Lifting the veil of ignorance
M. R. Dua
More than 71
years ago, the
princely state
of Jammu and
K a s h m i r
o f f i c i a l l y
acceded to India. But, as this
book tells us, a significant
chunk of this state, Gilgit-
Baltistan, was stealthily and
treacherously ‘stolen’ from
India. It was handed over to
Pakistan by ganging up by
Pakistani invaders with two
British army officers then in
charge of administering this
territory, Major W.A.
Brown
and Cap A.S. Matheson.
Though this strategically
crucial north-western region
was an integral part of J and K,
nearly six times bigger than
the already-illegally occupied
area called POK – Pakistan-
Occupied Kashmir. But,
regrettably, precious little has
been done by India to assert
its claim on that ‘lost’ territory.
In this book, author Alok
Bansal ‘attempts to lift the veil
of ignorance about this region
and makes it a part of national
strategic dialogue.’
Therefore, to attract
national concern to this
critically eminent issue is
imperative, opines the author.
The Pakistan government has
recently been stridently
endeavouring to tighten its
grip on this area on which it
has no legal and constitutional
right.
In 2009 and 20018,
(appendices A&B), the
Islamabad authorities enacted two ‘legislative, executive and
judicial orders (that Pakistan
brands ‘reforms’) for granting
self-governance to the people
of Gilgit-Baltistan. Various
political and civil offices have
been created but all these are
manned by personnel chosen,
nominated and identified by
the government in Islamabad;
local people will have
niggardly, zero voice in
selecting or appointing them.
Virtually, it’ll be the
Pakistani president and prime
minister who’ll rule the
territory whose unqualified,
unquestioned diktats only will
prevail ultimately. Apparently,
there’ll hardly be an iota of
justice in the whole system for
the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB)
populace that consists of
highly diverse, multi-cultural
and multi-faith people, and
little protection for the
minorities.
Alok Bansal
Meanwhile, both these
‘orders’ are aimed, as the texts
say, at ‘providing for greater
empowerment so as to bring
GB at par with Pakistan’s other
(four) provinces and to initiate
necessary legislative,
executive and judicial
reforms.’ But, as the author
underlines, the people have
outright rejected these
‘orders.’ However, the brute
Pakistani regime continues
pouring atrocities on the
beleaguered Baltis;
particularly because the Shia
sect forms a majority in the
region. In addition, both
‘orders’ promise all kinds of rights to the people, but in
reality, these are all talk and
no substance whatsoever,
asserts the author.
The book provides
abundant evidence to the
prodigious injustices being
inflicted on the extremely
impoverished people of
Gilgit-Baltistan.
It’s also ably supported by
authoritative documents
quoted from diverse
sources in making a strong
case for urgent action to
rid people of the atrocities
being bombarded on
them. The book, however,
leaves the reader
somewhat perplexed and
unconvinced as to what
role could and should India
play in this regard except
that India could muster
and mount a global appeal
to the UN to take urgent
measures to end these
inflictions.
A large majority of the Baltis
earnestly yearn to return to
the Indian state of J&K.
Besides, it’s a pity that despite
the fact that the UN has
passed a resolution asking
Pakistan to vacate this
territory, it has doggedly
refused to abide by the
international body’s plea.
It’s
of special concern to India as
GB is branded as the ‘crown of
India’s map’, but it’s fast
becoming a monstrous hub of
the so-called ‘reforms’
because the Chinesesponsored
$56-billion CPEC
(China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor) passes through this
area, and thus the ‘success of
the CPEC’s creation and
existence will depend on
tranquillity in the region.’
However, ironically, as this
book highlights, the region is a
hot-bed of turbulence and
unceasing tumult because the
people of the territory are
being continuously meted out
worst human rights violations.
There are killings, murders
and abductions galore in the
region. As the author points
out, the main ‘cause of
violence in Gilgit and
surrounding areas is the
simmering discontent...due to
the absence of any genuine
democratic and constitutional
mechanism to resolve their
problems.’ Though people
suffer from worst inhuman
discriminations, relentless
deprivations, extreme poverty,
illiteracy (male 85 per cent,
female 3.5 per cent); continual
scarcity of essential articles
bedevil the masses. No
alternatives for redressal of
their grievances are available for the Baltis. Even Islamabad
is extremely negligent, biased
and indifferent to their plight.
As the ruthless Islamabad
rule continues unabated,
unhindered violations of
Baltis’ basic human rights is a
matter of the UN body
responsible to look after and
help take solid and concrete
steps to curb the Pakistani
regime’s nefarious activities
and provide succour to the
people.
The book provides abundant
evidence to the prodigious
injustices being inflicted on
the extremely impoverished
people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
It’s also ably supported by
authoritative documents
quoted from diverse sources
in making a strong case for
urgent action to rid people of
the atrocities being
bombarded on them. But the
book leaves the reader
somewhat perplexed and
unconvinced as to what role
could and should India play in
this regard except that India
could muster and mount a
global appeal to the UN to
take urgent measures to end
these inflictions.
Meanwhile, it’s particularly
noticeable that though the
book’s text runs into just 137
pages, the citations and
appendices cover over 154
pages. The bibliography could
help readers and researchers.
Tight editing of the text and
repetitive references to
Pakistan’s acts of omission
and commission irk the
reader; for that country’s
deliberate and intentional
insouciance, heartlessness
and apathy to the people of
POK and Gilgit-Baltistan is
notorious. Though the book
has high academic merit, its
high price could limit its sale.