Open letter to Mr. Omar Abdullah from a Liberal Marxist

Open letter to Mr. Omar Abdullah from a Liberal Marxist

Today I came across your article in Indian Express titled "You are only talking about owning land, need to own people too."
There seems to be a need to refresh your memory with history and then I would analyse your article in present context.

Srinagar(City of Lakshmi), was established by a king named Ashoka(Rajatrangini by Kalhana) long before the birth of Christ. It stood at the crossroads of the Silk Route and its Indian offshoot,i.e. Dakshinapath. Interestingly, it was also host to 4rth Buddhist Council under emperor Kanishka.

From 12th century to 1738, it remained under Muslim rulers, initially under Sultans and from 1580s under mighty Mughals and maintained an inclusive, secular society which Sheikh Sahab, your grandfather, referred to as Kashmiriyat.

From 18th century the area remained first under Sikh rule under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and later under Dogra rule. During last phase of the Dogras, Shiekh Abdullah emerged as a tall leader of the oppressed and his progressive and secular ideas brought him close to Pandit Nehru, arguably the most modern man of his time.

After, 15th Aug, 1947, while Raja Hari Singh was still procrastinating about accession to the Union of India, M.A. Jinnah (arguably the ablest evil man of his time), gave Pakistan's 1st gift to its beloved Kashmir, the Lashkar invasion of 1948. Though commanded by regular general, Jinnah maintained deniability. Baramulla Massacre was the 1st demonstration of Pakistan of its USP export. Under these circumstances, Raja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with the Union, like any other of those 560 Princely states, legally making it a part of the Union. It was magnanimity of Pt Nehru, who had a genuine belief in democratic values, that he chose to offer a plebiscite.

Points to note:-
1) Governor General of India , the supreme commander of armed forces as well as Chief of Army Staff.
2) India was an infant nation, still to undergo consolidation and pass the tests of the "Dangerous 60s".
Points to note about UNSC resolution 47:-
1) Precondition to any plebiscite is withdrawal of Pak's troops from the POK, and
2) India to be allowed to maintain defensive formations till such time.

Reasons why the plebiscite is impossible now :-
1) Pak will not withdraw from POK
2) The demography has been engineered by Pak in the POK and the Kashmiris when they began ethnic cleansing using terror tactics.

Sir, your grandfather chose to be the leaders of merely Kashmiris and not India when he betrayed his friend Nehru after John Foster Dallas's offer.

Policy of "owning land and not people", has been demonstrated a few Kashmiris in 1989 ethnic cleansing , just like their Pak masters in 1970-71.

After continuous and successive betrayal of the Union of India by the leaders of Kashmir, this one sided love produced following results:-
1) J&K has 10th highest HDI in India, better off than 67% Indians.
2) Per capita GDP is 9th highest in India
3) J&K has enjoyed Special Status in regard to Central Grants to an extent that 90% of state's finances are augmented by Center. Sir, your life is heavily subsidized by the Indian taxpayer.

Sir, born as you were with that silver spoon in your mouth, I find your ability to empathise with the suffering of the poor Kashmiri bewildering. Your locus standi to make that noise was merely your birth in a particular family. 

What you need to understand, just like every other Kashmiri :-
Much water has flown in Yamuna since 1948. Today's reality is that India evolved to be a powerful nation state, with well structured, professional and institutionalized agencies from the army to the NHRC.

1) If India would have wanted the land without its people, there would be no dispute.
2) Your medieval communal identity of dictates your insistence on maintaining Muslim majority in the state. Such communal exclusivism is inconsistent with the Basic Structure of Indian constitution.
3) India is an indestructible union of destructible states. It takes 273 & 2/3 present and voting in LS and RS to amend the India constitution and scrap article 370 and the Vale of Kashmir has only 3 seats out of 543 in LS.
4) Sovereignty is circumscribed by the capacity of state of exercise it. Sandwiched between PRC, Pak and India, to what extent will Kashmiris be able to exercise their sovereignty ?

As long as the likes of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik continue to enjoy the same freedom given in Part-3 of Indian constitution, I will be able to confidently tell you that you are wrong!

Regards,
Abhinav Srivastava