[Courtesy Countercurrents.org]
On Thursdays 12th of November, Indian foreign affairs ministry declared it officially that no stapled visa issued by Chinese Embassy in Delhi will be entertained. Before that, it was only at the international Airport where Kashmiri people who had stapled visa would be informed that they couldn’t board the flight because of having different visa; which does not say anything different from normal visa, exccept, it is not pasted but stapled on the passport.
The issue is not as simple as it seems. Why China started issuing separate visas to Kashmiris now when it has always treated it as disputed region? Though a section of Kashmiri society is jubilant about it, and thus thinks China might be a savior to help Kashmir to get independence. But, if we look into history then that seems a hoax. Though China has never treated Kashmir as part of India but it has always adopted different policies vis-à-vis Kashmir, shaped according to her interest.
During 1950’s China adapted neutral policy, but from 1960’s to 1970’s China towed her position towards Pakistan, because of deteriorating relation between USSR and China. Their relations aggravated first because of the non-support of USSSR to China in 1962 Sino-India war, and later turned worse during the time of Cultural Revolution. So there was no love relation for Pakistan, which made China to modify their stand in favor of her “all weather ally”. As the old saying goes, my enemy’s enemy is my friend. With the shift in China’s overall foreign policy during Deng Xiaoping’s period who unlike his predecessor without any doubt gave more importance to economic reformation than sticking to a political ideology. China tried to build its business relations with different foreign countries including India. With the revival of business linkages with India, China’s stand on Kashmir also changed, it went back to its 50s position – ‘Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan’. Thus it secured its business interests at the same time did maintained its relation with Pakistan.
China continued with its post 1980s policy towards Kashmir issue till this year with little variations now and then. However, it is pertinent to mention here that, China alongside The US pushed Pakistan to withdraw from kargil war in 1999. Why china pushed Pakistan to withdraw from Kargil? Either, it does not want war in their neighborhood and if Kargil war could go worse it might affect China also, or it was something else?
Coming back to visa controversy, where Chinese embassy in India is issuing separate visa to Kashmiri student and businessmen. Some political commentators in Kashmir believe it is good for Kashmir, but if we give it a deep thought, it is the Kashmiri who is on the losing side. There are 23 resolutions pending with the United Nations on Kashmir issue. There is an armed conflict - which is supported by peaceful non-violent resistance movement - going on for the last 20 years. The disputed nature of conflict is being discussed in every important forum. Even political commentators go on to say the road for peace in South Asia goes through Kashmir. But that has turned into rhetoric. So how would stapled visa help to solve Kashmir issue? All it does is, it bars Kashmiri students to get their education in China. Similarly, when whole world is trying to build their business relation with China, Kashmiri business community is the only one who can’t take benefit of it. Unlike Indian business community, who don’t face such restrictions? China has emerged as India’s largest trading partner in 2008, while surpassing United States. Just one decade ago, the bilateral trade between the two Asian giants was $2 Billion, and it has reached $51.8 billion in 2008.
If China was sincere to help Kashmir, they would not only help Kashmiri students to get admission and scholarship in Chinese universities on priority bases, but would also give concession to Kashmiri traders, which would not only help China to connect with kashmiri people, but it will also boost deteriorating kashmiri economy. However, it is doing entirely opposite.
The very jubilance in Kashmir about China is coming is like “aaya aaya Lashkar aaya”. Lashkar is coming, Jaish is coming and now China is coming. These comings neither helped in the past nor they are going to help in the future. It might be of the interest of Indian business community (excluding trigger-happy FCCI people who formed task force of retired army generals and bureaucrats, which proposed to wage war in Pakistan, without knowing consequences of it) to have good relation with Pakistan, if the Kashmir problem is solved. India which is not able to get access to central Asian market will not only get that, but the solution will also help to build a successful South Asian block, which is in a way threat for China. So, if China wants to fulfill its dream to rule the Asia, it is in her benefit to have conflict like Kashmir in South Asia. This argument can be also looked in the context of a recent article titled “If China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up” published by a Chinese writer Zhong Guo Zhan Lue Gang on 8th of August, 2009 which says China should use its forces and take support from countries like Pakistan, Nepal etc to split India. The split of India would only help China to be sole economic power in the region.
Though on the political level, China does not have good relation with India, but it does not want its politics effect its economic cooperation with India. And at the same time it’s getting free hand to do any kind of business in Pakistan. The all weather alley and sweeter than sugar friendship with Pakistan is strategically important for China. In one hand Pakistan recognizes Xinjiang, as part of Chinas territory; on the other hand China is getting access and enormous support in Muslim world because of its friendship with Pakistan. However, it cannot be negated, China has been relatively good with Muslim world compared to many western countries, but it is yet to be seen how long this good-will remains.
Finally it has to be seen from one of my Pakistani friend’s perspective, who says whenever I visit China, if I see two people one is Indian and the other is Chinese, I prefer to talk to Indian, than Chinese. I can relate something to him; we share same culture, language, tradition, food habits. The day Kashmir problem is solved we will have more close relation with India than China. So will it be of the Chinas interest to solve the Kashmir problem, when it sees its competitor India, without having a proper trade relation with south Asia and central Asia and yet chasing him in every direction, and if they get access to this area that can be the threat for China’s market, and that too when USA is going to provide India every kind of support to contain China.
Ghulam Nabi
gkashmiri@gmail.com
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