India's greatest enemy is its own army.
The razing to the ground by fire of the Chrar-e-Sharief on May 11 has inflamed passions in the valley and galvanised popular support for anti-Indian militant groups.
The Sufi shrine was one of Kashmir's holiest places and was worshipped at by both Hindus and Muslims - evidence of the deep-rooted tolerance between the two major religious communities.
Two days before, 60 percent of the homes around the mosque had been destroyed by fire, and suspicion has immediately turned to the Indian army.
It has a long record of atrocities since the upsurge in militant separatism in 1990, including torture, mass rape and extra-judicial killings.
The mosque had been under siege by the army for several months as militants of the pro-Pakistani Hizbul Mujahedin took shelter there. Hizbul are shiite muslims, scornful of Sufi practices.
Regardless of the source of the arson, this incident has thrown into disarray the state wide elections the govern- of Jammu, and the Budment planned for mid June or dhists in Ladakh. early July. Other militant groups Pakistan for its part has including Hizbul Mujabeen using Kashmir as a po- hedin and Jamiat-ul Mulitical football in its feud with jahedin, support incla. Neither Premier accession to Pakistan - afBenazir Bhutto nor opposition ter all, they are funded leader Nawaz Sharif care and armed by the Pakistan about the wishes of the Kash- military. miri people. Bhutto has not stopped To justify Pakistan's own the selective funding of existence and to embarrass In- pro-Pakistani and muslim dia, they claim that minorities fundamentalist groups to cannot exist In India. the exclusion of the JKLE. She has even perOppressive secuted JKLF supporters But Pakistan's treatment of in the misnamed Azad (Free) Kashmir occupied its religious and national miby Pakistani forces. nonues Is as bad as india s. Il Ironically this strategy would extend its obnoxious and oppressive sharia laws to strengthens fundamentalList forces within Pakistan the people of Kashmir. Where would this leave the sizeable and threatens every libHindu and Buddhist commu- eral and democratic freenities who have co-existed for dom that remains including her right as a centuries?
At present only the Peoples woman to be Prime MinLeague and the Jammu and ister in an "Islamic" country. Kashmir Liberation Front The question of Kashmir is (JKLF) understand this and not a private dispute between India and Pakistan. If they have supported independence honestly believe that they are with a new relationship to right, why don't they let the both their neighbours.
Kashmiri people freely decide The JKLF also support a secular federal constitution to their own future? assure maximum autonomy There is nothing more that within a Muslim majority the Kashmiri people would like than to elect their own state to the Pandits, or Hindus Indian soldiers guard Kashmiri muslim separatists representatives in place of direct rule by the Federal government.
However the context for such an election must be as part of a democratic referendum on self-determination.
At least three options must be put: remain in India, accede to Pakistan or independence. Neither India nor Pakistan want such a referendum because they know that the third option is the preferred one.
The first step would be the demilitarisation of Kashmir by withdrawal of both Indian and Pakistani troops and for Pakistan to return Gilgit and Baltistan (which it has illegally annexed) to a re-unified Jammu and Kashmir state.
Human rights and peace monitors could observe the process and the militant groups agree to respect the peoples verdict.
The only solution is to get India and Pakistan out of Kashmir, supporting the right of all Kashmiris to self-determination: for a secular democratic Kashmir within a socialist federation of South A 0121