YES, THAT'S IT !
   Date :20-Aug-2019

 
 
DEFENCE Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh has done the most right thing by stressing that if at all talks were to take place between India and Pakistan, the subject will be Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Let alone what a section of the political community may think in this regard, Mr. Rajnath Singh has made average Indian people very happy. Yes, that has been the subject on everybody’s mind. That has been hurting every Indian person in right and non-political frame of mind. Yes, this issue has been haunting every patriotic person in the street. And Mr. Rajnath Singh has made everybody happy by raising the issue of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. After abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution to unshackle Kashmir from an unnatural arrangement, talking of Kashmir as a whole is the next logical step.
 
There is no doubt in any quarter in the world about India’s most authentic and legitimate claim on Kashmir as a whole. No matter what Pakistan says and no matter its grant of a major slice of the illegally-occupied territory to China, the world knows that Kashmir -- the whole of it -- is an integral part of sovereign State of India. Seen from that angle, the insistence of Mr. Rajnath Singh absolutely right morally, philosophically, legally and constitutionally that any talks with Pakistan will be held with illegally-occupied Kashmir in full and sole focus. This is not being hawkish in any manner.
 
 
At best, this is being patriotically right and constitutionally correct. At best, this is claiming back what is ours, what we deserve, what should belong to us historically. At best, this is pursuing truth as it is and not as something distorted by filthy political; interests of the enemy. Yes, by all these standards, Pakistan is our enemy because it has annexed illegally and immorally our territory. Let us make no mistake in understanding the situation correctly. Let us admit that we were wrong in calling for ceasefire way back in 1948 when our Armies were pushing back the intruders in Kashmir.
 
Their job was only partly done and they were winning all the battles they were engaging in. In a couple of more weeks, the great Indian Army would have cleared the intruders from the whole of Kashmir. But very wrongly, and very foolishly, we declared a unilateral ceasefire and went to the United Nations, thus opening our internal matters to global scrutiny with no reason. We suffered from those blunders for seventy years, making ourselves look stupid.
 
However, the Government has set in motion a great process of correction. It has taken the first steps very properly, very thoughtfully, and very resolutely. It has abrogated Article 370. It has changed the constitutional arrangement by splitting the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories -- Ladakh and Jammu-and-Kashmir. It has correspondingly fortified military presence in the State to tackle any eventuality. And having done all that methodically, the Government of India is now talking of Kashmir as a whole, naturally including Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir as part of India’s legitimate claim to its ownership. Seen from this angle, Mr. Rajnath Singh’s assertion is a logical step forward in resolution of the Kashmir tangle that was actually of our making, so to say. It is essential now to effect a correction process and alter the wronged course of history. In this manner, India would do to itself something very essential, very patriotic, and also politically very correct. In the recent times, the Modi Government has demonstrated to the world that it is not afraid of using even the military option if the need be. Pakistan has sensed that diabolical possibility and is shouting itself hoarse that India may mount a major military assault. Let us not even try to erase that propagandist impression Pakistan may be trying to create. Let Islamabad build its hysteria without reason. That will push Pakistan to doom.