British and European Kashmiri Diaspora link up to grow the independence Alliance

15 January 2012. Brussels: (Report by Shams Rehman)

A crucial meeting convened in Antwerpen by the European and British Kashmiri activists agreed to expand the ‘Jammu Kashmir national Independence Alliance’ to global level by linking up the activists and organisations in different countries of the world including USA, Canada, Europe, UK, Middle East and ‘back home’, in the state of Kashmir.

The meeting was called by a group of European Kashmiri activists from ‘Azad’ (free) Kashmir, the Pakistani controlled part of the divided Kashmiri state settled in different countries of Europe for some years.

“ I have been actively involved in the struggle for independent Kashmir since my student days and rose to lead the National Student Federation (NSF) before protesting against the restrictions on pro independent Kashmir activists to participate in election and was arrested tortured by the authorities in 1990s. After moving to Belgium I continued my support for independent Kashmir along with the struggle for find work and residence in here.” Says Mr Hassan a garment trader who works long hours to make living in Europe and is determined to play his role in improving the lot of people in all parts of the divided Himalayan state.

Elaborating on the background work for the meeting, Mt Shahid Azam and Shahid Azam Junior, both long-time activists stated that one factor in the lack of success for pro-independence perspective on Kashmir has been the reluctance amongst leadership in speaking the whole truth about Kashmir. It has become a trend amongst the diaspora activists to speak either the Indian or the Pakistani version of the Kashmir story. The time has come for speaking the whole truth that the entire state of Kashmir is occupied and all occupying forces including India, Pakistan and China need to leave Kashmir and let Kashmiri decide their future democratically. To give this voice credibility and power to get to the democratic and diplomatic centres as well as the forces for justice and progress across the world we wanted to connect all like minded Kashmiris across the world.

It was during such discussions that they got connected with the leadership of ‘Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA) in existence in Britain for some years with an international agenda. After some telephonic conferences it was decided to call a preliminary conference of the JKNIA leadership and the diaspora activists in other countries of the world. The JKNIA was represented by Mehmood Kashmiri, the chair, Nadeem Aslam , secretary general , Najib Afsar spokesperson, Ghulam Hussain Vice President and Shams Rehman from the Association of British Kashmiris. The Alliance leadership welcoming the desire for an international body and offered detailed background information on the structure and work the alliance has carried so far.

Mehmood Kashmiri, the current chair of the Alliance said that we respect and appreciate each and every individual, organisation or group across the world and inside our divided country of Kashmir who have carried forward the struggle for a democratic independent Kashmir. We want to bring Kashmiris of all regions, religions and languages closer into a political community.

Ghulam Hussain, the vice chair of the alliance said that to avoid reinventing the wheel we think extending the existing alliance to encompass all those striving for united independent democratic Kashmir anywhere is the most effective way forward.

Mr Anwar Khan and Amjad Mehmood called from Dubai and Altaf Makhdoomi from Cyprus to share their desire for an independent international body to promote the cause of independent Kashmir and express best wishes for the efforts to construct such a body.

After some discussions it was agreed to set up an expansion committee that will reach out to activists and organisations in different countries and organise an international convention in order to elect a central leadership by sometime in the middle of 2012. A constitutional committee was also agreed to carryout necessary amendments. The Expansion committee consisted of Mehmood Kashmiri, Nosherwan Hussain, Najib Afsar, Shahid Azam and Shahid Azam Junior. The constitutional committee included Nadeem Aslam, Ghulam Hussain, Hassan Mehmood, Shams Rehman and Nasim Iqbal.

Others who deliberated and supported the efforts for expanding the JKNIA included Sabar Malik, Abid Hussain, Najib Afsar, Mohammed Aziz, Abid Hussain Khan, Tariq Kashar and Muhammed Hussain. It was acknowledged that due to a range of reasons a large number of people who share the purpose could not attend the meeting who the expansion committee will approach and engage in the further development of the Alliance.

In a special session on the following day Mr. Abdul Hamid Khan, chairman of Balawaristan Front and Ateeq Rehman also supported the idea of internationalising the independence alliance and Hamid Khan agreed to work as observer with the Alliance. While highlighting his concerns about the exclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan or Balawaristan people from the ‘Kashmir’ question, Hamid Khan insisted that all regions and citizens of the state share a common purpose of striving for freedom from forced and exploitative occupation.

In the concluding session the following declaration was issued by the existing leadership of the Alliance and the new Committees set up for expansion and constitutional development as the framework for promoting the independence politics.

1. The Alliance recognises, appreciates and willing to work with each and every individual, group, organisation or political party striving for a united independent Kashmir or for the unfettered right of self-determination for all the state subjects;

2. Alliance views ‘Kashmir’ as the political national identity of the State that was officially known as ‘the State of Jammu and Kashmir and Tibet Ha and Aqsai etc.’ is currently divided under the occupation of India and Pakistan into three ‘Kashmiri governments’ and geographical parts. While China occupies some parts, it does not claim the entire state like India and Pakistan and formally agrees to renegotiate the areas under her occupation with the legitimate authority after the final settlement of the Kashmir question.

3. Covering an area of 85806 sq. miles (2,22236 sq. Kms) Kashmir is a multi-cultural state with Kosher, Sheena, Balti, Dogari, Gojari, Pahari (Ponchi, Mirpuri etc.), Kishtawari, Ladakhi, Broshisky as the major linguistic and cultural identities and Hindu, Sikh, Budh, Christians and Muslims as religious identities of the state subjects. While the Alliance fully recognises and strongly believes in celebrating the cultural and religious diversity of the state, it is committed to resist and fight against any illegal, undemocratic and coercive or suppressive moves to divide and disintegrate the state using all available and legitimate means.

4. All three governments inside the state boundaries while has some features of democratic elections are controlled by the occupying governments of India and Pakistan and are not representatives of their respective regions. The Alliance fully supports all the struggles of all peoples in the jurisdiction of these governments for fully representative and democratic constitutional assemblies and socio-economic developmental and cultural rights.

5. The Alliance also supports the demands for fully representatives and democratically elected regional assemblies in the Jammu and Ladakh regions of the state.

6. The armies and paramilitary forces of India and Pakistan that entered Kashmir in 1947 under the pretext of ‘protecting’ Kashmiris have committed atrocities against the citizens of Kashmir state and are clearly seen as occupying forces by a growing number of Kashmiris in all parts of the state. The Alliance believes that for bringing peace and building democratic and civil politics in the state, the armed and military forces of India and Pakistan should immediately be removed from the populated areas and gradually completely withdrawn from the state as per their pledges in the United Nations.

7. All Political prisoners should be released from all parts of the state including, M Afzal Guru, Baba Jan and the mortal remains of Maqbool Bhatt

8. All administrative and infrastructural hindrances for the trade and movement across the ‘division line’ must be removed and all natural routes connecting different regions of the state be reopened and rebuilt including Jammu Mirpur, Ladakh-Baltistan and Gilgit-Baltistan-‘Azad’ Kashmir.

9. State Subjcet should be issued in card form for all the state subjects for travelling across the state.

10. The struggle in Kashmir and amongst diaspora is not against the people of India-Pakistan or any religion or nation. It is for the emancipation and independence from the forced occupation of Kashmir state of the armed, political and civil occupation of India and Pakistan.

11. The Alliance strongly and firmly believes that the struggle for the independence of Kashmir is directly linked with the struggle of the millions of Indian and Pakistani people for freedom from poverty and underdevelopment. The occupation of Kashmir costs India and Pakistan bulk of their national budgets which they spend on the weapons of mass destruction which leaves little for ‘mass construction’.

12. The Alliance believes that the struggle in Kashmir from its inception in modern popular form in 1930s has primarily been for democracy with Kashmiriyat (coexistence, pluralism) at the core of its political philosophy. Hence it has a direct link with and must be championed by the democratic forces around the world including those in India and Pakistan.

13. The alliance would continue its support for the campaign for the recognition of Kashmiri identity of Diaspora communities in their countries of settlement.
The Alliance recognises, appreciates and willing to work with each and every individual, group, organisation or political party striving for a united independent Kashmir or for the unfettered right of self-determination for all the state subjects;
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British and European Kashmiri Diaspora link up to grow the independent Alliance

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