April 22 Pahalgam terror attack is only one in a series conceived, planned and executed at the behest of Pakistan. As there is once again complete consensus as to what should be India’s response to such attacks, it reminds of the unanimous resolution of the Indian Parliament asking Pakistan to vacate the illegally occupied part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, adopted 31 years ago.
However, the resolution appears to have been long forgotten. Maybe it is not even in the minds of anyone, whether those from the ruling dispensation or the opposition parties. The resolution was unanimously adopted on February 22, 1994, during the Prime Ministership of PV Narasimha Rao, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Leader of Opposition.
Following continuous terrorist attacks and Pakistan’s consistent attempt to raise the Kashmir dispute in international fora, the then ruling party and the opposition, unanimously resolved it together to liberate the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir from the illegal occupation of Pakistan. It continues to be occupied till now.
In fact the resolution was only the reiteration of India's stated position on Kashmir that the only dispute was the illegal occupation of a large part of Kashmir by Pakistan and it needs to vacate from there.
Also read: Agencies release list of 14 local terrorists in J&K
The resolution said, "this House notes with deep concern Pakistan's role in imparting training to the terrorists in camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the supply of weapons and funds, assistance in infiltration of trained militants, including foreign mercenaries into Jammu and Kashmir with the avowed purpose of creating disorder, disharmony and subversion:
The house “reiterates that the militants trained in Pakistan are indulging in murder, loot and other heinous crimes against the people, taking them hostage and creating an atmosphere of terror;
The house “condemns strongly the continued support and encouragement Pakistan is extending to subversive and terrorist activities in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir;
The house “calls upon Pakistan to stop forthwith its support to terrorism, which is in violation of the Shimla Agreement and the internationally accepted norms of inter-State conduct and is the root cause of tension between the two countries reiterates that the Indian political and democratic structures and the Constitution provide for firm guarantees for the promotion and protection of human rights of all its citizens;
The house “regards Pakistan's anti-India campaign of calumny and falsehood as unacceptable and deplorable.
The house “notes with deep concern the highly provocative statements emanating from Pakistan urges Pakistan to refrain from making statements which vitiate the atmosphere and incite public opinion;
The house “expresses regret and concern at the pitiable conditions and violations of human rights and denial of democratic freedoms of the people in those areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan;
The unanimous resolution went on to add, “on behalf of the People of India”, the house “firmly declares that… the State of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means;
“India has the will and capacity to firmly counter all designs against its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity; and demands that -
“Pakistan must vacate the areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which they have occupied through aggression; and resolves that -
“All attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of India will be met resolutely."
More than thirty years have passed since the parliament adopted the unanimous resolution on Jammu and Kashmir. Absolutely nothing has changed since then. If anything has changed, it has changed for the worse. Pakistan and its deep state have got far more emboldened. There have been a series of audacious terror attacks on India including one on the parliament in 2001, the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, Uri terror attack in 2016, Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the recent Pahalgam terror attack, just to mention a few. There have been genocidal massacres of innocent civilians in the Kashmir valley, including Chhittisinghpura, Wandhama, Nadimarg, just to name a few.
Except for the “surgical strikes” in the aftermath of the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks, there has not been any impactful response from any government in India, whether the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Probably the time has come for a strong, firm and impactful action that will have a lasting impact on Pakistan. This goes without saying that the Pakistan “government” (if there is any) has no say in front of its army, which chooses and lets the governments survive at its own discretion and sweet will. But as long as the people of Pakistan do not feel the pinch, they will not revolt against the army like they did in 1971 when they forced the military dictator Yahya Khan to quit in the wake of Bangladesh defeat.
Ruling and opposition parties in India have shown rare unity and unanimity on how to deal with the situation in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Now the country needs to go forward and repeat something like Bangladesh.
Balochistan is already hot. Pakistan in any case has been blaming India for the unrest in that party of the country. Pakistan has already challenged India saying suspension of the Indus Water Treaty will be considered as an “act of war”. So let it be. While Pakistan wants to bleed India with a thousand cuts, let India make the single cut and start from cutting off its “jugular vein” and taking back the occupied parts of Kashmir, which will be absolute legal and legitimate, and follow it up with Balochistan helping people there to get liberated from Pakistan.
The time has come for India to follow up and execute the February 22, 1994 unanimous resolution of the parliament to reclaim what belongs to India, but has been illegally occupied by Pakistan.
Follow us
