Will the tit-for-tat diplomacy of India under much-hyped 'DOVAL DOCTRINE" with Pakistan work? Baluchistan is not Kashmir. Unnecessarily raising the issue of atrocity in Baluchistan by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Red Fort speech, will rather harm India. Baluchistan issue cannot be equated with Kashmir problem between Pakistan and India. Baluchistan is integral part of Pakistan since independence of both India and Pakistan. But Kashmir always remained bone of contention among the people of Kashmir, Pakistan and India since its accession with India by Maharaja Hari Singh. Any encouragement of Baluchs by India to create problem will be considered interference of India in the internal affairs of Pakistan ! Kashmir issue is still hanging fire on International platform---UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION (UNO).
A book--Not War, Not Peace by George Perkovich and Toby Dalton (Oxford University Press,2016) has described, "The American scholar Christine Fair reported that in 2009 she visited the Indian mission in ZXaedan, Iran and concluded that it was an element of a broader covert action program me against Pakistan. I can assure you they are not issuing visits as the main activity ! Moreover, India has run operations from its mission in Mazar-i-Sharif (through which it supported the nothern alliance)and is likely doing so from the other consulates it has reopened in Jalalabad and Kandahar along the border. Indian officials have told me privately that they are pumping money into Baluchistan.Reports and allegations of Indian covert involved in Baluchistan and elsewhere invite distinction to be made and debated. India, like other states and sympathetic outsiders, could draw a line, between providing funds, logistical support, and political encouragement to dissident groups in Pakistan and alternatively providing equipment, training and operational support for violent action. Pakistan naturally would oppose both categories of interference.......From this brief survey, it is safe to say that India has not been purely abstemious in the use of covert agents and actions against Pakistan. This is especially evident when Afghanistan is included along with Pakistani territory as the area of operations for Indian agents--page 147-149.."
Ongoing crisis in Kashmir in the wake of Burhan Wani's murder on July 8,2016 set the entire areas aflame. Days after the crisis erupted in Kashmir, Narendra Modi took the familiar route of blame Pakistan. On the advice of Doval, Modi opened Baluchistan front and on August 12, 2016, Modi said, " Time has come that Pakistan will have to answer to the world about the atrocities being committed on people in Baluchistan and Pakistan-Occupied -Kashmir (POK) Will the world shut eyes to the Indian part of Kashmir ?. A fine invitation to the internationalization", that India dreads. Since than Baluch rebel leaders leaders are coming and going Delhi for united resentment against Pakistan over Baluchistan atrocity. They have also opened front in London against Pakistan,. More over , India has begun to develop cold feet. These squabbling Baloch leaders will ruin India's relation with China as well as Iran. Amid India's haughtiness in the affairs of Pakistan, in August 20, 2015, the Special Assistant of President Barack Obama, Peter R Lavoy, asserted , : Jammu and Kashmir is disputed territory.. There was no change in U S position." To this day, United Nations maps carry the legend--"The final Status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed upon by the parties. Kashmir cannot be put on par with Baluchistan !"
While the final Instrument of Accession was signed by the Khan of Kalat (princely state of Bakuchistan) on Mrach 27, it was placed before Jinnah on March 31,1948 and he accepted it.' There was no kind of resistance to the accession......(Dushka H Saiyid, The Accession of Kalat: Myth and Reality, Strategic Studies, page 43). "Many in India claim that Pakistan forcefully occupied Baluchistan in 1948. But facts are different from fiction. There were four princely states ruled by Baloch leaders in 1947 under Nawab Akbar Bugati, grand father of Brahmdarg Bugti, who is these days rebel.Akbar Bugti, who not only voted for Pakistan but also helped Mohammad Ali Jinnah' s Muslim League........"The Outlook has commented, " Time will prove the speech of Modi on Baluchistan was one of the biggest mistakes,,,,,The Indian PM tried to internationalize Baluchistan but in fact he internationalized hatred between India and Pakistan and helped the hate-mongers--OUTLOOK, September 5)" The result is that India cannot question Kalat's status status nor the Durand line and the Pakistan cannot question McMahon line either ( Partition Proceedings, Vol.-three, Excerpts Committees, nos..three-eleven, Government of India press, 1948, Pages-226-230).
With regards to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 13,1947, Kashmir's prime minister Janak Singh---no friend of Pakistan--opined " the bulk of Muslims will not accept a decision to accede to India." However, the instrument of accession of Jammu and Kashmir was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in jet-set speed on the pressure of Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru and his home minister Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel. People of Kashmir led by Sheikh Abdullah had opposed the accession and was in favor of independent country.. Amid the melee , war between Pakistan and India broke over Kashmir. The matter was internationalized, The UNO intervened. Sir Girija Shankar Vajpayee, the Secretary General of the Ministry of External Affairs, in a letter to the U N Commission for India and Pakistan on November 21, 1949, spoke of "Government of India's determination to abide, in the matter of accession, by the freely declared will be of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Should that will be against the state continuing to be part of India, if and when it comes to be expressed in a constitutional way under conditions of peace and impratiality, the representation of the State in Indian Parliament would automatically cease and the provision of the Constitution of India that govern the relations of the State of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union f India will also cease to operate.."
Since then Jammu and Kashmir issue is hanging fire among the people of the State, India and Pakistan. Modi government must think to drop Baluchistan card and work for a settlement of Kashmir in both its dimension, external and internal.
