Dharma Rukshuk: The Defenders of the Eternal Faith

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2005-09-29T11:44:00.000+01:00

The title says it all.

Pakistan and the Kashmiri Self-Determination

2005-08-31T16:03:00.000+01:00

The right of Self-determination for Kashmiris

The right of self-determination is a cornerstone of democratic society. In this context what do we make of the repeated slogan that "Kashmiris should have the right of self-determination?" We often hear such voices at the United Nations from the Pakistani delegation. The self-styled President of Pakistan also makes passing references to this while he insists on calling Kashmir an "Unfinished business of Partition" and a "Dispute". And how is this dispute to be resolved? The Paksitani say: "By giving the right of self-determination to Kashmiris".

Fair enough, except for the fact that this demand comes from the leadership of a country where democracy has been often sent to the gallows by the powers that be in the Pakistani Military. Half the time when India has had to deal with Pakistan the leader on the Pakistani side is one who has usurped power in military coup. Are these Military coups that had brought to power Pakistani Army Generals like Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq and now Pervez Musharraf - a kind of self-determination? A kind of "self-determination" exercised by the powers-that-be in the Pakistani Army at that point in time?

And mind you it is these self-same leaders who make the shrill cry of giving the right of "self-determination" to the Kashmiri people. How ironical!

The Right of Self-determination in Pakistan and the story of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, President of Pakistan (almost)

And secondly when in 1971, the popular mandate in Pakistan (on one of the few occasions when they have given their people the right of self-determination) made Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, leader of the then East Pakistan, the President-elect of the then undivided Pakistan; what followed was not his swearing in ceremony as President of the Undivided Pakistan, but a fratricidal war that split the country of Pakistan into two parts! This war was fought to prevent the President-elect from assuming office since he was a Bengali and the Punjabi-Pathan dominated Pakistani army would not have a Bengali Muslim as the President of their country. Thus making a mockery of self-determination in Pakistan. Needless to remind the readers here that it was this fratricidal war that led to the creation of Bangladesh of which Sheikh Mujibur Rehman eventually became the first President.

So much for the respect that the Pakistani rulers give to the right of self-determination to the citizens of their own country. And it is these very same people who cry hoarse for the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir

The true story of Kashmir

Kashmir is at the forefront of the civilizational divided between the Dar-ul-Islam (Islamic world) and Dar-ul-Harb (non-Islamic world i.e. the civilized world). The current troubles there are a continuation of a fifty year legacy of aggression to bring Kashmir into Dar-ul-Islam. And this is not an isolated aggression, it is happening elsewhere today at Macedonia, West Bank, and also in Oldham, Bradford and in many other parts of the world along the Civilizational fault line as articulated by Samuel Huntingdon in his seminal classic treatise "Clash of Civilizations".

The right of self-determination in Dar-ul-Islam

Here we need to pointedly ask "In how many Islamic countries are free elections conducted? In Saudi Arabia - the birthplace of Islam? In Afghanistan - the Islamic Paradise? In Syria? In Libya? Or in Pakistan??

The answer is obvious. At least in disturbed Kashmir there are election being held and today (27th July 2001) the Minister of state for External Affairs of the Republic of India is a Kashmiri Muslim. Can a Hindu occupy such a post in Islamic Pakistan, at least - leave apart in Afghanistan or in Saudi Arabia! No, in fact in Saudi Arabia a non-Muslim cannot even have a place of worship. In Afghanistan we came close to Hindus being asked to carry yellow identity cards. (No, the Quran does not say that non-Muslims should have yellow cards, although it prescribes how the non-muslims should be tyrannized, tortured, and made to submit to Islam. The Taliban have improved upon what is said in the Quran by learning additional lessons from the Nazis - indeed).

Respect for Human Rights in the Islamic World

The less said the better about the human rights record and the right to self determination in societies where according to the law arms can be cut off, there can be stoning to death, women are to be wrapped up in a tent, and for voicing the slightest dissenting opinion that Maulavis think, violates the Quran - the penalty is imprisonment if not death at the gallows or death by lynching by the frenzied crowds. And it is the leaders of cpuntries where such crimes against humanity are perpetrated; who unabashedly ask for the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir (and freedom in the West Bank, Macedonia, etc).

A Question for the Kashmiri Muslims

We are aware that the people of Kashmir are suferring today. But we ask them:

"Who started the Killings in Kashmir?" - The Indian Army? or the Islamic Jihadi Terrorists?
"Who drove out the Hindu Kashmir Pandits?" - The Indian Army? or the Islamic Jihadi Terrorists?
"Who can bring back peace, prosperity (tourists and apple orchards in blossom) and of course law and order to the Kashmir Valley?" - The Indian Army? or the Islamic Jihadi Terrorists?

The answers are obvious.

Hurriyat Conference's demand of secession from India and accession to Pakistan

Some Hurriyat Conference type of Kashmiris may say we want Azadi (Freedom - to join Pakistan after secession from India). And if the majority of the Kashmiri Muslims want secession from India as the Hurriyat would have us believe, they are free to contest elections on the plank demanding secession from India and accession to Pakistan. Let's see how many seats they can win on this platform. And if the Hurriyat wants a plebicite in the entire (undivided state) of Kashmir then Pakistan would have to vacate the Pakistani Administered Kashmir and then and only then can plebicite be conducted. This is according to the UN resolution in the matter. We have a deadlock situation here.

In this situation of logjam, let us assume for a moment that Kashmir has merged their state into Pakistan and in this context let us have the Kashmiris ask themselves what will stand to gain in this scenario? They should ask themselves what happened to the Bangladeshis? Ask themselves as to why the Bangladeshis are not East Pakistanis today and how secure do the Mohajirs and the Shias feel in Karachi? Will their own lot be any better if they join Pakistan? And if Pakistani leaders cannot give their own citizens the right of self-determination; then on what moral grounds are they crying hoarse that the people of Kashmir should be given this right, especially when, inspite of the disturbances, elections are being held in the Kashmir valley along with the rest of India?

That is the point to be made to the world at large whenever we hear the shrill Pakistani cry of the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir. Are the mandarins of South Block listening?

Jagmohan on Relationship between Kashmir and rest of India

2005-08-15T13:58:00.000+01:00

This is very old article written by Jagmohan (The Savior of Kashmir) in TOI, on which i stumbled upon at Kashmir-Information. This peice was written in response to calls by "Human" Rights guys for more autonomy to Kashmir.

May I remind you that Kashmir's relationship with the rest of India did not begin in 1947 and it does not rest only on the Instrument of Accession and Articles 1 and 370 of the Constitution of India.

It is a relationship of mind and soul that has existed from time immemorial and found ample expression in common avenues of intellect and emotions, poetry and literature, philosophy and outlook.Every green pasture that you walk around in Kashmir, every silvery peak that you watch from pleasurable distance, every stream that sings its song by your side, every enchanting lake that you come across now and then and every little town and city that you visit has some signpost or other of this deep and abiding relationship.

Even when Islam came to Kashmir, it did not alter the ethos of the common folk.

Most of the Islamic teachings were just grafted on Vedantic beliefs and thoughts.

The central message of Kashmir's patron saint and founder of the Rishi order, Sheikh Nuruddin Noorani, was:

There is one God/But with a hundred names;/There is not a single blade of grass/Which does not worship Him.

What do you think is post-1947 India?

Is it a mere collection of states and territories or something more than that?

Is it a new political reality only or also an expression of a common heritage and history, a common culture, a common set of values that have nursed and nurtured the same way of life for ages in diverse circumstances and in different regions?

The answer to these questions is clear. The new republic is a new constitutional entity.But it is not merely that.It is also a historical and cultural continuity - a continuity that is unique, that mocks at the ravages of time and has remained unperturbed by the scars and strains left by the upheavals of history.And all parts of the country, including Kashmir, are a part of this continuity.You very well know that Kashmir already enjoys a high degree of autonomy.

There is a vast area which is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the state government.

It includes a substantial portion of the Concurrent List of the Constitution and also residuary powers.

The citizens of India are NOT ipse facto the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.Even if they have been residing in the state for years, they cannot acquire the right of settlement and hold property in the state.They have no right to vote in the elections to the state assembly or the local bodies or the panchayats.

No declaration of financial emergency can be made with regard to J & K as Article 360 of the Indian Constitution has not been applied to it.

Article 365, which authorises the President of India to issue directions to the state government in exercise of the executive power of the Union, has also not been extended to J&K.In fact, quite a few of the problems of present-day Kashmir are due not to insufficiency but a surfeit of powers.

You see your own history.

A vast chunk of America - the southern states - wanted to secede.

You did not allow that.

You fought a civil war.

Both North and South suffered a great deal.

There was hardly a household that did not undergo trials and tribulations.

But you kept the country united.

Today, you are a great power - the world's number one.

You call Abraham Lincoln the 'Father of the Nation'.

And rightly so.

You take pride in your great melting pot.

And there is every justification for doing it.

How can then you, of all people, encourage small sovereignties and unworkable autonomies which are bound to cause tensions, turmoil and bloodshed?

Why do you forget the long-term implications for India if it should succumb to momentary pressures?

Has the partition of India solved any problem?

Has it served either the Muslims or the Hindus?

On the contrary, it has kept both in perpetual poverty.

Old animosities have sharpened and new animosities have arisen.

Had India remained united, it would have, like the U.S., become a great power - a model of dynamism and resurgence, a country in which hunger and backwardness would have been forgotten like a bad dream.

You need to spare a moment or two for the noble ideology which inspired the great American visionaries and think why it is necessary for the United States to create its nests of power in Kashmir even at the cost of weakening a nation whose heritage of compassion, contentment and catholicity could contribute a great deal in building a new culture and civilisation all over the world.

Woodrow Wilson once said:

"If I have forgotten in any degree what America was intended for, I thank God if you remind me," The purpose of this letter is to serve as a reminder.

Geez what a bureaucrat... India could do with a few more like him.

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15th August... a day of Independence? or a day of mourning?

2005-08-15T13:26:00.000+01:00

Today as India celebrates its 58th Independence Day... All Indians, whether citizens or not should think about this in retrospect. Should India really celebrate its independence with such pomp? Wasnt it on this very day our fatherland vivisected? Werent 13 million Sikhs and Hindus kicked out of Pakistan. Wasnt it 15th August when Sindhi Hindus were exiled forever, a community with no land to call its own... Wasnt it on this very day 58 years ago the orgy or mass murder and systematic massacre of estd 1 1 million of Hindus and Sikhs commenced? What has changed 58 years since India made her "tryst with destiny". Nehurvian socialism has wrecked everlasting havoc on India's psyche. With the IT Revolution and Economic boom of 90's and this decade, the economic damages of License Raj may have been erased but the damage done to millions of people who've graduated through Indias school is irreversible. Hindutva has been wrongly vilified forever. Indias foreign policy remains a hijack to the 150 million Muslim vote bank. As for partition, the presence of 150 million Muslims in Indian Union itself renders it useless. Surely what can be more insulting than having our holy Indus on whose bank sage wrote Vedas 25 centuries ago, run right though the Land of "Pure".15th August therefore is not a day to make merry but a day to mourn, a day when 58 years ago 13million of our co-religionists were ethnically cleansed from once cradle of Hinduism, the Sapta-Sindhu (Pakistan).

Vikrant_Camberleykar

P.S This is Vikrant (pronounced "Vickraant") on behalf of Lord_Amey

Dharma Rukshuk going on hibernation

2005-08-10T18:39:00.000+01:00

Sorry Guys,

I've to put off Dharma Rukshuk unless Vikrant promises to help me... I'm currently busy with our website. Its comming out fine...

Whilst Indians govt. sleeps.....

2005-07-30T11:07:00.000+01:00

Dawood yet again makes laughing stock of Indian establishment... Check this article from Times of (Islamic) India.

NEW DELHI: Dawood Ibrahim did attend the marriage of his daughter Mahrukh with Junaid, son of former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad.

The underworld don beat the hawk eye of top global intelligence agencies and the crosshairs of rivals’ guns to be present at the nikah which was solemnised on July 9 at the mosque in Mecca, as was reported by TOI on July 10.

The publicised function of July 23 at Dubai’s Grand Hyatt was not the nikah ceremony but ‘waleema’ or reception that was deliberately passed off as the marriage to hoodwink intelligence agents, Dawood’s rivals and the media.And virtually everyone fell for the elaborate cover.

Top intelligence sources say Dawood travelled to Saudi Arabia on a Pakistani passport to attend the wedding. He was to reach Dubai for the reception in the guise of Ali Miyan, a fake identity he is said to shadowy intelligence operatives to put together the larger picture but was unable to get a confirmation.

This it finally did on Friday when it reached Javed Miandad in Pakistan. After talking to him about several things, TOI asked him whether Dawood had attended the nikah. Miandad said, "Sab aaye the (everyone was present)."

Pakistan: Voices of Jihad

2005-07-08T08:58:00.000+01:00

"May Allah destroy America and Britain… May Allah help the Mujahedeen in Iraq, Kashmir, Palestine, Chechnya and around the world."
-Maulana Mohammed Ishaq, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader, Islamabad, April 11, 2003.
"The holiest soil on earth is that of Pakistan and we cannot tolerate the unholy presence of Nancy Powell on our holy land. Her presence keeps us away from Allah's blessings. Pakistan should cleanse itself from her unholy existence… Allah has told us to make atom bombs. America is telling us not to. Who should we listen to O Muslims, Allah or America? Kashmir will not be solved by talks, not by American arbitration, not by its division but only by jihad, jihad, jihad!... The Hindus were terrorists yesterday, they are terrorists today and they will remain terrorists tomorrow. We are right in seeking revenge from these spawns of evil."
- Taped speech of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, chief of Lashkar-e-Toiba, played on Kashmir Day, at the Jamia Mosque Ghousia, Rawalpindi, February 2003.
"I have come here because this is my duty to tell you that Muslims should not rest in peace until we have destroyed America and India."
- Masood Azhar, Chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad, January 5, 2000.

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Announcing Dharma Rukshuk

2005-07-07T12:08:00.000+01:00

Islamic cocepts of "Jihad","kufr","dhimmi" unknown to western culture until recent times. Most people associate Jihad with Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Crusades etc. Most people are however ignorant about the much bigger Jihad. A Jihad that has cost 40 million lives, a Jihad that has torn a country, a Jihad that has left an ancient civilization "wounded", a Jihad which has started before Crusade, a Jihad which continue to this very day... My friends i'm talking about the "Jihad in Hindustan" a one long Jihad against an infidel civilization which has been going on since the dawn of last millenia.On behalf of Saffron Alliance of Great Britain, i'm pleased to announce this brand new blog which aims to educate people about this ignored chapter of world history...