This is in response to the article published on Aug. 12, which made a biased and contradictory read. In the pre-independence period, India consisted of many small and large kingdoms. When India gained independence on Aug. 15, 1947, the Maharaja of Kashmir did not initially join the Indian nation like other princely states. At this juncture, the Pakistani forces under the disguise of local Kabailis attacked Kashmir and occupied a large territory of Kashmir. Maharaja Hari Singh sought the help of the Indian army, and India sent its forces to Kashmir only after the Maharaja had agreed to sign the instrument of accession with India. And there is nothing controversial about this treaty, as Laura mentioned in her article.
In fact, it is Pakistan that is illegally occupying a large part of Jammu and Kashmir, referred to as the “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir” by the media. And there is no “Indian-occupied Kashmir”. Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of India like other states, namely UP, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam etc.
India and Pakistan shared a very ancient civilization and culture as one country. They have only been separated for 63 years due to political exigencies. After independence, both countries followed different paths. While India opted for a secular democracy, despite an overwhelming Hindu majority, Pakistan chose to become a religion-based country.
Not many know that India has as many, if not more, of a Muslim population as Pakistan. India has become the largest secular democracy in the world and is emerging as a rising world power. Muslims have presided over many high positions in India, including that of the president, vice president, central ministers, chief justice, Indian Air Force chief and others.
The writer rightly mentioned that, today, Pakistan is suffering economic losses, high inflation, large numbers of civilian causalities and internally displaced people. Who is responsible for such a dire situation?
It is time for Pakistan to introspect and search for the root cause of its plight. Only then, can Pakistan move onto a road to economic and social prosperity. US President Barack Obama has said that Pakistan’s enemy is not India but within. There is no reason why Pakistan cannot be a great economic power. The people of Pakistan are intelligent and hard working. Most of them follow Sufi Islam. Like in India, the common man in Pakistan wants to live well and in peace and harmony. So it is imperative to stop bashing India for its woes.
Indian people have affinity, love and affection toward their Pakistani brethren. During the recent unfortunate natural calamities in Pakistan, there are many voices in India saying that the government of India should offer all possible humanitarian help to Pakistan. We may have political differences but share the same culture and background. Everyone in Pakistan must identify the organizations that are responsible for these dire situations, stand united against them and remove them. They must strengthen democracy and insist on freedom of the media and condemn all writers and organizations with biased perceptions for misguiding them for their own vested interests.
What parallel does Indonesia draw from the case studies of India and Pakistan? For a strong democracy, it is essential to avoid fanaticism and extremism at any cost.
Mira Bahukhandi
Jakarta
