By Zia Rahman Zia

Before 1947, there were about 580 states in united India, these states were under kings and were called independent states. When the time came for the partition of India, it was decided that the independent states would have the right to decide at their own will with which country they wanted to join. That is, whether they want to join Pakistan or India, it was left to their choice. Most of the states made the decisions of their kings according to the will of their people but there were few states where the situation was opposite like Hyderabad Deccan, Junagadh and Kashmir. In Hyderabad Deccan and Junagadh, the majority were Hindus, but their rulers were Muslims who decided to join Pakistan, but India entered its forces there and occupied these states, but the situation in Kashmir was that the King was Hindu, but the majority of the population was Muslim, so the people wanted to join Pakistan, but since the Raja was a Hindu, he joined Kashmir with India on the signals of India and the British. But the Muslims of Kashmir rose up against this decision and together with the Mujahideen occupied a large area of Kashmir, but when India saw the situation deteriorating, it immediately reached the United Nations and appealed for a ceasefire. The United Nations has decided that Kashmir will be given the right to self-determination, that they will decide of their own free will which state they want to join. If the people decide to accede to India, they will be happily included in India and if they want to stay with Pakistan, they can stay with Pakistan of their own free will.

On January 5, 1949, the United Nations passed a resolution that Kashmiris would have the right to self-determination and would be given the right to decide their own future through referendum. India also accepted this decision on the condition of ceasefire, but later India turned away and, ignoring all UN resolutions, deployed more troops in Kashmir and took over the state completely. India occupied Kashmir despite the UN resolutions and the opposition of the whole world and gradually started to establish its government there. Hold elections there and start making puppet governments. The Kashmiri people are protesting against these actions of India, but India does not care about it, it martyrs the protesting Muslims and their houses are demolished.

All countries recognize that India's occupation of Kashmir is illegal and India has no right over Kashmir. If seen, Kashmir has a long border with Pakistan, while its border with India is very short. If we look at religion, then Pakistan is an Islamic country and the majority of Kashmir is also Muslim and if we look at public sentiments, the majority of the people want to join Pakistan, they protest in front of the Indian soldiers by raising the Pakistani flag, burying their martyrs in the Pakistani flag, shouting slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad”. This shows that the sentiments of Kashmiris reflect their desire to join Pakistan. Kashmiris want to live with Pakistan and are not ready to accept Indian occupation in any way.

India tried to mislead the Kashmiris in many ways so that they somehow agree to join India, sometimes development works are announced there, sometimes they try to intimidate them, but the history of intimidation is very long. This is very tragic but till date Kashmiris have not agreed to recognize the occupation of India and they always express their desire to join Pakistan. Although there are a few Kashmiris who want an independent Kashmiri state but the majority want to join Pakistan. If Kashmiris want to be independent state it is their right. In this way, at least they will be freed from the illegitimate and cruel rule of India and the Muslims who are being martyred in Kashmir day by day will be freed from India.

It is the responsibility of the United Nations and all the member states to give their right to the Kashmiris as per the resolutions of the United Nations and to hold a referendum in Kashmir to determine which state they want to live with. Neither India nor Pakistan should be heard, but a decision should be made in favor of the Kashmiris as to whether they want to join India or stay with Pakistan. It is the fundamental right of Kashmiris that according to the United Nations resolution of January 5, 1949, which India itself has recognized, to give the right of referendum to Kashmiris. This is the only way to solve the Kashmir problem through which the Kashmir problem can be solved peacefully.