Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Newly inducted Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar has described as longest the “covert war” launched by Pakistan against India in Kashmir and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened the line drawn by then Prime Minister (Atal Behari Vajpayee) during Agra summit by making it categorically clear to Pakistan that talks and terror can’t co-exist.
Akbar described Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani as “murderer” of security forces, civilians and Sarpanchs against whom, he said, 15 cases were pending and cautioned the media against romanticizing his death saying he had launched war against media, which destroyed many cable companies.
In a hard-hitting speech in Lok Sabha, the video of which is available with the Excelsior, Akbar, a noted journalist and writer, said there was no war in the history, which has been now running into the 70th year, which has been thrusted on India by Pakistan over Kashmir.
“There has been a mention in the history of Anglo-French war lasting 100 years but that was with the gaps. There has been no war that has been continuously going on for past 70 years now. Pakistan excepting geographical issue, has no idea and ideology on the war, which has now started assuming “alarming proportions”. This has become an existential war,” he said in his 18 minutes speech.
Asserting that context of present violence lies in the roots of national history, the Union Minister said the present truth is that Kashmir’s “Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat’ had stood by one nation and not by partition during 1947. This, he said, is the real truth of Kashmir and not the one in which “misled and misguided youth” were indulging in stone pelting.
Describing present unrest in the Kashmir valley as “temporary phase”, which will blow up with the change in wind, he said he has lot of sympathies with the people of Kashmir as his mother was also a Kashmiri. But, at the same time, he said, the truth is that Burhan Wani (after whose death protests have flared up in the Kashmir valley) was a murderer of defence forces, civilians and Sarpanches on whom 15 cases had been registered.
In a friendly advice to media as he too had been associated with media fraternity for a long time, Akbar cautioned them (the media) against “romanticizing” the killing of Burhan Wan saying he had launched war against media too and destroyed several cable companies. Without naming Wani’s grandfather, he said he stood against unity of the country and was always for separatism and division of the country.
Going into history of Kashmir’s accession with India, he said then Prime Minister (Jawahar Lal Nehru) had spoken to Mountbaiten in August 1947 that they will hold talks in March 1948 on accession of Kashmir as both India and Pakistan were dominion States then. But by October 1947, Pakistan despite with empty coffers exercise the option of getting Kashmir through war, which it again did through formal wars in 1965 and 1971 by launching `Operations Gibraltar and Grandslam’. Gibraltar is an island in Spain, which Arab forces tried to rule in 711 century while Grandslam is referred in the game bridge.
“After failing miserably in the formal wars in 1965 and 1971, Pakistan started “terrorism and covert wars” in eighties not only in Kashmir but also in Punjab, which were part of larger conspiracies,” Akbar said.
Saying that we always used to harp on talks with Pakistan, the MoS External Affairs said this was for the first time in Agra Summit during Vajpayee regime that a clear line was drawn by India and Pakistan told categorically that “till you (Pakistan) support terrorism, you are not worth talks”.
“This line has further been strengthened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has bluntly told Pakistan that talks and terror can’t co-exist. The Prime Minister is very clear on this,” he said.
Drawing comparison between reactions of India and Pakistan on terrorism, Akbar said when terror attack took place in Pakistani school at Peshawar, there were condolence messages all over from India.
“Our Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Parliament condemned the attack and condoled Peshawar killings. But, now look at Pakistan. When Burhan Wani was killed in Kashmir, they called for `black day’ in Pakistan. Such an attitude can’t be tolerated,” the BJP leader said.
Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s four points formula on talks with India, presented before the United Nations, Akbar said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Pakistan that they need to understand only one-point (controlling terrorism) and everything will be alright.
Reacting to war hysteria created by some sections of Pakistan, Akbar declared that India is capable of bearing impact of the war but Pakistan won’t be able to withstand (the impact). Pakistan will be committing suicide by talking of war, he said but added that there were some people in Pakistan, who realize the threat of fomenting terrorism.
Akbar said the Permanent Representative of the United Nations had described terrorism as monster.
“The UN has categorically told Pakistan that they have occupied PoK. This is an issue,” he said, adding that at least on the issues of country, more so Kashmir, entire country should be united. He was referring to the statement of a Congress member that United Nations had given a statement against the country on Kashmir.
Akbar declared that the tricolor, which had flown high in New Delhi in August 1947 and in Kashmir on October 1947, will never come down and will continue to fly high.
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