With perceptible n’ crystal-clear icons of over-stay for-‘a couple of days’-on his ‘fanciful soil’ the Opposition stalwart, MMA’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman-now in India-has censured, what he paradoxically, phrased as the ‘guerrilla violence’ in Indian held-Kashmir saying that he ‘preferred a political solution to the Kashmir dispute’.
America’s Associated Press quotes him opting the words: ‘I am not on the side of those who are waging war, but those favouring negotiations’. He also conflicted with the idea of third party mediation to tackle the Kashmir issue-in a judicious way-reflecting the candid n’ pragmatic aspirations of the bona fide citizens of the fabulous Himalayan State. It’s-if truth be told-outlandish as to why some of our politicians, intellectuals, human rights activists-so on n’ so forth-all of a sudden, become irrational n’ illogical, once they land onto the Indian earth. They pick the outbursts, which by all perceptions negate set national policies and stand on vital issues-in fact-to appease the Indian hosts.
Is it a psychic dilemma based on inferiority complex or moral degradation that they start toeing the Indian line on crucial issues outstanding between the two countries-of-course with Kashmir atop? Divergent to such a posture, Indian politicians and cerebrals never exhibit their moral bankruptcy of such a magnitude or enormity. Conspicuously the famed Indian journalist n’ legislator Kuldip Nayar, who visited Pakistan of late, spoke of Vajpayee’s tone n’ tenor plus waffle in his statements on Indo-Pak relations. Maulana Fazlur Rehman was expected to be extra careful in his avowals while on the Indian soil since his JUI is the heir to the Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind, which had opposed-tooth n’ nail-the magnificent emergence of Pakistan on the global atlas, with his father, late Maulana Mufti Mehmud as vanguard of the crusade. The Maulana’s ‘edicts’ on the Indian terrain is also a reminder of Maulana Mufti Mehmud’s well-known vow: ‘Thank God, we were not part of the sin of the cre! ation of Pakistan’.
With this backdrop, though not atypical, yet by all down-to-earth means, Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s assertion in India about the situation in Kashmir is plainly sordid n’ disgusting. Virtually it symbolizes with nothing except the distortion of facts and betrayal n’ perfidy of the Kashmiris, who are rendering supreme sacrifices for freedom from the India’s ghastly n’ illicit yoke. The gallant Kashmiris are not at war, they are pursuing a bona fide struggle for emancipation from India’s illegal, illegitimate and immoral invasion of their sanctified realm-the occupied Kashmir, which it had been targeted with an armed assault by India with its wicked military belligerence-in a bid to grab Kashmiris’ birth right to self-determination-well acknowledged by the comity of nations, with one voice at the United Nations-the podium of the historic resolutions, adopted more than a dozen times by each n’ every member of the Security Council including the permanent ones.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman ought to know that the Kashmiris were forced to take up arms against Indian subjugation after waiting for four long decades for the implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir, which provided for a free, fair n’ impartial plebiscite-under the aegis of the world body-to allow them exercise their right to self-determination in a serene n’ cool, calm and collected environ. The fact is indexed-in categorical words-in the voluminous History of Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir, inked by a realistic historian, Pundit Prem Nath Bazaz, rendered in Urdu by the noted Kashmiri theorist n’ scholar, late Abdul Hamid Nizami as well as in many more books on the subject.
Ironically, when this factuality-vis-é-vis the plebiscite-has time n’ again been accepted even by moderate Indian leadership-including Pundit Nehru [though he backed-out in a puckish style], such a gruesome distortion of truth by a man-who aspired for Pakistan’s exalted slot of premiership and was even offered the post of deputy premier is purely deplorable with utmost rebuke n’ castigate. His tone and tenor-on the Kashmir Issue-is unbecoming of a Pakistani political leader of his status. Though fully exposed before the people of Pakistan for his ‘inmost stance’, without a doubt he-simultaneously-owes an elucidation n’ raison d’étre for his Machiavellian outbursts.
Whereas, the President-in-Uniform has won a superb n’ marvellous solid adore for Kashmiris right of self-determination from all-over the world-including the solo super power, the United States as well as the Ummah-a dubious mind-set of an ‘activist of the egalitarian rule’ [the Maulana] lifts a lot of eyebrows towards his acuity on jingoism. We zestfully expect n’ hope that the apex leaders of the opposition-explicitly Ms Benazir Bhutto, Mian Nawaz Sharif and even Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani-who have always been airing a potent voice for the Kashmiris’ cause will join hands-with the government-to seek out an authentic essence of the MMA’s leader’s demeanour-instantaneously on his come back from his trip to India-so as to ensure that no one-in times ahead-dares put the supreme national interests at stake, perils or ante.
At the same time Maulana Fazalur Rehman shall have to identify with the words of the noted logician-Lou Reed:
‘Between thought and expression, lies a life-time’
Isn’t it accurate-the Maulana, an aficionado of the peoples’ fate?
The author is a noted journalist, political analyst and ex-Director News Pakistan TV. He is a regular contributor to Media Monitors Network (MMN).
