The Pak newspaper Dawn had recently reported the findings of a survey done by a UK-based think-tank which has found a higher percentage of discontented people in occupied territory (POK) than in Azad Kashmir (Indian held side).This surely must bring a smile to all Indian policy makers as it’s a pat on their backs and a slap on the POK establishment.
Among all the surveys conducted so far, the one conducted by ‘The Institute for Research on India and International Studies’ (IRIIS) revealed the most diverse definitions of ‘Azadi’. The Jammu and Kashmir division of the Ministry of Home Affairs had commissioned IRIIS to carry out ‘A Perception Survey of Media Impact on the Kashmiri Youth’ in June 2010. The survey was finally administered in Jan 2011, in six districts of the Kashmir Valley-Srinagar and Budgam in Central Kashmir; Anantnag and Kulgam in South Kashmir; Baramulla and Bandipora in North Kashmir.
As per the IRIIS findings, 54% of youth identified `Azadi’ as the preferred final status of Jammu and Kashmir. That implies 46% don’t believe in Azadi. It is worthy to note that the definition of Azadi varies among those 54%. For 56% of these 54% youth, Azadi means rights of Kashmiris ie political rights, civil rights and economic rights. Those whose idea of Azadi is based on ‘territorially separate Kashmir’ include 8% who see a sovereign and independent state of Jammu & Kashmir, 11% wanting ‘freedom from India’ and 10% who said Azadi means a separate Kashmir without giving any further details.
Also, 67% of Kashmiri youth, under the age group of 15-35 years, rank `corruption’ among the three top most problems, 48% put `human rights violation’ (by security forces) at the top, while 34 % gave top priority to ‘employment’ nd 28% to `education’.
Among past surveys,, the most widely accepted is the one done in 2009 by Chatham House (a London-based International affairs think-tank).Conducted by Dr Robert Bradnock, at the behest of Dr Saif-al -Gaddafi, son of the slain Libyan leader Mohd Gaddafi, as part of research for his PhD degree from Kings College London. This comprehensive survey was conducted on both sides of the Line of Control, with the target population being Kashmiri Muslims (3700 individuals). In its findings, only 2% of people in J&K favoured whole of Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan and most such views were limited to Srinagar and Badgam districts. Also, 43% in J&K voted for ‘independence’ of whole of Kashmir, implying 57% not in favour of ‘independence’. It is important to note that 87% people in J&K considered unemployment as most significant problem followed by 68% for corruption, 45% blaming poor economic development, and 43% saying human rights abuses were the cause. By the way, Dr Saif had been advocating ‘independence’ for Kashmir, uptill now.
In 2002, another survey by MORI, an independent market research company based in UK, had revealed that on the issue of citizenship, overall, 61% Kashmiris said they felt they would be better off politically and economically as an Indian citizen and only 6% as a Pakistani citizens, and 33% said they did not know. Again, economic development of the region (job opportunities and reduction of poverty) was proposed by 93% of the respondents.
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