IT is really comforting to hear Turkey reaffirm its stand on endorsing the UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite to allow the Kashmiris their right to self-determination. While this show of support would greatly help bring the issue in its true perspective, New Delhi must be boiling with rage to see a country of Turkey's stature not shying away from calling a spade a spade.
But the Indian government has grown a thick skin to all such criticism. The oppressed people of Held Kashmir are determined to make India give up its unjust stand. Islamabad's efforts, aimed at resuming the dialogue process to solve the conflict in line with the wishes of the people, have so far gone waste. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's latest offer of talks has therefore grim prospects of having any effect in the near future. New Delhi on the contrary has been muddying the waters for Pakistan, sparking unrest in Balochistan. On the diplomatic front, it has been carrying out a vicious propaganda campaign to defame Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. Despite all that, no one can deny the fact that India has failed in its nefarious designs. Yesterday, the scene in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley where people took to the streets condemning its illegal occupation, speaks volumes about their indefatigable will. The purpose of the strike was also to underscore human rights abuses by the Indian security forces. But the most unfortunate thing is that rather than going for a UN brokered solution, we have Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram coining the absurd term of "quiet diplomacy". There is nothing new about this. Everyone has been a witness to the brutal way the Kashmiri struggle for liberation from the Indian yoke has been dealt with. Hence the term, quiet diplomacy. Also in an attempt to further befool the world, the Indian leadership has been referring to the Valley as its 'integral part', which is all about pushing Pakistan to the corner. This integral part allows it to have complete control over the Indus river system. The dams in the occupied territory built in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty are frequently used to stop the flow of water into Pakistan destroying its agriculture and water system.
A lot is at stake. The Turkish leader has done the right thing by alarming the world of the danger posed by the conflict. The international community, particularly the leaders in Western capitals, must step forward to stop India's repression of Kashmiris and compel it to abide by its commitment to let them decide their future in a UN-sponsored plebiscite.
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