By Syed Abdul Haq, NY
Of late there has been a spate of articles in Indian papers by authors with names like Dhar, Kaul, Tikoo, Matoo, etc. They have been full of lies, innuendoes and half truths about the Kashmiri Muslims and their freedom struggle. Kashmiri Pundits, commonly called Battas, claim to be the original inhabitants of Kashmir most of whom were converted to Islam by Syed Ali Shah of Hamadan, popularly known as Amir Kabeer in Kashmir about eight hundred years ago..
They have come up with the idea of a ‘Homeland’ for themselves in the Kashmir Valley which would be protected by the occupation army. But the Indian army is so terrified of the Kashmiri Mujahids that they find it quite a task to protect themselves. How could they protect the Pundits’ ‘homeland’?
Quite a few Kashmiri Pundit organizations in the USA and India are trying to get support for this idea. I am surprised. They always wanted to be a part of India. Now that they have moved to various Indian cities of their own choice, by their own volition and got their wishes fulfilled, they want to come back to Kashmir. They can do that, if only they support the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri Muslims from the Indian yoke and condemn Indian atrocities in Kashmir. They cannot eat the cake and have it too.