The people of Kashmir, despite all the odds, have never lost hope in the right of self-determination. The Kashmiri diaspora does not need to remind them that. The diaspora needs to simply take the reins, open the doors, pave the road, and take advantage of those opportunities that become available to express that will. History has shown that it has not been done, and it will in all likelihood not be done unless there is unity not only at the bottom but also at the top.
Dr. Farhan Chak, Canadian-Kashmiri scholars has written that “there are few hundred Kashmiri organizations in the United Kingdom and hundreds elsewhere throughout the world. This level of multiplicity is not only unnecessary but counter productive to Kashmir’s right to self-determination. Any close scrutiny of the rise and fall of nations proves that no one conquer a united house. Civilizations disappear by suicide, not murder.” It’s time, my fellow Kashmiris, for a bouquet of flowers. It’s time to see all the flowers together, working together, gleaming brightly in the sunlight of Kashmiri beauty. It’s time that we fill that vase with all the flowers that Kashmir has to offer, the people. It’s time that the diaspora gives all that flows from its heart, because it is only then that the people will respond with theirs and demonstrate the power of their love for their country, Kashmir – the paradise on earth. The role of our global Kashmiri diaspora becomes much more pertinent and important after the developments since August 5, 2019 and because of the changes occurring at a global level. They need to understand that a leader has to sacrifice his ego for the good of the people. A leader cannot be tossed about by the waves of the wind but he should be able to correct his course accordingly. Leadership always sets the pace. Leadership must always inspire.
Ghulam Nabi
Lahore
