• AFTAB KHAN (I fear for the fate of my homeland, September 19) is “economical with the truth” on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir which he prefers to refer as “Kashmir” omitting Jammu.

Kashmir has Muslim majority. Jammu has Buddhist majority. In both Jammu and Kashmir the population consists of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.

All non-Muslims are eager to live as Indians. Muslims on the other hand want to either merge with Pakistan or be independent. There are myriad of factions among the Muslims.

Their main goal is to drive non-Muslims by hook or crook. My question to Aftab Khan is where was he when thousands of Hindu Pandits were driven out by Muslims from Kashmir? “Kashmiris” like Aftab Khan. These Pandits are still living outside Kashmir. Why?

It is wholly inaccurate that India went to war in 1947 with Pakistan over Kashmir. Pakistan attacked Kashmir. King of Kashmir, Hari Singh agreed to merge with India like other princely states and sought help from India.

India thwart Pakistanis as much as possible leading to line of control. Legally Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India. With regard to Aftab Khan’s claim for referendum, there was no referendum when India was partitioned to create homeland for Muslims in 1947.

If there was a referendum, there would not have been Pakistan and a part of which was seceded to become Bangladesh in 1971.

The reason behind the genocide in 1971 in East Pakistan was that Punjabi Muslims could not live with Bengali Muslims in their homeland and did not agree to the demand of the majority of Bengali Muslims, leading to the genocide in 1971.

India defeated Pakistan saving the lives of millions and there was an agreement that with regard to Jammu and Kashmir, there should be bilateral talk between India and Pakistan.

Therefore if there is a demand for referendum in Jammu and Kashmir, being born in what is now Bangladesh created initially as East Pakistan in 1947, my position as a Hindu would be that there should be a referendum as to whether the British unjustly gave land of Hindus to create homeland for Muslims.

What right had the British had to deprive the original inhabitants to appease the Muslims?

SUNIL KUMAR PAL
Mary Green, NW8