India occupied Kashmir in connivance with Mahraja Hari Singh against the will of the people of the valley. India and Pakistan fought wars over the issue, and it has been pending at the UN for ages. Sheikh Abdullah, the founder of Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, did not object or resist the accession of Kashmir to India. He rather decided to participate in the election to become the first elected Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after its accession. However, he later wrote in his book that he made a huge mistake at the time to accept the Indian occupation of Kashmir. Poet Muzaffar Razmi captured this beautifully: “Yeh jabr bhi dekha hai tarekh ki nazron ney Lamhon ney khata ki thi sadion ney saza pai” It is true that a decision in the moment of time has become a curse for the people of Kashmir forever. Had Sheikh Abdullah resisted the annexation of Kashmir by India, the fate of the people of the valley might have been different. I am afraid our leaders are repeating the same kind of momentary weaknesses. Their lack of strength and unified stance against India has emboldened it to end the special status of Kashmir. The misery of the people of the valley is on the rise and our leaders are busy in an ugly fight of power grab and mudslinging.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
