“Relations between India and Pakistan should not be held hostage to the Kashmir issue. The two countries can wait for future generations to resolve the dispute in a mature manner in an atmosphere of trust”, thus spoke Asif Zardari popularly known as Mr.10%. A Kashmiri would like to ask, “Why India and Pakistan have held Kashmiris hostage for last 60 years?” He further said, “The idea is that we feel for Kashmir, the PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) has always felt for Kashmir. We have a strong Kashmir policy. We have always had one”. Mark his words. The feeling is for Kashmir and not Kashmiris. It has been claimed to be jugular vein only because of its strategic location. No body has ever bothered about the well being of Kashmiris. Both sides have been fighting for Kashmir and not for Kashmiris. For 60 long years Kashmiris have been virtually prostituted. They have been wantonly used without any sense of remorse at all, as guinea pigs in a laboratory to test the two theories-The Two Nation Theory and the Secularism. Kashmiris have been very convenient tools for the two sides to settle their scores. After the partition of the sub-continent, India has been considered by the majority of Kashmiris, at least by the Muslims as an enemy from day one. It sided with the Maharaja against whose autocratic rule they had risen. However, for some unknown reasons they trusted blindly Pakistan as their friend and saviour. Unfortunately, they have repeatedly been betrayed and dumped on the roadside. There is wise a saying that a strong enemy is better than a deceptive friend! The betrayal has been from the very start and continuous. In 1947, if Pakistan had not sent the raiders into Kashmir, the situation would have been totally different. May be Kashmir would have become an independent country. Had the rulers on the other side been sincere about Kashmiris, they would have made “Azad” Kashmir a full fledged independent country with some military treaty for its defence. It could have been made a member of United Nations like Bhutan. But they did not do it. Then again they repeated the same story in 1965 but in a more organised fashion. The aim was to capture Kashmir and not give freedom to Kashmiris. Once again they failed. Then in 1971 after losing half of their country, they decided to dump Kashmiris but in a very tactful way. The ceasefire line became the line of actual control, which was probably intended to become a permanent border over a period of time. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto forgot that he had pledged a thousand year war to free Kashmiris. He wanted his prisoners back at any cost. Slowly Kashmiri youth realised that they had to be on their own. A nationalist movement rose for a totally independent Kashmir in 1990. It was Kashmiri nationalism at its peak. Yet again it was hijacked. India did not have to fight the nationalists. They were liquidated one by one, by the other side. Over forty thousand Kashmiris (according to Indian Government figures) lost their lives. Thousands were injured and maimed. Women in hundreds were raped and molested. After letting Kashmiris suffer all these calamities, the rulers on the other side (coming from the elite feudal and tribal families) realised that it was not worth fighting India for Kashmir. They let Kashmiris fend for themselves and offered an escape for India. A four point formula to ensure joint slavery of Kashmiris for future generations. A virtual political polyandry! The betrayal has seen its culmination in the declarations of the would-be rulers (it is still unclear as to who is going to be the ultimate ruler?). A pledge is being given to India for crude and brazen dumping of Kashmiris by the roadside. The worst ever experienced and faced by Kashmiris in last sixty years. Their fate to be decided by the future generations in the sub-continent. Mr.10% may be right in one aspect. His generation on both sides carries the burden and guilt of partition. It may not be able to take an objective decision. If that be so, then it is a welcome statement and a pointer to Kashmiris to be on their own! There has always been a dichotomy between the rulers and the ruled on the other side of the border. The rulers have all the time thought about their own gains, political as well as material. The people have been emotionally attached with the issue. Again these emotions have been channelled by their rulers for settling their own scores rather than helping the suffering and subjugated people. The tragedy of the entire episode is that the so called leaders of the affected people have refused to accept the real truth. They have always looked to outsiders for their salvation. As usual they are again looking for outside intervention and have still not drawn a lesson from the history. One would have thought that the latest episode would have shaken people out of their slumber and made them realise that it is time to rethink and stand on one’s own. It is said that God has not changed the destiny of any people who have not had the urge to change it themselves. Unfortunately, Kashmir’s movements have been commercial enterprises instead of political movements. At present the commercial angle has been perfected on all sides with outside investments. Strangely, the strongest response to the comments of Pakistani leaders about dumping Kashmiris has come from some mainstream leaders than those claiming to represent the aspirations of the Kashmiri people! History gives every nation a chance to redeem itself. If it does so, it comes into the comity of nations. If it fails, it is consigned to the pages of history. Kashmiris are presently standing on the cross roads of history. They have to rethink and rethink fast about their future and that too in a realistic and a practical way. What is the present status? Corruption is in the blood. Morality is at its lowest. Materialism is at the peak. A sizeable number is uprooted from their ancestral moorings and scattered all over the world. Their very identity is threatened. What is the image of a Kashmiris being projected to the world? Firstly, as an Islamic Terrorist bent upon destroying the world. Then as a corrupt, immoral, and an undependable person ready to sell his soul for a few pieces of silver. A motley crowd falling over each other for worldly gains. Is this crowd representative of all Kashmiris or is it a usual fringe seen in all societies? On that depends the fate of Kashmir? One hopes it is the fringe only and the bulk is still uncorrupted but paralysed due to external causes. One may not go by the comments of the leaders from across the border. They are themselves with questionable credibility. Their reputation of mortgaging their country for monetary gains is well documented. They are not known to be righteous and upright. In spite of that, Kashmir’s future looks dark and uncertain unless we rethink and stand for ourselves. Emotions and violence are not going to solve the problem. These will rather compound it by giving others a chance of exploitation. Cool and rational thinking on practical lines with honesty of purpose may help us find a viable solution. Honour, self-respect, and dignity have meaning only when we have the faith in our beliefs and courage of conviction to stand by these. Let us begin by speaking the truth and standing by it regardless of the consequences. If we have the courage to do that the problem will solve itself!