Aam Aadmi Party and the Kashmir Issue - An In-depth study

In the whole great Incredible, Diverse India, what is so special about Kashmir that made an emperor say the famous lines…If there is Heaven on earth, it is here…I could not experience firsthand, sadly, because the heaven had been trampled upon by terrible forces.

My first visit to Kashmir in May2013 surpassed all my expectations. But it did not come easy. Violent protests were on. Hotel bookings could not be finalised because of uncertainty. I am so glad that we did not cancel the tickets! I  promised my children that we would come back to this very place, in May2015. 

I pray that next time, I won't have to worry about cancelling my tickets. I will return to a peaceful and happier place that is rightly called a heaven.

So when Kashmir started being discussed on twitter, for comments made by a leader of the new Political party on the scene, It made me do some research and go deeper. And a Pandora’s box opened before my eyes! What prompted me to go deeper was one image on twitter, showing a separatist party’s workers supporting Aam Aadmi Party campaign.

Putting my research in a logical sequence made everything crystal-clear. I have taken care that the content presented here is based on Facts. As credible as a real Aam Aadmi’s limited sources of information allow. That is, news, pdf documents and rarely views. (Even slightly Subjective links, or my comments, if any, are put in italics, included sparingly to allow a smooth flow of narrative)

The Sequence of Events that points to the Connection between the rise of AAP , the Separatist movement in Kashmir and The soft foreign policy of UPA government, which concedes to the vision of USA for South Asia

( Note: If any link provided in this article is not working, see the Annexure, dated January26, 2014 for screen shots and for more updates)

Map of India as it appears on US Government website

USA vision of South Asia favours resolution of conflict and not just “Management of Conflict”, as approached by India. (Not scope of this article to go deeper in this)

There is also such mention in Ford foundation sponsored NGO’s Annual Report – 
Stiching PANOS South Asia
(Search the document with keyword 'Kashmir') 

Ford Foundation's approach towards issues in India is explained in much detail in this blog, including it's connection with the Indian activists.

Was UPA conducive to this vision? According to this article in Kashmir herald, "PM  ManmohanSingh's dream for South Asia region...Congress seems to have agreed in ‘principle’ to the out-of-the-box Kashmir solution"

The idea by Sajad Lone (Son of Shaheed-e-Hurriyat Abdul Gani Lone) is proposed in detail in this e-book

 Idea of Sovereignty for Kashmir: Achievable Nationhood

 India, Pak agreed on Self-governance for Kashmir: Kasuri ( Full NDTV video- 18 minutes)

India and Pakistan very close to solving the Kashmir dispute and the draft agreement had the backing of Pakistan's present Army Chief General Kiyani. This was the revelation made by Pakistan's former foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri on NDTV. It also finds mention in Wikileaks.

See the most important part in this video (3.24 minutes)

 

Is this approach questioned by Honourable Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Shri Arun Jaitley?
He writes in his blog, after PM’s press-conference   

The Most Important Sentence in the Prime Minister’s Press Conference

“A media person asked the Prime Minister  a question  on his  Pakistan initiatives.  The Prime Minister revealed for the first time that secret envoys from India and Pakistan had almost arrived at a meeting to resolve the conflict on Kashmir. When  a break through appeared ‘in sight’,  General Pervez Musharraf had to make way for other leaders  and the agreement got blocked.  A few years ago when President Musharraf  was living in exile in London he had given a similar indication .

What was this possible resolution on Kashmir ?  The people of India  are entitled to know an answer to this question."

·     Jihad and Dialog - Can't RunParallel This link makes many startling Revelations about India's foreign policy – Pakistan - USA connection, which we may not be able to read in publications with nation-wide presence.

·        PM ManMohanSingh’s approach on foreign policy is also heavily criticised within Kashmir, in very strong words. PM ManmohanSingh's Faulty Pakistan Policy- This link from Kashmir Herald mentions that Pakistan’s weapons and delivery system are India-specific. 

      Any political party in India obviously can not support this view. To quote Shri Arun Jaitley again, “The stated position of India has been very clear.  Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India.  In 1994 the Indian Parliament had passed a unanimous resolution asserting  that POK  was an integral part of India’s territory.  India firmly believes  that no third party intervention in Kashmir is permissible.  Pakistan has an unfinished agenda on Kashmir.  It has not reconciled to Kashmir being integral to India’s sovereignty. It has used warfare and terrorism  to achieve this end. India firmly believes that the age and era  of re-drawing boundaries is over. India’s negotiating space on territory in the context of Kashmir resolution is negligible.” 

      A manipulative Proxy is found in Arvind Kejriwal, who was closely associated with drafting of RTI Act with National Advisory Committee. He has never denied that his transfer was stopped on the request of Smt. Sonia Gandhi. ( Not going deeper to keep the narrative short, and to not divert from the main point)

·         Rahul Kanwal’s article on India Today where he questions whether AAP is another front of Congress.

 

Arvind Kejriwal’s ambitious approach but flickering commitment on various issues, shows that Anti-Corruption issue is just a façade, and only being used as steps to rise higher by gaining popular support by exploiting sentiments of people .

See links below:

• Kejriwal's lies exposed by Rajat Sharma. Must see how  he struggles to answer questions on the credibility of AAP candidates, involved in alleged crimes. For him, "Internal Inquiries" are Good enough for ensuring credibility. 

• This blog presents a detailed study on the phenomenon AAP and Arvind Kejriwal as a person, over a period of many years.

• Real face of Arvind Kejriwal : a video presentation 

• This purely fact-based blog, at the time of writing had chronicled just first 3 days of AAP in Delhi government, and already showed at least 4 issues on which there is evidence of the flippant manners of the party and its leaders. 

This presentation sums up the Mis-Governance, insincerity  and Anarchist approach of AAP

•  If AAP is fearless and is with common man of India, why does this incident occur, where the family of the child whose ball hit an AAP laeder’s car has to live in fear. 

• ‘India Against Corrupion’ funds misused for political ambitions. 

Read this long but very important analysis by India’s security expert Col. RSN singh.
Team members Manish Sisodia, Prashant Bhushan, as well as Arvind Kejriwal himself support separatist views. 

AAP has also received funds from Pakistan. 

Separatists see ray of hope in AAP as it makes a mark on Delhi politics, as indicated by these links. 

• Appeared in Greater Kashmir: No one will argue that Kashmiris must stop wanting clean Government as it distracts from the separatist movement  
• Also in Greater Kashmir:  Shouldn’t separatist leaders have an escape route, in the event India and Pakistan reconcile? AAP comes as breath of fresh air. 
• Another news in Greater Kashmir: Sajad Lone (Son of Shaheed-e-Hurriyat Abdul Gani Lone) and Author of “Achievable Nationhood” Sees hope in AAP  
• Same news in a newspaper with nation-wide circulation- The Indian Express.

 But these are the views of Separatists within Kashmir. What is Pakistan's official view?

If Prashant Bhushan's views about Referendum  in Kashmir were his personal views, how does according to official media channel of Pakistan, their Government representatives are supporting AAP's demands?

Radio Pakistan: Pakistan has urged India to listen to Aam Aadmi Party's demand about plebiscite in Kashmir

When asked about Arvind Kejriwal’s views on Pakistan, he evades the query and insists coming back to the point of Delhi elections. When the TV anchor insists on his questions about topics of National Importance, he leaves the studio. Watch the video

Connection with the Ford Foundation and why it is a cause of Concern

Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal’s NGO Kabir received funds from Ford Foundation. 
Why the need to hide if motives were good?

Ford foundation's views on Kashmir, as indicated by the study on Kashmir issue, which was funded by Ford Foundation, and the Organisation  that it sponsors are obvious. Ford foundation's project PANOS South Asia's involvement in Kashmir is mostly India-Pak 'Conflict Resolution' as you can find by opening it's annual report linked above, and run a search with the word "Kashmir".

Kejriwal's Close Aide Manish (Sisodia?)  arranged a  meeting of Rashid of Awami Ittihad with Arvind Kejriwal before entering electoral politics in Delhi.

Who is Abdul Rashid? (Origin of AIP)

President of Awami Ittehad party and MLA Langate, Abdul Rashid, a supporter of Afzal Guru, said at the time of inception of his party, that they will try best to give Kashmiris what ‘Hind Nawaz’ (PDP, NC, Cong, others) and ‘Hurriyat Nawaz’ (separatists) have failed at. “Our party will bring revolution and change the political map of Kashmir…We will also fight against human rights violations and demand revocation of Public Safety Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act…”

In this Kashmir Reporter news, Abdul Rashid claimed that Arvind Kejriwal got inspiration from him. He also said, “The change which started in Kashmir has reached New Delhi. I hope it will influence the attitude of politicians there and be beneficial for Kashmir. When I met Kejriwal, we discussed various issues and I told him to raise the voice for Kashmir.”

Now, we appreciate if someone argues that Abdul Rashid may not be a significant entity in Kashmir. But, the intention and ideology of AAP stands exposed by these news. And come to think of it, who would have predicted a year back that Arvind Kejriwal can be a Chief Minister?

After much drama, Arvind Kejriwal became Delhi CM, with support from the Congress. Since then they have been flipping over on various issues.

Anti-corruption pages from AAP website deleted, 
thus raising doubts on their main agenda of fighting corruption .

Arvind Kejriwal’s controversial Gaziabad speech about national issues, the text of which I couldn’t find, and petition against which is dismissed and later withdrawn, but which was questioned by Dr Harshvardhan recently, points to their true ideology.  

Prashant Bhushan’s Kashmir views are well known, and are reconfirmed by his recent statement on referendum.

Awaami Ittihad Party Leader Abdul Rashid said he could consider Pre-poll alliance if AAP views on Kashmir matches their views, of seeing Kashmir as disputed territory. They were to meet soon in Delhi, as per news in Kashmir newspapers, published on January 1, 2014. Were Prashant Bhushan comments in sync with the conditions put up by Awaami Ittehad for a handshake?

This is based on the following news links.

• In Greater Kashmir: AIP will ally with any party that accepts Kashmir as disputed
  

• In Kashmir Life: AIP mulling to join AAP. Rashid to meet Kejriwal in New Delhi
  

• In Kashmir Dispatch: AIP merger with AAP 
  

There is no reply on my queries on twitter about Awaami Ittihad from Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas, Mayank Gandhi or even Meera Sanyal ( Sorry to say). Not even a simple ‘No Comments’ reply or even re-assuring “Don’t worry, it is not AAP stand” denial. Also, the image that I mentioned at the beginning, the one with AAP Campaign, with Abdul Rashid’s name on AAP banner, as my prompt for deeper search, has since been seemingly deleted from twitter as well as from the internet. Are they hiding something? What happened off-the-records? 

Despite Arvind Kejrival and associates' non-committal approach on issues of National Importance, AAP clearly has ambitions for making a mark in National Politics. Initial refusal by Arvind Kejriwal to contest Lok Sabha election may turn out to be a drama, as usual. In fact, in just 2-3 days, we see news like these:

• Times of India news: Arvind Kejriwal asked to rethink refusal to fight Lok Sabha polls
• Economic Times news:  AAP keen to project Arvind Kejriwal as PM candidate. 

Possible Conclusion: 

All this, appears to be an agenda to put hurdles in path of Narendra Modi led BJP (Link to Mani Shankar Aiyar's statement).  It can help UPA3 composed of Congress with AAP and other allies, present and new, to clear Kashmir issue in compliance with USA’s views on South Asia, for short term gains. It will also help to cover-up many Congress scams forever if they are able to maintain power.

I share this here, as I strongly feel the responsibility to do so, as an aware citizen of India. I will hit the ‘Publish’ button on this blog in a few minutes now, with a prayer that the dangerous design, that is apparent from the above information, does not play out in reality.

Vote for a Better India!

May the Truth prevail...

।।कृष्णार्पणम्।।