SOLUTION TO INDIA-PAKISTAN CRISIS: Let Kashmiri people decide own future By R. PALME DUTT Why should India and Pakistan be locked in a cruel and destructive war? There is no justification for this war. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir. The claims of both are based on dubious grounds. India claims Kashmir on the legalistic ground that the former Maharajah Hari Singh — whose family bought Kashmir from Bri- tain for money down — faced with the uprising of his subjects and the invasion from Pakistan, signed accession to India, Pakistan’s claim is based on the no less unsatisfactory ground that the Moslem religion should be regarded as equivalent to nationality, and that therefore the 80 percent Moslem majority in Kashmir should automatically belong to Pakistan, When, in 1947, Britain parti- tioned India into the two States of India and Pakistan, leaving Kashmir and other princely States as apples of discord, North Western tribal levies overran Kashmir on behalf of Pakistan, (The Governor of the North West Province was British, and the officers of the tribal levies Bri- tish), The beleaguered Maharajah signed accession to India, and the Indian troops marched in to occupy Jammu and Kashmir over two-thirds of the territory, con- fronting Pakistan, in possession of the western one-third under a so-called “Azad Kashmir” Gov- ernment, : The Kashmir National Confer- ence, with Sheik Abdullah at its head, and world democratic opin- ion at that time all supported the accession of Kashmir to India — provided the distinctive rights of Kashmir were main- tained and future self-determina- tion, guaranteed, Abdullah became Premier in Kashmir, (Abdullah was founder and leader of the Moslem National Conference since 1931; which later became the Kashmir Na- tional Conference, » He was a close friend of Nehru and a fellow fighter for Indian inde- pendence), Alignment with India repre- sented at that time the more favorable progressive path, since ~ India was a secular, democratic State, then playing a progressive role among the non-aligned na- tions, while the rulers of Pak- istan had made their country a puppet of American imperialism, India appealed to the United Nations in 1948 against the Pak- istan military occupation, This gave the imperialists the oppor- tunity to intervene; and their Military Mission has remained ever since — first under the American Admiral Nimitz, and now under the Australian General Nimmo, The United Nations established a cease-fire line of division of Kashmir; and called fora plebis- cite to follow the withdrawal of Pakistan armed forces and ofthe “bulk” of Indian armed forces, Both sides professed acceptance, Since then, Pakistan has re- peatedly demanded a plebiscite, but without prior withdrawal, India has refused a plebiscite, R. P. DUTT, one of Britain's lead- ing authorities on Indian problems, and author of many books on the subject, has written the following article on the present crisis. It is slightly abridged here. on the grounds that the with- drawal of Pakistan armed forces had not taken place, and subse- quently on the further grounds that local elections (held under conditions making their validity dubious) rendered a_ plebiscite superfluous, * * * Abdullah’s demand for ‘self- determination had, by 1953, be- come a political embarrassment to the Indian Government, and he was thrown into prison on the alleged grounds that he had con- spired with American imperial- ism, but in fact without charge, trial or evidence, He was held in prison for 11 years— for nine without charge or trial — with one temporary interruption in 1958, when he was for a short time released, But, after it became clear that the people’s support for him was as great as ever, he was placed back behind bars again within four months, The Indian Government took the grave step in Mayofthis year of placing Abdullah and over 50 leaders of the Kashmiri Pleb- iscite Front associated with him again under detention supposedly on the grounds that he had spoken- of his aims of self-determination with Chou En-lai in Cairo — not in itself a crime, The Government decreed, the complete incorporation of Kash- mir in India, that is, the final annulment of the remaining dis- tinctive rights, It was impossible to imagine that these steps would not meet resistance from the Kashmiri people, Then followed military action which India has described as “armed infiltrators’” from Pakistan, and whom Pakistan has described as “Kashmiri freedom fighters.” The battle soon developed into direct fighting between Pakistan and Indian armed forces in Kash- mir, The cease-fire line was crossed by both sides, On September 6, Indian armed forces invaded Pakistan outside Kashmir and the conflict devel- oped into full undeclared war of the two States with air battles, bombing of cities and cruel suffering of the peoples, The British rulers began to fan the flames of Hindu- Moslem an- tagonism in the later years of the last century, to counter the advancing national movement, They approached prominent Moslem leaders to suggest separate political organization and special political privileges, but the Moslem leaders replied at that time that such a division would, “make a hell of India,” When the Moslem League was founded in 1906 its leaders sub- sequently divulged — during a period of co-operation with the . Congress — that its foundation had been “a command perfor- mance” inspired by the British Viceroy. Guilt also lay with the upper class leaders on both sides, While Congress was secular and co-operation developed during the period of national upsurge, the majority of the Congress leaders, including Gandhi, inex- tricably mingled the national cause with Hindu revivalism and thus rebuffed Moslem support, _ In the great naval revolt and mass uprising of 1946, which brought Indian freedom, when the ships of the navy ran up the joint flags of the Congress, the Moslem League and the Red Flag, and the masses. demonstrated behind banners _ proclaiming Yanks war against women in Vietnam Picture shows a U.S. Marine holding up a woman at gun- point near the port of Qui Nhon. ‘‘She may be carrying a concealed weapon,” said the United Press caption. This “Hindus and Moslems are Bro- thers,” the upper class leaders on both sides denounced such co-operation and entered into the prolonged negotiations with the British imperialists which ended in partition, * kK Now the “hell in India” thus let loose is reaching its most extreme fulfilment with this fra- tricidal war and all the suffering brought upon all the peoples, Préposals for outside inter- - vention, United Nations action, - other than urging cessation of military hostilities, will not settle the issue and could offer opportunities to the imperialists to get their hands on the spoils, (The experience of the Congo has sufficiently shown this), A cease-fire is urgent. But this alone will not end the con- flict which can break out anew, Proposals for ‘the partition of Kashmir, advocated in some quarters, would only butcher the unity of the country and the people = increased sixfold. week 20,000 more U.S. troops and 400 helicopters were September 17, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUN and leave the basis for renewel landed in South Vietnam, bringing the total U.S- 128,000. Since the start of the year U.S. forces! MT, ag bt conflict. There is only one possiblé basis for a lasting peaceful 5% tlement, That is that the peo?! of Kashmir should be freé determine their own future. . Let the Indian Government a , lease Abdullah, Let agreemy) | be sought for the withdra military forces on both side and on this basis let Abdullah invited to form a caretaker BY ernment to organize genuinel! free elections, The freely-elected repre? tatives of the Kashmiri P® can then choose between the alternatives: accession to In® accession to Pakistan; oF pehdent Kashmir friendly t0 and with its independence * integrity guaranteed by both. Such a settlement would © : respond to the interests 0? the peoples concerned of I! $ of Pakistan and of Kashmily fi well as to the future of Wo peace, forces? have be" a p—Pag® .