Conscience versus Passion

So long as the Kashmir problem is there, there cannot be any peace in this region of South Asia, and consequently so long as two human beings are alive on the terrestrial globe, there cannot be any peace. The art of fighting has been taught by Almighty when Haabil and Kaabil fought first in which one was killed, the other did not know how to dispose off the dead body. Then came in two crows, who also fought and one was killed, the victor dug a grave through his beak and buried the dead body. This was the first act of war, which Adam has learnt on the first day of the world and his descendents have followed suit for billions of year.

God has also endowed in man two facets of character, one is conscience, which leads to the path of justice and peace and the other is passion, which leads to the path of self aggrandizement and war, human beings have to select one or the other to guide their intent and purpose and consequential actions.

In view of what has been stated above there does not seem to be any chance of calm and peace in all the five continents of the world, which is inhabited by human beings. Day in and day out, the nations big and small inhabiting this world, cry for peace but indulge into war against the weaker elements in order to satisfy the demands of their passion, conscience is silent and mute spectator at this stage.

The problem of Kashmir is an apt example of man’s passion to rule over the other person; this is how slavery had come into existence, which was later abolished by the influx of civilization. On the advent of independence of India, the desire of the majority community of India é The Hindus, to rule over the minority communities mostly Muslim led to the division of sub-continent and thus Pakistan came into existence. The arbitrator in the great divide gave the parting kick in the form of division of Punjab and Bengal and landing the Hindu troops in Kashmir, which is predominantly a Muslim majority area, which should have been a part of Pakistan.

It is since day one that Musalmans in Kashmir are fighting against the passion of the Hindus to rule over them, the conscience of the world is a mute spectator of this scene. Conscience some time acts but that too on expediency. It is the expediency of the by standers that has kept the Musalmans of Kashmir in the subjugation of the Hindus of India, while the world clamours for peace. Peace of the grave is not the be all and the end all of the expediency of the nations of the world.

Every thing said and done conscience is the greatest element in human body or human physiology has to play its role and act as the adage, give the devil his due. The majority population of Kashmir cannot by any stretch of imagination be turned into minority to keep it under subjugation of the passionate desire of the Hindus – hence this war of liberation. Then comes in expediency, which has turned the fighters for their freedom into terrorist for the benefit of the man because he is the President of a super power. The weaker nations around him surround him but do not hound him to waken up conscience to act on the dictates of conscience instead of passion. So, it is not the conscience that rules, but passion that rules the roost.

As the world march into civilization their methodology also became civilized and they started to give their acts an emblem of mutuality é hence came into existence group of unions and associations and finally the large body of United Nations Organization (UNO) formed under a charter, according to which this organization has to see to it that member countries act according to dictates of conscience and not according to the dictates of passion, where the might of the powerful is the right. Looking at the charter and the acts of the United Nation, it is apparent that the world has not gone beyond the story of Haabil and Kaabil, the Palestinians are suffering at the hands of Israel, so much so, that the United Nation appointed a committee to inquire into the atrocities committed by Israeli soldiers in Benin refugee camp. The committee was not allowed to land in Benin and the United Nation was powerless and could not enforce its decision. Every thing said and done the sanction of force is a must in order to force a decision é conscience or no conscience, passion or no passion.

The conscience of world is not dormant as yet, the greatest female singer of Israel Ms. Who use to sing for Israeli soldiers and thrill their hearts has recently decided to sing for peace, even under threat of being killed at the hands of her own countrymen é such is the conviction and desire of the world for peace.

East Timor, an island in Indonesia wanted to break away from the homeland Indonesia, they were widely supported by their Christian brethren including the United Nation and finally they won their battle for freedom. An identical case is of Kashmir, but inspite of all the resolutions of United Nation the matter is not only lying in the cold storage but also a new twist is being given to the freedom fighters and they are being dubbed as terrorist. The rules of the game are also being changed to suit the expediency of the super power. Where is the conscience of the world? Kashmir still hangs on fire, simply because the expediency and requirements of the super power in this region have changed, So much so that President Clinton has declared that East Timor and Kashmir are not identical, after all United Nation and the nations and the powers that are, are all human beings with more of passion than conscience, this is the rule of Allah é WITH WHOM the Sovereignty of the World lies.

Mr. Ali Ashraf Khan is a Pakistani Businessman and Ex-Politician who bid good bye to politics in order to concentrate on more useful service benefit of the political intrigues prevalent in the National Political life of Pakistan. He frequently writes for English and Urdu newspapers in Pakistan.