Monday, October 31, 2005

Time for Kashmiri Muslims to wake up

What does it say about a Kashmiri militant outfit attacking India just after an earthquake hits Kashmir, when India is busy aiding those earthquake victims? What does it say when a terrorist outfit supposedly fighting on behalf of Kashmiris attacks a country that is trying to alleviate the suffering of those very same Kashmiris in their time of need? It means that all these outfits that claim to represent Kashmiri Muslims do not really do so. And they are not really concerned in any way about the plight of the average person in Kashmir. Kashmiri citizens need to recognize this. They need to recognize that these terrorist outfits need to be ostracized, not supported. And Kashmiris need to speak out against the immoral, callous people who are putting their lives into peril by supporting terrorist attacks when the thing they need the most right now, is relief aid from a trusting neighbour. Which country in it's right mind would continue it's relief efforts, when the people those relief efforts are targetted at turn out to be sympathetic towards terror attacks in that country?

But hopefully, this will be the turning point in the Kashmir issue. Maybe this is the time when Kashmiris, who right now, can see the Indian army helping them rebuild their lives, will begin to see terrorism for what it is, and renounce it altogether.

I also believe the Indian government needs to stop making financial contributions to the Pakistani government for earthquake relief efforts. I simply do not trust the Pakistani government not to misuse this money and channel it towards terrorist operations against India. In fact, it would be irresponsible and treasonous on the part of the Indian government to donate this money to Pakistan, with no strings attached, which they know could quite easily find itself in the hands of terrorist organizations. Instead, Indians, if they so desire, should contribute to international earthquake aid organizations who might be more scrupulous in their transactions than the Pakistani government.

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