DOST KHAN
Jammu: Treatment meted out to Baby Bilawal Bhutto during the much hyped ‘Million March’ at London’s Trafalgar Square should serve as a lesson to Kashmiri hate-mongers, Syed Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik and company. Bilawal, who like many phony politicians of the sub-continent carries Bhutto linage instead of Zardari surname to fool Pakistani population, got a befitting ‘welcome’ by a couple of hundred protesters when he emerged on to a makeshift stage to speak. He got rotten eggs and empty bottles which rendered him shell shocked and deprived the audience ‘Lavange Kashmir’ rants, which has become his trade mark to bolster political image. It is irony of Pakistan that even after over six and half decades of creation, its fractured politics revolves round the so-called Kashmir issue. From thousand-year war to jugular vein and now Lavnge yell, the lunatic euphoria seems to be having no end, at least in the near future.
The highly touted Million March from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street fizzled out badly as only a few hundred people assembled and walked down the road carrying placards. The embarrassment was huge for the organisers including Barrister Sultan Mehmood, the so-called former Prime Minister of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Disappointed over the response and the strong reaction by a section of protesters, Pakistan’s Former interior Minister Rehman Malik and PPP Senator Saeed Ghani accused some political elements of playing at the hands of India’s sympathisers to sabotage the event. Bilawal was heard saying, “These agents (of India) who are trying to damage the cause of Kashmir and intimidate me into leaving should know that I will not leave before completing my speech. This is not about me or you; this is about the people of Kashmir.” His sister Assefa Zardari in her vein bid to control the damage tweeted, “Indian agents tried 2 stop my brother from speaking but Alhamdulillah they did NOT succeed. He completed his speech & Alhamdulillah he is safe.” This was anti-climax of ‘Million March’ which Pakistan Dawn described as assembly of few thousand people.
Notwithstanding a handful of people joining the march and hurling of eggs and shoes, the Kashmir hardcore hawk is taking solace in expressing satisfaction over the flop show. When the entire media made the organisers laughing stock over the futile exercise, Geelani stated, “It is a welcome move that the world understands pain of Kashmiris and are coming out in support of their demand. London Million March is a right move at right time and this process should continue in future also”. He, however, makes no secret of Britain being not amenable with the separatists’ rants and says, “The government of Britain should listen to the voices of the people and raise this issue with the Indian government.” Is it sheer frustration dawning on Kashmiri day dreamers who feel rattled after the United Nations snubbing Pakistan for raking Kashmir issue again and again, and the world powers not giving any heed to Islamabad’s rhetoric on Kashmir?
The people of Kashmir do understand the dwindling response of the international community on Kashmir issue but they don’t muster courage to confront those who have turned it as an enterprise to lead luxurious life. The fear of gun has throttled their voice while dubious role of some leaders in the mainstream camp has left them confused to react to the situation. London’s Million March attracted mute response in the Valley with few youth trying to take out procession in remote Handwara to demonstrate solidarity. Otherwise, the people of the Valley ignored the event with contempt it actually deserved.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was right in mocking the organisers for the march but can he, or for that matter, his colleagues in the mainstream camp ever mobolise their ‘strong base’ to counter such moves at the international level? They claim to be representatives and get even votes during elections but how come they have never organised a befitting response which could open the eyes of Pakistan and those whom they try to mislead, time and again. They better formulate a counter or else those seeing through their game plan may not be wrong in terming them as soft separatists. At a time when Pakistan is playing mischief at the international level, the mainstream parties cannot afford to either remain neutral or tend to showcase themselves on other side of the fence to appease a particular constituency. They will have to come in the open, shun duplicity and show their strength by framing befitting response to Pakistan treachery. This was, in fact, the real objective of initiating political process in mid nineties. The Kashmir politics is not all about sharing the loaves of power.
