January 5 resolution unfulfilled

January 5 is a day to be reckoned with in the history of Kashmir. On this day in 1949 United Nations acknowledging the Kashmiris right to self-determination ruled that they be allowed to decide their future through plebiscite held under UN supervision.

This particular resolution concerning the destiny of Kashmiris was agreed to by the two main stakeholders to Kashmir dispute i.e. Pakistan and India. But India soon after reneged upon its pledge made to the world body, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir regarding plebiscite raising various hurdles to deprive Kashmiris of their birth right. Since then there has been much turmoil and turbulence in the region directly resulting from India's refusal to implement UN verdict. Pakistan and India have fought three wars over the issue and the Kashmiris have been suffering enormously at the hands of Indian occupation forces in Kashmir.

The Kashmiri youth having been dismayed over India's intransigence took up arms in 1989 and waged struggle for liberation from India's stranglehold. India followed a policy of utter suppression and brutalisation to quell the liberation struggle, which has cost the Kashmiris one lac lives of their brethren and sisters who fell victims to occupation forces bullets. There has been no thaw in the killing and plundering of innocent people. The Kashmiris have stood like rock in the face of all atrocities and India's tactics to subdue them into submission or detract them from their liberation demand have miserably failed.

The quest for liberation is gaining momentum day by day, while on the other hand international pressure on India for resolving the outstanding dispute has been mounting. World leaders have been stressing the need for settling the lingering issue as its non-resolution was a threat to peace in the region in particular and peace in the world at large. Meanwhile Pakistan has raised the isseue at different international fora scores of time  besides taking the matter in high level parleys with Indian leadership. Recently in July last year Pakistan's Prime Minister Syed Yususf Raza Gilani discussed Kashmiri problem with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement's Summit. Prompting to reopen the dialogue process between the two countries, Mr Singh took a U-turn as soon as he returned back to New Delhi by declaring that resumption of talks depended on Pakistan's efforts for curbing terrorism.
This is how India has been sidetracking the real issue by taking refuge under lame excuses. But Kashmir is not an issue that could be permanently put on the backburner. It's viable and permanent settlement is a must for durable peace in the region particularly when the two major parties Pakistan and India are nuclear powers and another conflagration involving the two due could not be ruled out. The last composite dialogue process had been slowly and steadily heading toward a possible climax but the Mumbai blast and 26/11 threw a spanner in the workshop, bringing the whole momentum to a standstill. Since recent past India has been quietly trying to initiate dialogue with Kashmiris but nothing tangible has emerged so far. The fate of this clandestine dialogue also appears dubious as the genuine leadership of Kashmiris will not accept a dialogue offer from India sans Pakistan, which is a major party to the dispute. Instead of taking a straight course India is treading a bumpy road that leads to nowhere?