DATE=7/1/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43782
TITLE=KASHMIR CONFLICT
BYLINE=AKRAM GIZABI
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THERE HAS BEEN A SERIOUS ESCALATION OF THE KASHMIR
CONFLICT DURING THE PAST SIX WEEKS. INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE USED
HEAVY ARTILLERY IN SHELLING EACH OTHER'S POSITIONS. SINCE MAY
25TH, THE INDIAN AIR FORCE HAS STARTED A BOMBING CAMPAIGN TO
DISLODGE WHAT IT CALLS PAKISTAN-BACKED INFILTRATORS IN THE
INDIAN-CONTROLLED KASHMIR. V-O-A'S AKRAM GIZABI HAS TALKED TO
VARIOUS SIDES IN THE CONFLICT. (HIS FIRST REPORT WAS A BRIEF
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF KASHMIR. IN THIS SECOND PART HE LOOKS
AT THE MILITARY SITUATION.)
TEXT: IN A PREDOMINANTLY HINDU COUNTRY, JAMMU AND KASHMIR IS THE
ONLY INDIAN STATE WITH A MAJORITY POPULATION OF MUSLIMS. INDIA
AND PAKISTAN NEVER ACCEPTED THE DOMINATION OF THE OTHER OVER THE
TWO DIVIDED PARTS. EACH SIDE CALLS THE OTHER OCCUPIED KASHMIR.
THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE GONE TO WAR TWICE OVER KASHMIR, IN 1948
AND AGAIN IN 1965, WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE LINE OF CONTROL
ESTABLISHED IN 1949.
THE LONG-SIMMERING STRUGGLE FOR KASHMIR ACTIVELY STARTED IN
1989, WHEN THE PEOPLE OF KASHMIR TOOK ARMS AGAINST THE INDIAN
AUTHORITIES. SAYED ALI GAILANI, OF THE ALL PARTIES HURRYYAT
CONFERENCE, SAYS FOR A LONG TIME THE PEOPLE OF KASHMIR WORKED FOR
THEIR RIGHTS THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS.
/// FIRST GAILANI ACT ///
BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, INDIA DENIED ALWAYS THOSE PEACEFUL
MEANS AND THEN THE PEOPLE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR STARTED
THE ARMED STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE RIGHT FROM
1989. THAT ARMED STRUGGLE HAS CONTINUED TO DATE AND
INDIA IS FIGHTING AGAINST THOSE FREEDOM FIGHTERS WITH
HEAVY MIGHT AND WITH (AN) IRON HAND. THEY ARE USING ALL
THE BRUTAL MEANS TO CRUSH THIS FREEDOM MOVEMENT.
/// END ACT ///
HOWEVER, INDIA MAINTAINS THAT IT IS PAKISTAN THAT FOMENTS UNREST
IN INDIAN-CONTROLLED KASHMIR. ACCORDING TO INDIA, THE CAUSE OF
THE LATEST ERUPTION OF HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE TWO SOUTH ASIAN
NUCLEAR STATES IS THE PRESENCE OF PAKISTANI-BACKED INFILTRATORS,
WHO HAVE OCCUPIED SOME OF THE INHOSPITABLE HIGHLANDS IN THE
FRONTIER DISTRICT.
INDIA CLAIMS THE FOREIGN ELEMENTS, INCLUDING BATTLE HARDY AFGHANS
TRAINED AND HELPED BY PAKISTAN, HAVE INFILTRATED THE BORDER AND
HAVE ENTRENCHED IN THE HILLS OVERLOOKING A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE
INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON, NARESH CHANDRA, SAYS THE
EXTREMISTS ARE ARMED, SENT, AND LOGISTICALLY SUPPORTED BY THE
PAKISTANI ARMY. HE SAYS COMMUNICATIONS INTERCEPTED IN THE
INDIAN-CONTROLLED KASHMIR SHOW THE INFILTRATORS ARE HIGH RANKING
PAKISTANI ARMY OFFICERS.
/// CHANDRA ACT ///
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN SUCH MATTERS
HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT THEY ARE A MIX OF PAKISTANI REGULARS
AND BATTLE-TESTED, TRAINED MERCENARIES.
/// END ACT ///
AMBASSADOR CHANDRA SAYS THAT THE ALLEGED INFILTRATORS ARE THE
"BATTLE TESTED" TALEBAN WHO WERE TRAINED BY PAKISTAN TO FIGHT IN
KASHMIR.
PAKISTAN'S AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON, RIAZ KHOKHAR, CONSIDERS THE
INDIAN CHARGES TO BE THE USUAL PROPAGANDA THAT ACCORDING TO HIM
INDIA HAS CARRIED OUT FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. HE SAYS PAKISTAN'S
ONLY INVOLVEMENT IS IN DEFENSE OF ITS POSITIONS AGAINST THE
INDIAN FORCES.
/// KHOKHAR ACT ///
OF COURSE, WE ARE INVOLVED ONLY IN THE SENSE THAT THE
INDIAN AIRCRAFT HAVE VIOLATED PAKISTAN'S AIRSPACE AND
HAVE VIOLATED AZAD KASHMIR.
/// END ACT ///
ARE FIGHTERS FROM PAKISTAN, OR AS INDIA CALLS THEM, MERCENARIES
FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, INVOLVED IN THE CURRENT KASHMIR CONFLICT?
HABIBULLAH SHAH IS A SPOKESPERSON FOR HARARKATUL JEHAD-E-ISLAMI,
ONE OF THE MILITANT GROUPS BASED IN PAKISTAN WHICH IS ACTIVE IN
THE REGION. /// OPT /// HE SAYS HIS GROUP'S MEMBERS IN KASHMIR
ARE NOT FIGHTERS BUT MUJAHED (HOLY WARRIORS). THE TERM EXISTED
BEFORE IN ISLAMIC CULTURE BUT WAS POPULARIZED BY AFGHAN FREEDOM
FIGHTERS AGAINST THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. // END OPT ///
/// SHAH ACT IN URDU ///
HE SAYS, WE ARE HERE (IN KASHMIR) FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS. BUT
OUR INVOLVEMENT IN KASHMIR HAS BEEN EVER SINCE OUR COMING TO
BEING AS A GROUP.
MR. SHAH SAYS THAT HIS GROUP IS INVOLVED IN KASHMIR ON THE BASIS
OF IDEOLOGY AND DOCTRINE, TO WAGE WAR AGAINST WHAT HE CALLS THE
OCCUPATION, SUPPRESSION, AND OPPRESSION OF THE KASHMIRI PEOPLE BY
THE INDIAN ARMY. MR. SHAH CONSIDERS FIGHTING IN KASHMIR A
RELIGIOUS DUTY, NOT A WAR OF ATTRITION OR A PROXY WAR AGAINST
INDIA. HE THEREFORE, DENIES ANY ASSISTANCE FROM THE PAKISTANI
ARMY OTHER THAN MORAL SUPPORT.
THIS SENTIMENT IS ECHOED BY ANOTHER ISLAMIC RADICAL GROUP, WHICH
IS ALSO BASED IN PAKISTAN AND FIGHTING IN KASHMIR -- THE
LASHKAR-E-TAYABA (L-T). THE L-T SPOKESMAN IN PAKISTAN IS YAHYA
MUJAHED.
/// MUJAHED ACT IN URDU ///
HE SAYS, IN KASHMIR, WE ARE HELPING THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE
VICTIMS OF INDIAN MILITARY FORCES OPPRESSION. HE SAYS, THE
INDIAN ARMY HAS CARRIED OUT A CRACKDOWN ALL OVER KASHMIR SO FROM
THE PLATFORM OF L-T, WE ARE CONFRONTING THE INDIAN ARMY ON EVERY
FRONT. HE SAYS, OUR MUJAHEDDIN ARE BUSY FIGHTING IN EACH AND
EVERY DISTRICT OF (OCCUPIED) KASHMIR. WE ARE ALSO ACTIVE ON THE
RECENTLY OPENED FRONTS OF KARGIL, DRAS AND BATALIK.
MR. MUJAHED SAYS THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE FIGHTING IN KASHMIR
ARE THE KASHMIRIS THEMSELVES, ALTHOUGH HE ADMITS THERE ARE "ALL
KINDS OF PEOPLE" UNDER THE L-T UMBRELLA.
/// BEGIN OPT ///
CONCERNING THE RECRUITMENT OF THE PEOPLE TO FIGHT IN THE WAR,
SAYED ALI GAILANI (OF THE ALL PARTIES HURRYYAT CONFERENCE) SAYS
THE WIDESPREAD ABUSE AND VIOLATION OF BASIC RIGHTS OF THE KASHMIR
PEOPLE COMPEL THE YOUNG KASHMIRIS TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS. HE
SAYS THEIRS IS A FIGHT AGAINST THE FORCES OF OCCUPATION.
/// SECOND GAILANI ACT ///
THEY ARE DEFINITELY OCCUPYING FORCES, THEY ARE NOT
HAVING ANY LEGITIMACY AND THEY ARE NOT HAVING ANY
CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL RIGHTS TO BE THERE. THEY ARE
THERE ON THE BASIS OF FORCE, ON THE BASIS OF GUNS, ON
THE BASIS OF MIGHT AND THE PEOPLE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
ARE NOT ACCEPTING THEIR EXISTENCE THERE.
/// END ACT ///
/// END OPT ///
SOME KASHMIRIS, LIKE GHULAM NABI FAI OF THE KASHMIRI-AMERICAN
COUNCIL, SAY THAT IT IS NOT ONLY INDIAN TROOPS THAT ARE NOT
WELCOME IN THE TERRITORY. HE SAYS NO FOREIGN FORCES ARE
WANTED.
/// FAI ACT ///
WE KASHMIRIS DO NOT WANT ANY ALIEN FORCE TO BE IN
KASHMIR, ANY ALIEN ARMY TO BE IN KASHMIR, WHETHER THAT
IS INDIA, PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN, OR SUDAN. WE WANT
THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE OF KASHMIR.
/// END ACT ///
IN MR. FAI'S VIEW, THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION TO THE KASHMIR
CONFLICT. (SIGNED)
NEB/AG/LTD/GM
01-Jul-99 3:32 PM EDT (1932 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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