Pak not fit to hold J&K; Who's scared of a referendum?
With Pakistan already caught in the loop of its very own issues, the thought of giving up Kashmir to Pakistan that is already plagued by terrorism and its own developmental issues is not a feasible solution to the burning issue. The prevalence of terror outfits that are operating and the fresh ones born in the land is not helping matters either. Pakistan recently facing a lot of flak from its all-weather friend USA is also a dark blot for the neighbouring country that is riddled with multi-various issues.
What
is
referendum?
According
to
Wikipedia,
the
word
referendum
is
also
called
a
plebiscite
or
a
ballot
question
where
a
direct
vote
in
which
an
entire
electorate
is
asked
to
either
accept
or
reject
a
particular
proposal.
This
may
result
in
the
adoption
of
a
new
constitution,
a
constitutional
amendment,
a
law,
the
recall
of
an
elected
official
or
simply
a
specific
government
policy.
It
is
a
form
of
direct
democracy.
Why
was
Bhushan
attacked?
Bhushan's
comments
that
sought
a
referendum
to
ascertain
the
will
of
the
Kashmiri
citizens
irked
people
across
the
spectrum.
Bhushan
had
reportedly
told
certain
media
persons
that
Kashmiri
people
should
be
given
'azadi'
if
they
don't
want
to
live
with
India
and
also
recommended
the
withdrawal
of
Indian
army
from
Kashmir.
[Watch
video
of
Bhushan
being
attacked]
Why
is
referendum
not
a
great
idea?
Referendum
could
emerge
as
a
bad
idea
in
the
present
scenario
considering
the
religious
fabric
that
make
up
the
Kashmiri
citizens.
The
plebiscite
will
also
give
out
a
black
and
white
solution
to
the
problem
which
could
be
beneficial
to
one
group
and
hurt
the
other
inadvertently.
With
Jammu
and
Kashmir
enjoying
special
status,
it
is
high
time
that
the
issue
gets
resolved.
The other issue is that the occupants of Pakistan occupied Kashmir should also be part of a referendum, if it is carried out. The PoK area is inhabited by primarily a Muslim population and the rules of the land do not have any value to them. So without the complete participation of the whole population of the region, the issue of plebiscite becomes a fruitless exercise.
With Pakistan emerging as the bad eye-sore in the fight against terror, the perceived friend US is also having a tough time curbing the terror activities stemming out of Pakistan. The relationship fell to an all-time low when al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pak soil a few months back.
The only way peace could come back to the valley is by empowering the Kashmiri people and bring more development in the region and generate more employment opportunities for the frustrated youth there. These should all be facilitated by none other than India itself. The youth in the region are so frustrated that they become easy prey to the quick lure of terrorism that promises arms and money.
But it is high time that the politicians and other decision makers in the country come together and talk things out to resolve the burning issue. Kashmir should once again be called 'Valley of Flowers' rather than the 'Valley of Terrorism'.
OneIndia News