Liberty is a prized gift to human being on planet earth. Some of us
have inherited freedom by birth, and some of us have struggled hard to get it.
But, freedom doesn’t mean one go wild, get drunk, dance with weapons or kill
people in the streets, as many of us have dogmatized the phenomena in
contemporary era. The real concern is
not that one is enslaved with iron fists, but that one accepts and celebrates
the marvels of a freedom wrapped in slavery.
It has never happened to any nation that had overpowered a powerful
army with scarce resources, agonized with hunger and harsh weather, only to get
liberty. But, ironically it has also
never happened in any nation’s history, neither has any nation committed such
reckless mistake: Fighting a victorious war against the Dogras to get the
throne of liberty and then requesting the browns from plain to come and rein
them.
Gilgit-Baltistan can be best called a “DEMESNE” (which means a
possession of real property in one’s own right), rather than a province, a
state, a country, a kingdom or anything else. The word is self-explanatory if
we come out of our cocoons and think rationally, for a while.
You may have listened about movements of separation from states and
countries; we have hundreds of examples, even the great divide of the
subcontinent is not so old. But, it is astounding that there are movements of
affiliation, which in my view is a rare case. The affiliation of
Gilgit-Baltistan with Pakistan is one of a kind, which has been proved to be an
identity disorder for the people of the area.
Undoubtedly the contributions and sacrifices of our independence heroes
are incredible, inimitable and unforgettable. However, the so called
independence has left people of the area adrift and with some broken
identities.
The question is: “Who really benefited from the so-called freedom?”
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| Didar Ali Jaffrey |
Are they locals of the area, who still consider themselves a flock of
forced patriot or the dishonest bureaucrats, mindless politicians, the holy
militia or some faithless religious bigots who have turned this beautiful land
into complete dungeon.
The land of Gilgit-Baltistan is blessed with immense natural resources,
which are enough for a landlocked state to run a smooth setup, yet none from
the plains is ready to realize its importance and listen to the grievances of
its people, not even the so-called human rights activists and commentators.
A completely insane person would expect loyalty from the imported high
officials who are instinctively unfaithful to this land, the shady militia that
has used the setup as money making machine, the preposterous political system
that continues to remain connected back to Islamabad to decide the fate of GB
and the religious extremists who have remained on payroll of their masterminds
from the plains to instill terrorism and uproar on our peaceful land.
So, what steps are needed to be taken to get GB liberated from the
shackles of slavery?
Giving Gilgit-Baltistan a complete provincial setup and right of
decision making and political representation in the national assembly will help
building trust and also support leaders of the area to take decisions
considering ground realities. It has lots of hurdles in its way to materialize;
including the issue of Kashmir and the UN resolution, yet when the people of GB
can get their land liberated from the Dogras then struggling to get their own
identity is not a distant dream. It should not be a political or media stunt to
make some mouth shut, rather needs very serious consideration to bring people
of the area in national loop.
Sadly, facts on the ground are even sourer and harsher than before; one
can hear dogs barking on Pakistani media against GB, saying Pakistan has four
provinces, brushing aside the mountain people. Not only this, if you go through
books and websites stating geography of Pakistan, you will see that
Gilgit-Baltistan is demarcated in same color along Kashmir and rest of Pakistan
in another.
Majority of the unidirectional literates of Pakistan still consider
Gilgit-Baltistan a disputed territory along Kashmir, which I consider a big
curse since people of the area continue to hate the conspiracy aimed to
amalgamate their identity with that of Kashmir.
Declaring Gilgit-Baltistan a “Tourist Free Zone” and boosting tourism
related activities in the area will help sustain the region’s economy, improve
quality of life and perk up developmental work in the area. It is a high time
to take such initiatives for better future, peace and prosperity of the region
and to overcome the rising extremism. Developing the agriculture sector of GB
besides facilitating farmers of the area to national and international markets
will help a major segment of the population to earn their livelihood in a
respectful manner.
Guns have never been a solution to extremism, but education has played
pivotal role to bring aimless youth into the social loop; therefore,
strengthening the educational institution of GB will lead to development,
prosperity, and peace. If the situation remains as it is now, then I fear
people of the area are doomed.
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