[Reader-list] "India can’t afford to fall victim to psywar" - Open Statement

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

India can't afford to fall victim to psywar 19 Sep 2008 01:11:00 AM IST Link
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http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?artid=n3%7CNyKscLu8=&Title=India+can%E2%80%99t+afford+to+fall+victim+to+psywar&SectionID=XVSZ2Fy6Gzo=&MainSectionID=XVSZ2Fy6Gzo=&SEO=KASHMIR&SectionName=m3GntEw72ik=
 SOME stray voices in the media have been questioning, with surprising
nonchalance and lack of depth, the wisdom and expediency of retaining
Kashmir as a part of India. This matters not because such voices reflect any
growing view in our country but because they play into the hands of enemies
of the nation. Their suggestions embolden subversive forces both within and
outside the country, and encourage our adversaries to entertain the hope
that with a little more effort, Kashmir will secede from India. National
will is a critical component of state power. In the absence of military
might, psychological warfare is the weapon of choice of a devious adversary
to attempt to break national will, and to also confuse and demoralise the
Indian state. No nation aspiring to become a major player in global power
dynamics can afford to fall victim to such psywar. India cannot and must not
give any signal that could be misinterpreted to mean that its national
resolve to preserve its unity and integrity is crumbling. The legal validity
of Jammu and Kashmir's accession to India is unquestionable and was in
accordance with the popular will. There is no basis on which any change in
the political status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir could be considered.
The UN itself has accepted that in the vastly changed circumstances the UN
Resolutions of 1948 and 1949 are no longer relevant. In any case, there is
no provision for holding a referendum only in one part of the undivided
state of Jammu and Kashmir or for holding separate referenda in the three
geographically distinct sections of the state. Like the other states
included in the First Schedule of the Constitution of India, Jammu and
Kashmir is clearly an integral part of India and will remain so. There is an
unanimous resolution of the Indian Parliament of February 22, 1994 to the
effect that "the state of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an
integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the
country will be resisted by all necessary means." It further adds that,
"Pakistan must vacate the areas of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir,
which they have occupied through aggression." Section 3 of the Constitution
of Jammu and Kashmir also plainly asserts that "the state of Jammu and
Kashmir is and shall be an integral part of the Union of India." Section 147
of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution prohibits any amendment of Section 3
by the state legislature. Kashmir is an inalienable element of India's
civilisational identity and symbolises the fundamental principles on which
the modern Indian state has been built. We take pride that India is a
prospering economy, but the pursuit of wealth should not make us forget the
values that keep our nation one. India has successfully overcome all
secessionist threats faced by it. No responsible government can ever
compromise India's territorial integrity by even contemplating the secession
of Kashmir. This is not a trifling issue. If the Indian state is seen as
weak enough to let Kashmir go, other states and disaffected groups within
India will only get emboldened, leading to the unraveling of India. Secondly,
as borders in the plains of northern India are not defensible, Kashmir is
vital for India's security. Finally, communal harmony could be seriously
compromised. Detractors of secular, democratic India tend to forget that the
overwhelming majority of Indian Muslims, who constitute over 15 per cent of
the population, has absolutely no sympathy for the partisan few who still
fan a tired idea called secession. It is distressing, indeed alarming, that
these seditious views, which question India's unity and integrity, are being
freely aired by a section of the intelligentsia. It is regrettable that the
print and electronic media are giving undue space and prominence to these
views. India is a free and democratic country with a vibrant media and we
are proud of it. But freedom of expression does not mean unbridled licence
to flout the law of the land by airing or fanning seditious views. Such
views also do a disservice to the people of Kashmir.We call upon the
intelligentsia that has the power to shape public opinion to use their power
with wisdom and maturity. Irresponsible slogans do immense damage in open
and democratic polities and can mislead people to take partisan positions
without understanding the grave implications. We also urge the media to
exercise restraint and show responsibility in the larger national interest. As
proud and patriotic Indians who strongly believe that the unity and secular
democratic fabric of our republic must be preserved at all costs, we call
upon the Government of India to make it unequivocally clear at the highest
level that under no circumstances will the government and people of India
countenance any compromise with the integrity of the nation. We also call
upon the people of India and all political parties to raise their voices and
come out unambiguously against secessionism in any form whatsoever. Signatories
to the open statement: 1. Subhash Chandra, chairman, Essel Group 2. Maj Gen
Afsir Karim (retd) 3. Ajit Doval, KC, former Director, IB 4. MJ Akbar,
Renowned journalist 5. Anil Baijal, former Union Home Secretary 6. Admiral
Arun Prakash (retd) former Navy Chief 7. Air Marshal S.R. Deshpandey (retd) 8.
Dhirendra Singh, former Union Home Secretary 9. G Parthasarthy, IFS (retd)
former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan 10. Rajiv Sikri IFS (retd)
former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. 11. CD Sahay, former
Secretary (RAW) 12. Lt. General R.K. Sawhney (retd), former Dy Chief of Army
Staff 13. Satish Chandra IFS (retd) former Deputy to National Security
Advisor and Secretary National Security Counsil 14. Lt General Shantanu
Chaudhary (retd), former Vice Chief of Army Staff 15. Air Chief Marshal SP
Tyagi (retd) former Air Chief 16. Ved Marwah, former Director General
National Security Guard and former Governor, Manipur and Jharkhand 17. Vijay
Kapoor, former Lt. Governor, Delhi 18. Vikram Sood, former Secretary (RAW) 19.
Sudhir Agarwal, Director Dainik Bhaskar Group20. K Memani,
Chairman-Emeritus, Ernst & Young.