Terrorism in Kashmir

* For thousands of years Kashmir was inhabited by Hindus. Kashmir is the holiest of holy adobes of God in prayers chanted for over 6,000 years by generations of Hindus.

The holocaust in Kashmir started in the year 1322, when Islamic terrorist Zulkadar Khan from Turkey invaded and raped and killed thousands of Hindu women and men; under death threat, a large number of Hindus converted to Islam.

When the British left India in 1947, they gave Kashmir the option to remain independent or join India or Pakistan. Kashmir decided to stay independent. In 1948 the Pakistanis attacked, and occupied half of Kashmir. The secular Muslim and Hindu Kashmiris fought the Pakistani army valiantly but were no match. The king of Kashmir signed an accession instrument to join India.

The Indian army and the Kashmir self-defense force stopped the Pakistani butchery and drove them back till they occupied one-third of Kashmir. When the Indian army brigadier general in charge asked permission to take Rawalpindi, Nehru refused, choosing to go to the United Nations.

The U.N. resolution accepted both by India and Pakistan required: 1. a cease-fire; 2. the Pakistani army to vacate the one-third Kashmir they were occupying; 3. after peace had been restored, India to ascertain the will of the people through a vote. After the cease-fire Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) was not vacated.

Starting in 1988, to train, arm and equip terrorists, the Pakistani army and Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) have set up 63 terrorist training camps.

In Kashmir these terrorists gang-raped, tortured and killed Hindu and secular Muslim women. They tortured and killed men. These terrorist acts have caused an exodus of more than 50,000 secular Muslims and their families, and more than 300,000 Hindus and Sikhs, all of whom have become homeless refugees living in tent cities in their own country.

With increased funding from oil-rich Islamic countries, Pakistan and its terrorists are hiring battle-hardened mercenaries from Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya and Iran, with expanded six-week training and sophisticated U.S.-made explosives and high-tech weapons.

The Pakistani-trained and -financed terrorists have machine-gunned thousands of people in parks, markets and railroad stations.

Witnessed by the international media and rights groups, three free elections took place in last eight months in which 82% of the electorate voted decisively for Punjab remaining a part of India. Sustained efforts of Punjab police have broken the back of the terrorist movement and attacks dropped drastically.

A powerful and democratic India is most important for the security of U.S. and other democracies.

JAIDEV P. RAO

Vice President

Friends of India Society International

Reseda