Reading Abul A’la Maududi on Kashmir

By: Umar Bashir

Jama’at-e-Islami founder, Maulana Abul Ala Maududi

Kashmir, a state locked between three armed nuclear powers, is considered to be one of most complex issues in the world, with no immediate possible solution acceptable to the warring parties. But, after reading Moulana Moududi’s Mas’alai Kashmir Aur Us Ka Hal (Kashmir Issue and its Solution), one can quite easily conclude that Kashmir problem is not an Imbroglio but rather an occupation and Kashmir remains unsettled only due to Arrogant, hypocritical and expansionist policies of India.

The booklet Mas’alai Kashmir Aur Us Ka Hal, is essentially a collection of various essays, lectures and discussions of Moulana Moududi (r.a), one of the most prominent and influential Muslim Scholars of 20th century CE.

The booklet provides a concise but comprehensive outline of Kashmir Issue, its history and possible solutions in lucid, erudite and unambiguous manner. The booklet also highlights India’s deceitful role in the genesis of Kashmir dispute, and this in fact is the main theme of the booklet.

Though compiled in 1988, the booklet may seem outdated but surprisingly is very relevant even today and is In fact important in respect that its narrative is free from propaganda and intricacies that were deliberately attached to Kashmir Issue by ‘Hijackers of History’ to confuse the masses.

The author while exposing the role of British colonial empire, in the genesis of Kashmir Issue, writes that it enslaved Kashmir by executing the ‘Treaty of Amritsar in 1846’ by virtue of which it sold a complete nation dominated by Muslims, for few lac rupees to a non-native Hindu Dogra king, who had no legal and moral authority to rule over the land he had bought. And again when the whole Sub-continent was seeing the dawn of freedom after centuries of colonial rule, it cunningly helped India to occupy Kashmir under the farce of Maharaja’s Instrument of Accession (IOA) in favour of India. According to the author, Treaty of Amritsar and IOA were Dual British colonial permits of slavery for Kashmir, and thus British dishonest role in the genesis of Kashmir Issue should not be forgotten.

Simplifying the complex Kashmir problem, the author writes that the genesis of the problem lies in the partition of the sub-continent and its solution lies in the same historical perspective.

The author introduces Kashmir Issue in the following historical perspective:

During the partition of Indian sub-continent, Kashmir, according to the principle of partition was bound to accede to Pakistan, but, India, a more powerful nation with the help of Britain forcefully snatched (occupied) Kashmir through the farce of IOA from a weak newly-born Pakistan. It was only on the basis of military muscle that India seized Kashmir which otherwise had geographical, religious, political, historical proximity with NWFP and Muslim dominated Punjab (both in Pakistan).

Highlighting the illegitimacy of IOA in the chapter titled “Initiatives to solve Kashmir and India’s shameless Kashmir policy”, the author writes that Instrument of Accession (IOA) was signed by a fleeing powerless Dogra ruler who was facing a mass resistance movement from local population since 1931, and had been already dethroned by the very population by October 1947 and hence his IOA was illegal and unacceptable to the local population. He writes that even IOA was a provisional arrangement wherein it was stated that after normalcy, Kashmir ought to be settled with reference to the local population.

But, India had seized Kashmir with an intention of occupation and used all political tricks to prolong it. When UN and the world at large questioned IOA, India, to disguise the world, accepted to settle the issue with reference to the people through an impartial Plebiscite. But, India purposefully never full-filled the pre-requisites for Plebiscite, instead, it consolidated its occupation on Kashmir. After 1965 war, when the world was busy with the ongoing Cold War, India, backed by Russia, succeeded in portraying Kashmir as a bilateral issue between India & Pakistan. After 1971 war, with Pakistan licking the wounds of defeat, India through yet another flip introduced its “Atoot-Ang” theory and continues the same till date. India twists and twirls its Kashmir policy (lies) to consolidate and legitimise its “Kashmir occupation” on one hand and fool the international community on the other hand. The booklet makes it very evident that the Indian rule in Kashmir is illegitimate and its policy on Kashmir is based on lies, propaganda, deceit and dishonesty.

After unveiling India’s hegemonic role in Kashmir dispute, the author further writes that since India rejects every initiative to settle Kashmir through peaceful means like dialogue, compromise or third-party mediation, it rather tunes them for its benefits. Therefore, Military might and struggle, is the only way Kashmir can be liberated from India.

Though there is  a scope of disagreement with the author regarding the solution of Kashmir Issue, but his unambiguous introduction of the genesis of Kashmir Issue and India’s cunning role in its creation leaves no scope of disagreement with the fact that Kashmir is lingering and suffering only due to India’s occupational mindset and policies.

The booklet also succeeds in exposing the hoax of democratic India which according to author is in certainly a Hindu Fundamentalist State disguised in a secular mold and is deliberately on course of confrontation with Pakistan and against its own Muslim minority to fulfill its 1000-year-old dream of a “Hindu Rashtra” and Muslims are the only bottleneck in path of this Brahmin colonial project.

The booklet is overall an interesting and refreshing read; particularly, the clarity in its narrative in enjoyable, recommended to everybody anxious to understand Kashmir Issue in its historical perspective.

Ideas expressed in this article are authors’ own and do not represent that of the organisation.

The post Reading Abul A’la Maududi on Kashmir appeared first on Kashmir Life.

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