[Reader-list] Baggage of JKLF is too heavy to carry-by Dr.Shabir Chaudhary

[Rebellious Koshur]

Rashneek,
   
  It is unfortunate that after Dr. Shabir Chudhry has switched the side to the Indian camp, his ideas make sense to you. He was very much defending each and every action of Yasin Malik for years, why didn’t you quote him then. You would claim that he is repentant but people in Kashmir believe he is denigrated.
   
  Qalab Hussain
    
rashneek kher <rashneek at gmail.com> wrote:

  and this one isn't based on my data.......


By Dr Shabir Choudhry

London, May 8 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) is a sacred
name for some, as they sacrificed their lives and everything else they
valued in name of liberating the state.

They did that to promote the name of JKLF believing that they were doing
this for a good cause and for the betterment of their divided and oppressed
nation.

But there are many who disagree with this. They believe that the JKLF has
brought them trouble, destruction and misery, and is root cause of problems
of the people of Jammu and Kashmir since 1988.

I am among those who, despite the baggage JKLF is carrying, proudly claimed
to be member of this party, and furthermore claimed to be among those who
helped to form this party in Britain in 1977. Like thousands of others I
have also suffered for this party and have done everything possible to
promote true ideology of the JKLF.

Despite our sincere efforts to reunite the party and sacrifices, fact
however remains that the JKLF is divided in to different factions; and
allegation is and which is widely believed and true to large extent that top
leaders of some groups have compromised JKLF ideology and are advancing
agenda of secret agencies of our occupiers.

These JKLF leaders are accused of tuning and maligning their ideology to
suit national interest of Pakistan, and have practically signed away their
independence to advance cause of united and independent Kashmir. Their
strategy was not to unite and liberate divided state of Jammu and Kashmir
but to advance such policies, which suited Pakistani agencies, aim of which
was not independence of J and K, but to keep India bleeding and engaged.

That policy worked as planned India not only bled but also has been engaged
since 1989, but in return we Kashmiris have also bled and got trampled and
oppressed. For this policy people of Jammu and Kashmir had to pay through
their noses, but this struggle has made new millionaires in Jammu and
Kashmir.

In this struggle which started in name of independence and spearheaded by
The JKLF with money and guns provided to them by Pakistani agencies resulted
in fiasco. It tore apart fabrics of the Kashmiri society and started an era
of intimidation, oppression and gun culture.

All sides targeted people of Jammu and Kashmir: They faced wrath of Indian
Army and security
services,
they were trained and victimised by Pakistani secret agencies and worse of
all they were killed and intimidated by militants as well.

In this struggle we have lost a generation. Thousands of people are still
unaccounted for. Thousands of people are still languishing in jails. It is
regrettable that we lost so many sons of soil. It is also regrettable that
instead of bringing hope and new dreams to people of Jammu and Kashmir, the
APHC leadership and the JKLF have brought disappointment, misery and
destruction. And tragedy is that we are not any closer to independence.

My colleagues and I realised in 1991/2 that things were not in control of
JKLF Chairman, Amanullah Khan, and that he was only pretending to be in
charge. We challenged him and asked him to reveal who was calling shots in
name of Kashmiri struggle; and who was communalising our struggle.

The JKLF claimed to work for a liberal and democratic society but its
chairman believed in kind of democracy promoted by General Pervez Musharaf
of Pakistan. Like Musharaf he was a dictator to the core and did not allow
free discussion or accountability and result was many splits in the JKLF.

Like General Musharaf, in frustration Amanullah Khan also took extra
constitutional act and dissolved most effective and powerful JKLF Zone in
Britain, which led to parting of from the JKLF then onwards.

We continued our struggle to correct ills of the JKLF and bring
accountability and transparency within the JKLF ranks. We wanted the party
to reflect true ideology of the JKLF, and represent all people of the state
and not only Muslims. While this struggle was going on we saw release of
Yasin Malik from prison and hoped that he would be better than Amanullah
Khan.

We are all entitled to have dreams and hopes; it is the job of these leaders
to ensure that these dreams do not become reality. If Amanullah Khan is like
Musharaf then surely Yasin Malik is like General Yayya Khan. Both believed
in their own brand of democracy and human rights, both dislike
accountability and democracy within the party, in fact, both dont like party
to flourish or expand.

Both want to liberate the Valley or at least disrupt normal life there,
especially around election time with the help of Pakistani agencies; and
both want to be Chairman for life and strongly oppose dissent.

Yasin Malik went in prison as a militant with a gun in his hand and came out
as a polished leader preaching peace and non-violence, as if he was not in a
prison but on some academic course dealing with violence and media
management.


We hoped that the party will benefit from his experience and will help to
bring some positive changes to the JKLF and will help to resolve the Kashmir
dispute according to the expressed wishes of the people.

We tried and tried hard, but were not completely successful in our
endeavours to unite different groups of the JKLF and make it vibrant and
democratic force. However, our efforts helped to educate people and they
started asking questions from these two for being life chairman.

My colleagues, especially Abbas Butt and Zubair Ansari, strongly advocated
formation of a new party, as in their opinion it was waste of time trying to
correct ills of the JKLF. In their view it was impossible task when Yasin
Malik and Amanullah Khan have emerged as big figures of the JKLF groups and
when their sole aim is to maintain the status quo.

I was not in favour of abandoning the JKLF, as I had emotional ties with the
party. Like many others, I have also given my youth and enormous time to
promote cause of the party, its aims and objectives are in my blood - it is
a product of our struggle. If I had given same amount of time, effort and
dedication and used my talent to promote cause of another party then I could
have been in Parliament long time ago, but that was not my objective.

In our JKLF we respected dissent and views of all colleagues. Even though
majority agreed with the idea of a new party, no decision was taken in its
favour because I disagreed and my colleagues respected that. Our commitment
to each other was that we would remain together and work together.

We had close contacts with senior leaders of both Yasin Malik and Amanullah
Khan led JKLF. Like us they were also worried about the situation in the
party, and what was being done in the name of JKLF, but they didnt have
control over it and they lacked courage and political will to challenge
them.

Last year some of them assured us that if we form another party they will
side with us, but they cannot support us if we continue with the name of the
JKLF. I was still fighting my corner against formation of a new party. My
view was that JKLF is not private party or estate of Amanullah Khan or Yasin
Malik, and by us abandoning the party we are giving them a free hand.

But all this changed last month when I met some Kashmiris from the Valley.
They spoke against practices of the JKLF cadres in name of the struggle,
especially what they did in early years of the struggle to Muslims and non
Muslims alike.

If army commit human rights abuse they do it under the cover of imposing
government writ. They kill, intimidate, torture and imprison people; and in
some cases rape women, but if the same is practised by the so-called freedom
fighters then what is the difference between them?

This is a separate topic, which needs special attention and cannot be dealt
here. I was told that many Muslims and especially non Muslims hated the
JKLF, as it is viewed as a mercenary organisation advancing agenda of
Pakistani secret agencies. Muslim from the Valley said, The baggage of the
JKLF is too heavy for you to carry and make any notable progress.

I am, at last, persuaded that it is time to say goodbye to the JKLF, which
abandoned its ideology, communalised Kashmiri politics and advanced
non-Kashmiri agenda. Baggage and stigma of the JKLF is of course too heavy
to carry.

If some JKLF members still think they can make positive contribution to the
cause of unification and independence of the State when leaders like
Amanullah Khan and Yasin Malik are heading these JKLF groups then good luck
to them; however if they feel time has come to say good bye to it and make a
new start then they are welcome. (ANI)


http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/baggage-of-jklf-is-too-heavy_10046414.html

-- 
Rashneek Kher
http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com
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