Tuesday 19 August 2014

The Kashmir Debate

Today has been a rather interesting day for all Londoners! A hot debate on one of the leading media channels here - BBC Asian Network where the Kashmir issue was discussed. The presenter - Nihal asked these questions on the show: 

"Can India and Pakistan ever come to an agreement over Kashmir?" 

"Can this issue ever be resolved?" 

"What would you like to see happen?" 

"What is the best solution to bringing peace in the region?"


Click here to listen the debate. Well done to Krishna Bhan, Sanjay Jagatiya, Vinod Tikoo, Kapil Dhar, Devki Nandan Dhar, Anisha Safaya and Akash Kaul for contributing to the debate in the programme. 

Excerpts will shortly be available on our youtube channel - watch this space and let us know your thoughts on this very pertinent debate. Opening this forum for discussion. This isn't just a regional issue, this is a humanitarian debate! So speak up NOW.

PEOPLE SPEAK:

"India is a secular county so questions of minority or majority holds no ground. Kashmir is home of thousands of Hindu families and they were forced to flee. Given an option of leave or die with no support from government, the only safer option was to leave, secure females and our lives. Not that it's hidden from the world how brutally were Hindus murdered. Exile has to end one day and people must go back home."
- Anisha Safaya


"Speaking from the perspective of a Kashmiri pandit who was forced to flee from Kashmir; all this talk about minorities like Sikhs being safe in Kashmir is rubbish. Kashmiri pandits were mercilessly killed and their dismembered bodies thrown on streets. The azaan every morning urged the pandits to leave. Properties were looted after Friday prayers- temples desecrated. No- Kashmiri Pandits were not safe to continue living. The choice was to leave, to die or to convert. Yes, they chose to leave – but have in no way given up claim to their motherland."
- Anupama Handoo

"Kashmir is a part of India and will remain so. The communal color that Pak introduced into the Indian state is highly unacceptable. J&K was a Hindu major state, and muslims have forcibly driven Hindus out, and effected rape, conversions and threat on the non muslims. We all know every Islamic country in the world has been truly bad in terms of Human Rights for other religious minorities, and even majorities, except for Turkey. Does one need to name Iraq? We Indians are secular, and will remain secular. However, just because a smaller chunk of Sunnis want to move to Pak, they alone can't decide the fate of the rest of the substantial Hindus, Shias, Sikhs, Buddhists. Terrorism was introduced by Pakistan in J&K state with double speak and denial in the international media. Inspite of it, India extended a warm hand to solve the issues, and Pakistan keeps double dealing still. No negotiations on that front at all, unless it mends it ways and walks the talk!!!"
- Sai Venu Gopal

"I have many muslim friends (kashmiri Muslims) who are serving in Indian army.... There are more than 20,000 kashmiri muslims working for Indian army and ready to die for India..... I don't hate Muslims, I hate fanatics among them....I hate when fanatics are allowed to decide fate of state by terming their Jihadi aspirations as human rights.....Sopore town has more than 15,000 kashmiri muslim population of retired personal of India army......"

"My house was burnt by my muslim neighbours n I had to flee along with my family in middle of cold November night in 1989, I was 5 years old....I would call it god's grace we managed to flee somehow....the point world needs to realise is majority of kashmiri muslims are settlers from central Asia, even so called hurriyat leader Sued Geelani came from central Asian province of Geelan n the ethnic kashmiri Muslims were converted under shadow of sword.....if the non ethnic population can decide future of state on basis of numbers, I wonder what will happen if people living in Birmingham demand a separate state in 50 years on the basis of their numbers? You can't gift ancestral land of Kashmiri pandits n allow it to become another Jihadi factory threatening humanity of world under influence of Pakistan........"
- Deepak Koul

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