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The Hindu American Foundation wrote the following letter to the New York Times in response to an Op-Ed that presented a biased view on the violence in Kashmir. The original Op-Ed was published on August 26. Our response was not published. The original Op-Ed can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/opinion/27mishra.html
To the Editor:
In "A Jihad Grows in Kashmir," by Pankaj Mishra (Opinion, August 28), Mishra presents a polemical and biased perspective on violence in Kashmir. He explains away the jihad that the State Department confirms is overtly supported by Pakistan, with the superficial rhetoric used to explain 9/11— if India allowed Kashmir to become an Islamic state, or if Israel resolved the Palestinian problem, then Islamic extremism would cease.
That the Maharaja of Kashmir legally acceded to India in 1947, that 400,000 Hindus were cleansed from the valley in 1989, and that Hindus are killed by Islamist separatists today is strikingly ignored by Mishra, but confirmed in the same rights reports he cites.
Peace will prevail in Kashmir when Pakistan ends its proxy war allowing Indian troops to stand down; Muslim leaders embrace secularism and pluralism; and the Indian government ceases policies of appeasement that fan the flames of communalism.
Sincerely,
Aseem R. Shukla, M.D.
Member, Board of Directors
Hindu American Foundation
www.hafsite.org
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