“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” said George Santayana. “It appears that the Kashmiri separatists have not learned anything from history. They are blind to the fact that their anti-Indian activities and unwavering support for Pakistan’s proxy war in Kashmir are putting them in danger. It is past time to bring up the atrocities committed by Pakistan’s orthodox army against innocent civilians in East Bangladesh, Baluchistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan’s minority groups.
The leaders of Pakistan’s political and religious establishment are not in the least bit concerned with the adherents of their own religion, and they have no qualms about formulating laws and enacting policies that undermine local improvement while serving the interests of the country’s ruling elite. Pakistan makes overt efforts to use various social media platforms to promote the false narrative that Muslims in Kashmir are being treated unfairly. In actuality, however, Gilgit Baltistan is where this false narrative of injustice is being carried out. Shias in Gilgit Baltistan are consistently persecuted by the Sunnis of mainland Pakistan despite the fact that they are a part of the Muslim community. Shia protests were suffocated and eventually put an end to by the Musharraf administration’s use of Afghan and NWFP Pathan tribesmen and its army. In the Gilgit region, they performed the barbaric dance while burning down Shia homes, destroying their crops, raping their women, and kidnapping and beheading countless Shias. Separatists in Kashmir who envision either joining Pakistan or founding a new country should start realizing that their fate will be the same as that of the Shias in Gilgit.
The separatists in Kashmir should also remember the despicable suppression tactics used by the Pakistani army in Baluchistan. The Pakistani army has been charged with carrying out a genocide in Baluchistan. Those who made an effort to protest by opening their mouth were tortured to death. Akhtar Mengal, the chief minister of Baluchistan, is a striking example. He was imprisoned and denied fundamental human rights. Baloch disappearances have increased in tandem with the ISI’s increased activity in Baluchistan. There were numerous arrests and public shooting deaths of Baloch student activists, journalists, and supporters. An ISI agent shot journalist Hamid Mir because he was hosting a program in the area. Another stark example of open assassination involves Sabeen Mahmud, a human rights activist who attempted to shed light on the heartbreaking circumstances facing Baloch people. This area has been turned into a land of mass graves as a result of the heinous kidnapping and slaughter of Baloch. The Pakistani government went beyond simply killing and torturing Baloch; they also took advantage of the area’s abundant oil and mining resources. Baluchistan is still Pakistan’s least developed state despite the substantial benefits it receives from its mining and oil industries. Therefore, if the separatists in Kashmir are so eager to join Pakistan, they should begin preparing themselves to endure repression in silence since Pakistan does not have the same level of “Freedom of Speech and Expression” that they do in India.
Additionally, the Separatists must remember the year 1970. According to what we’ve heard, White people who founded the colonies exploited people of a different race on a cultural, political, and economic level. But West Pakistan provided the first instance in history of an “internal colony” that oppressed followers of its own religion. All foreign aid was distributed in West Pakistan’s advancement, with Bengali-speaking Muslims being kept out of investment and development. East Pakistan was brutally treated when it demanded a fair amount of autonomy. In order to terrorize and intimidate Bengali Muslims, they murdered civilians, gunned down students, and sexually assaulted women. In East Pakistan, it was nothing less than an attempt at genocide.
The Separatists are cautioned not to disregard the inhumane treatment meted out to Pakistan’s minorities. The defining characteristics of Pakistan, their so-called ideal nation, include forced conversion, psychological insecurity, and social stigmatization.
The Separatists must stop acting dishonorably toward India and abusing the Constitution’s Fundamental Rights as well as the Human Rights that apply to all of India. In order to avoid the day when Indians start demanding to send the Separatists to their most preferred location, Pakistan, they should not test the patience of Indians and their Government.
The words of Warren Buffet “What we learn from history is that people don’t learn from history”, perfectly sums up the separatists in Kashmir.
