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NEWS - An East Timor in India?



An East Timor in India?            (J K Dutt)                 
The Statesman            12 November 99 

    The past 25 years of this century have been fraught with one
calamitous trend: thousands of innocents have died at the hands of
oppressive
forces and property destroyed in keeping with a macabre trend of
political filibustering. A trend which originated in Bosnia, spread to
neighbouring
Kosovo, then moved on to Chechnya and Dagestan before surfacing in East
Timor. An analysis of this new holocaustic pattern would be
rewarding, more so since India may also fall prey to such a scourge . .
 . Supposing Osama bin Laden decides to create an East Timor-like
situation in Kashmir, projecting someone like, say, Amanullah Khan of
the JKLF as the counterpart of Mr. Gusmao? It would be relatively easy
to do so, what with a huge number of Mujahideen marauding around in
Kashmir. Political support can be ensured from Pakistan and the
organisation
of Islamic Conference for the "cause." New Delhi." will have little
option but to respond strongly with its military forces to stem any such
militant
independence movement . . . As similar scenario could be enacted in the
North-east with Assam and Nagaland being the catalysts. Extroverts
like Aurobindo Rajkhowa, Paresh Barua, Isak Swu and Thun-gling Muivah,
who have excellent foreign contacts, could instigate a volatile freedom
movement in the entire region that could truly spell disaster for India
 . . . Pointedly, what should we do to pre-empt these two forthcoming
destructive elements? Pending a solution to the Kashmir problem, it
would be advisable for us to modify Article 370 and settle hundreds of
thousands of armed ex-serviceman in the state, plus convert the 750-km
Line of Control into a fortress system . . . As far as the North-east is
concerned, we need to induce a massive economic renaissance. All
resultant industries have to be protected by our security forces.
Instead of
chasing after insurgents, it would be far more profitable for our troops
to safeguard active industries so that there is no hindrance to smooth
functioning.