 5000 square miles that was taken into their control and that both the nations respect the actual Line of Control (LoC), reached upon with the seize fire on December 17, 1971, as the border for the nations.

After the Simla Agreement between the two countries, Pakistan drastically changed its strategy from direct war. It adopted an indirect and undercurrent ill will planning to spread extremism in the valley state of Kashmir. Every support, training, funding, supply of modernised arms and ammunition was extended by Pakistan to administer and create chaos in Kashmir in order to trouble Indian people and the government.

The cross border sponsored extremism took off with individual slay and grew to the extent of militants hijacking aircrafts. The exchange of fire between the two armies was glowing like a dormant volcano from that date to this date.

To minimise the sufferings of people of both the nations, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee took the initiative to travel to Lahore by road for a ‘bilateral discussion’.

Lahore Agreement - 1999

In the ‘bilateral’ at Lahore on February 20, 1999 between the Pakistani premier Nawaj Sharif and Vajpayee, it was decided upon to respect the Simla Pact. In addition to the Simla Pact, the ‘bilateral’ also sternly decided to drop curtain on the war like situation on the borders, reconstitution of trade and commerce relations and many other such ‘promises’ were made.

The world countries showered appreciations on Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee for his effort to ascertain peace in the region. Before the showers stopped coming in, Pakistan showed its true colours and started barging into the Indian Territory. It was the similar humiliating situation again for the invading country, when the Indians drove them away far away from the border of the country.

There were once again thoughts and statements about the relations of Pakistan and India. Meanwhile, dramatic situations took place in Pakistan, which ousted Prime Minister Nawaj Sharif from power and made General Parvez Musharraf as President in quick succession. Not bothering who is on the seat, India wished to have a fresh round of ‘bilateral’ talks with the Pakistan. The neighbouring country accepted the invitation and General Pervez Musharraf stepped in Bharat for discussions when the historic monument of love, Taj Mahal in the city of Agra was fixed as the venue for discussions.

Agra Disagreement Agreement - 2001

General Musharraf was the chief of army staff when the Kargil confrontation took place at the border. The same man in a different shape as President came for the discussions at Agra. Right from the beginning, there were speculations and doubts by the military ruler that Agra agreement would be disagreed by the two heads of the rival countries.

The two countries issued contradictory statements about the summit. India stressed that Kashmir would be part of the agenda while Pakistan declared that Kashmir was the only agenda. From 1966 to 2001, both the nations signed on three ‘bilateral’ agreements, which were not honoured by the Pakistan successors. The same was repeated in the words of General Musharraf who made it clear that he would never follow the earlier ‘bilaterals’. General Musharraf further clarified that the Agra Agreement (if signed upon) would only be the pact for adoption.

Right from yesteryears of Ayub Khan to the current General Musharraf, the topic on which they ponder over and emphasise is Kashmir. Why Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, is the key for Pakistan discussions?

Why are the Indian premiers interested to discuss about an internal part with a foreigner, that too who at numerous times worked very hard to grab the piece of land in many vain attempts?

Earlier, in the name of burdensome maintenance, Indian government had leased out Theen Bhiga land on the north-eastern Frontier to a neighbouring country. Now in the name of ‘bilateral’, if Kashmir were to be served to the aggressive neighbour, their next target might be the Red Fort.

So, Beware Indians.

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