The role of the Indian government and the Indian army in the liberation of Bangladesh is well documented and is much trumpeted about particularly by right wing politicians and some former senior army officials in the full glare of television channels. It would be a denial of truth to say that Pakistan is not reciprocating by aiding and abetting the Azadi lovers of Kashmir. Such is the stuff of real politick. The Sri Lankan Tamil militants struggling for a Tamil Eelamto be carved out of Sri Lanka had received training, aid and support in Tamil Nadu India; the spiritual head of the Tibetan Buddhists, Dalai Lama along with his followers have been based in India for over five decades in their struggle to carve out a separate state for themselves from within a sovereign country like China. Pakistan’s support to the Kashmiri’s freedom fighters should be seen in the light of history and these political realities.

Five month long agitation’s greatest achievement has been the revival of the dormant Kashmir dispute. The issue had been put on the back-burner by both the Indian authorities and the world at large. Even though the problem of Kashmir continues somewhat still to be on the back burner for the west and the world at large in view of numerous other hot spots, yet the certain Indian intellectuals seem to be more concerned now about its final resolution. They have been freely airing their views and some have even visited Kashmir in the recent times. While this year leaves over a hundred killed by security forces leaving many Kashmiris families in disarray, many have to lead lives losing eye-sight due to indiscriminate firing of pellets by occupational security forces of India. Thus, the traces of tragedy of this year may continue to haunt the people for years to come. After India’s Independence the people of Kashmir were promised that a plebiscite would be held so that the Kashmiris could decide their future. There is a United Nations resolution to the effect but it stands unimplemented. The struggle of Kashmiris for right to self determination has resulted in killing of over a hundred thousand people since the 1989 insurgency as per the assessment of Hurrieyat leaders. But the onslaught by the police, para-military and military has not dampened the spirit of the freedom loving people of Kashmir.

 PS Sahni records the fact  that opinion poll conducted in the Kashmir valley by Outlook had revealed interalia:77% of the people were of the “firm belief” that a solution to the Kashmir problem did not lie within the framework of the Indian Constitution and they felt independence could alone bring peace in the valley. Outlook had commissioned MODE to conduct this opinion poll in 1995. The present uprising indicates that more people favour Azadi than even in 1995.

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