[Reader-list] USA Drone attacks -FATA Pakistan (A survey)

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Kshamendra

The following are my answers:

1) 'Brilliant' is a sarcasm for the article you have provided. It is
directed against the article and its believers. The sarcasm is spoken about
in the answer I have laid as for in my second e-mail in response to the
article you have provided. What's interesting is that you have given 7
points of your 8 in response to my first mail, which was just intended to be
a pun or a sarcasm against all those, who admire surveys in FATA, but have
total problems with the claim of 'azadi' in Kashmir, on the basis of
nationalism and anti-Pak (even simply just anti-Pakistan state) feelings.

2) I never said the survey was conducted by you. I know who conducted the
survey, and I have gone through the article, if you were to read my
structured response to it. And hence, my comments are against the researcher
and those, who have drawn results of questions, which should be decided by
evidence, not by surveys and questionnaires.

At the same time, I am honest enough to accept, that as the last paragraph
shows, I did take the article to be an indirect way of yours to state what
some want to continuously put forward, that 'terrorists have to be nipped in
the bud', and such notions, forgetting the very way in which 'terrorists'
are made, and brain-washed upto the point, where they have no respect left
for their own lives. Since you have clarified this, thank you very much. But
it would be nice, if you could also mention in the original itself,
regarding the article and your own views on it; lest such confusions do take
place.

3) Well, I will humor you for ignoring the similarities between the two
situations. In both cases, people are suffering; in both cases, people are
victims of violence; and in both cases, their human and democratic rights
have gone for a toss. In FATA, nobody has asked the basic question, that
bombing is actually against human rights, as much as the Taliban's
activities. In Kashmir, the Indian army and the terrorists are out in a
competition to prove themselves as the 'worst violators' of human rights,
according to me.

Being a nation which calls Gandhi as it's Father, India should remember that
he had said long back, that not only the ends, but even the means should be
right. And in the above two cases, forget the ends, the means are way wrong,
on both sides.

Isn't that a similarity, Mr. Kshamendra. There can be differences, but human
sufferings certainly unite humans. Of course, Kashmiris haven't faced
bombing like FATA people, they have faced extortions, rapes and
extra-judicial killings like encounters.

4) Since my point is based on sarcasm, the argument I am stating is that
democratic rights of people must be accepted, not that I want to be the
champion of them by conducting such surveys.

And yes, I forgot that surveys can any day be undertaken. So, now, let's go
for a plebiscite.After all, surveys bahut ho chuke bhai, ab janadesh milna
chahiye.

5) I think we can only allow plebiscite to be undertaken in the territory
which is under our control.. I feel the Indian state therefore, should
undertake plebiscite on the territory of Kashmir which is under it's
control, to find out whether any such control on Kashmir is considered
legitimate by the Kashmiris or not.

6) You are right in talking about ICK and PCK. Hence, while undertaking a
plebiscite on ICK, we should also encourage Pakistan to accept its mistakes
and also undertake a plebiscite there. But for me, that is an issue which we
should get to, once we undertake plebiscite in our own ICK, and then
actually make the fair decision based on the results of the plebiscite.

7) Surveys don't require Pandits, but the plebiscite would. And I can
understand that Pandits also have human rights (what a pity that the very
nationalism which Pandits claim to practise, the same nationalists have
forgotten their cause!! May be portraying the problem as one of humanity
crisis, and forgetting nationalism, would have helped the cause. ) to
survive in lands of their ancestors, which they had to leave because of
their violence. Plus of course, that way, they also have democratic rights
to choose their own fate.

8) This is a tricky one. I think, in response to this, for the plebiscite,
in the PCK, this is an important issue. Here, efforts must be made to find
out whether this issue of ethnicity of people can be solved or not. And the
plebiscite, must certainly be conducted with the local-origin people. But
yes, the status of Pakistan-origin people and their role in the local
society in this region, must also be discussed through negotiations , as
also the status of Kashmiri Pandits, whether or not ICK becomes independent
or remains with India.

I for one don't know whether such a segregation can be done or not, but yes,
if possible it should be done. And humongous or not, this has to be tackled.


So Kshamendra jee, aapne sahi kaha ki survey mai bhi kar sakta hoon. Ab
plebiscite hona chahiye, aur sabse pehle humein ICK mein yeh karakar
democratic aur human rights ka saath dena chahiye. After all, this will also
strengthen democracy in South Asia. And it's a better way of doing so,
rather than the American way of bringing democracy to any nation.

Regards

Rakesh