Is Pakistan Occupied Kashmir Really Being Vacated?
Any war on any border or in the hinterlands results in extreme sufferings to the general public. The decision to go to a war is taken by the politicians, the Armed Forces carry out the orders, martyrs and widows are created on either side but the overall suffering is to the common man.
PoK, however, has a very peculiar situation to contend with. The ethnic community, the Shias, were never with Pakistan. To quell them and their aspirations, the Pakistani Army has very deliberately followed the policy of ethnic cleansing and a demographic change. It was easier to change the spectrum of population by relocating all the poor citizens from mostly Punjab or certain other areas from within Pakistan.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution had given a strange advantage to the Pakistani men. They could marry a Kashmiri girl and thus attain the status of a naturalised citizen of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had utilised this provision of the 'temporary' provision of the Indian Constitution and had 'infiltrated' thousands of committed cadres within India. These 'Pakistanis' also took full advantage of the freedom of 'across the border' trade and were, therefore, instrumental in bringing in more and more people from the plains of Pak-Punjab for settling in the PoK.
Suddenly, the situation has changed. India has abrogated Article 370/35A from the Indian Constitution, thereby, closing all avenues for increasing the number of Pakistanis entering India or the PoK. Demonetisation had broken the back of the Pakistanis who had settled mostly in the PoK (Or in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir).
The whole world moves in the quest of money and people moved into PoK purely to improve their financial status. The name of Islam used by the Pakistani establishment was a mere ploy and all sects of Islam, especially the Shias inhabiting that area, clearly understood this underlying idea. There was never any love lost between the locals and the outsiders, who had come in from the southern areas.
Today, the situation is changing very quickly. India has openly declared that the pending issue with Pakistan is only the PoK. The Pak PM has repeatedly warned his countrymen that India is quite ready to repeat a Balakot in the PoK (Unwittingly confirming that Balakot did happen......).
The result is glaring. The exodus of outsiders from the PoK has already started. The Punjabis who had relocated here are running back to their original home towns and most other ethnic people, not belonging to the PoK, are winding down their businesses. Situation is developing very fast.
The locals of PoK are happy from within that their exploitation by the outsiders would end soon and they might actually benefit if India does take over their areas, wrongly in Pak possession.
We are in for interesting times. Some Indian sympathisers who were till now living on Pakistani largesse are now a worried lot.
PoK is being vacated and their gravy train will soon come to a grinding halt.
Tailpiece.
Last night's rain continued into the morning and it had just cleared as Padmakumar and Rema had fetched up from Pidavoor to accompany us for Nimisha's wedding. We left at 9, but thanks to heavy traffic on the Kollam - Chenkotta highway, we reached the Anandavalleeswaram temple auditorium by a trifle before half past 10 when the bridegroom, Srikanth was being received by the bride's folks! It was nice meeting up with every relation of Sanil Kumar. The JSS, Kollam was handsomely represented and I had made it a point to meet up with each and everyone of them. A forenoon well spent!!
Nimisha and Srikanth, here's us wishing you a long and happy married life. May you get whatever you wish for!
Any war on any border or in the hinterlands results in extreme sufferings to the general public. The decision to go to a war is taken by the politicians, the Armed Forces carry out the orders, martyrs and widows are created on either side but the overall suffering is to the common man.
PoK, however, has a very peculiar situation to contend with. The ethnic community, the Shias, were never with Pakistan. To quell them and their aspirations, the Pakistani Army has very deliberately followed the policy of ethnic cleansing and a demographic change. It was easier to change the spectrum of population by relocating all the poor citizens from mostly Punjab or certain other areas from within Pakistan.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution had given a strange advantage to the Pakistani men. They could marry a Kashmiri girl and thus attain the status of a naturalised citizen of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had utilised this provision of the 'temporary' provision of the Indian Constitution and had 'infiltrated' thousands of committed cadres within India. These 'Pakistanis' also took full advantage of the freedom of 'across the border' trade and were, therefore, instrumental in bringing in more and more people from the plains of Pak-Punjab for settling in the PoK.
Suddenly, the situation has changed. India has abrogated Article 370/35A from the Indian Constitution, thereby, closing all avenues for increasing the number of Pakistanis entering India or the PoK. Demonetisation had broken the back of the Pakistanis who had settled mostly in the PoK (Or in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir).
The whole world moves in the quest of money and people moved into PoK purely to improve their financial status. The name of Islam used by the Pakistani establishment was a mere ploy and all sects of Islam, especially the Shias inhabiting that area, clearly understood this underlying idea. There was never any love lost between the locals and the outsiders, who had come in from the southern areas.
Today, the situation is changing very quickly. India has openly declared that the pending issue with Pakistan is only the PoK. The Pak PM has repeatedly warned his countrymen that India is quite ready to repeat a Balakot in the PoK (Unwittingly confirming that Balakot did happen......).
The result is glaring. The exodus of outsiders from the PoK has already started. The Punjabis who had relocated here are running back to their original home towns and most other ethnic people, not belonging to the PoK, are winding down their businesses. Situation is developing very fast.
The locals of PoK are happy from within that their exploitation by the outsiders would end soon and they might actually benefit if India does take over their areas, wrongly in Pak possession.
We are in for interesting times. Some Indian sympathisers who were till now living on Pakistani largesse are now a worried lot.
PoK is being vacated and their gravy train will soon come to a grinding halt.
Tailpiece.
Last night's rain continued into the morning and it had just cleared as Padmakumar and Rema had fetched up from Pidavoor to accompany us for Nimisha's wedding. We left at 9, but thanks to heavy traffic on the Kollam - Chenkotta highway, we reached the Anandavalleeswaram temple auditorium by a trifle before half past 10 when the bridegroom, Srikanth was being received by the bride's folks! It was nice meeting up with every relation of Sanil Kumar. The JSS, Kollam was handsomely represented and I had made it a point to meet up with each and everyone of them. A forenoon well spent!!
Nimisha and Srikanth, here's us wishing you a long and happy married life. May you get whatever you wish for!
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