The strategic importance of Gilgit-Baltistan region

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The Modi Government has finally given official notice to the Government of Pakistan to vacate the PoK – Gilgit – Baltistan area of Bharat it had forcibly and illegally occupied for years. Before that, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has included Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK in its daily weather report sending shivers down the spine of Pakistani rulers.

This strategically important region is of utmost importance to Bharat from the border security point of view. We need to know more about the history and geography of the entire Jammu and Kashmir region that includes this strategically critical region of Gilgit-Baltistan. The vast areas of J & K are under the illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan and China in spite of the unanimous Parliament resolution.

The region of Gilgit is strategically placed sharing the borders with five countries. They are Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Tibet-China, and Bharat. Tajikistan was once part of the USSR. The importance of J & K is not because of Kashmir or Ladakh, but it is because of this Gilgit-Baltistan region.

All the known invasions starting from the Greeks, Shakas, Hunas, Kushan, and Mughals against Bharat took place through this region only. Our ancestors understood the strategic importance of the Gilgit-Baltistan region and they knew that if they were to keep Bharat’s borders secured, they had to keep the enemy beyond the Hindukush Mountain ranges i.e. beyond the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

In the recent past, the US wanted its foothold in this region; Britain wanted to build its base here, Russia too was interested in this region and Pakistan had agreed to hand over this region to Russia in 1965 and today China wants to have its say in this region, it has done so to some extent and Pakistan’s interests are well known to all.

Unfortunately, it is the leadership of India to whom this region legitimately belongs, that has been criminally ignorant of the strategic importance of this region. Our leaders and people are not aware of the fact that if Bharat wanted to be safe and secured, it needs Gilgit-Baltistan at any cost.

The Prime Minister had referred to Bharat’s old status as ‘Sone ki Chidiya’ in his latest address to the nation. We used to have trade with the rest of the world through this ‘Silk Route’ and 85% of the population was connected with this route. It provided easy land access to Central Asia, Eurasia, Europe, Africa, etc. We can redeem that status once again if we had control over the Gilgit-Baltistan region now.

The Himalayas have ten highest peaks in the world which legitimately belonged to Bharat. Out of these, 8 are located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. All the alternate water resources are also located in this region after China occupied Tibet.

This region is minerally rich too. It has 50-100 gold and uranium mines according to the report of the Mineral Department of the PoK. The most important asset is people of this region are highly anti-Pakistan and pro-Bharat.

The geographical area of the PoK is 79000 sq. km. which includes 6000 sq. km of Kashmir, 9000 sq. km of Jammu and 64000 sq. km of Ladakh which includes Gilgit-Baltistan. This was never part of Kashmir but always a part of Ladakh. That is why when the Government of Bharat abrogated Article 370 and 35 A and reorganized J & K into two union territories, Pakistan took serious objections to it. It very well knew that Gilgit-Baltistan was never part of the Kashmir area. But it is most unfortunate that we are ignorant of this fact.

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Some days ago, a known leader from Gilgit-Baltistan was invited to participate in a seminar in Bharat. He said, “We are the forgotten people of the forgotten land of Bharat”. He lamented that people of Bharat really are ignorant about them. When he was asked whether they wanted to be with Bharat he replied "you invited me after 60 years and that too on a US tourist visa and then you ask me whether I want to stay with Bharat? You give admission to our children at IITs, IIMs and treat our people at the AIIMS so that we can feel that Bharat is really concerned about us. You are not aware of the atrocities committed against us by the Pakistan Army. But none of the national media here reported it with prominence. You just make us feel that you are with us”.

“And I want to ask you why Pakistan is proving to be the real friend of Kashmiri people? It repeatedly says that it cared for the Kashmiri ‘awam’. But have you ever heard any minister of Bharat saying that they stand with people of PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan; they are our own people and we will provide all the facilities and fulfill their requirements? No, you haven’t”.

The successive Congress governments have never taken any steps to take back the Gilgit-Baltistan region neither have they talked of taking these regions back. The issue was raised during the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee but it was again relegated to the backseat during the ten-year-long Congress rule under Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. The issue was raised in the parliament by the then MEA Sushma Swaraj during the Modi government.

Jammu-Kashmir has a 2800-km international border which includes 2400 km LoC. After independence Bharat had fought five wars and all of them were from this region sacrificing 14000 soldiers including12000 of the Jammu and Kashmir. So, it is most legitimate to have a huge deployment of the army in J & K. Those who don’t understand this raise questions over such deployment of the armed forces.

The major points of discussions with Pakistan should be PoK, refugees from West Pakistan, Kashmiri Hindus, Pak-Sponsored terrorism, misuse of Article 370, and 35A, recovering the Gilgit-Baltistan area illegally occupied by Pakistan and China. The majority population of Gilgit-Baltistan is Shia Muslims and they are dead against Pakistan. They are fighting their own battle today and need support from Bharat. We need to make them realize that we are with them, we stand with them. Bharat is with them and the country should openly support these people.

In fact, the direction of debate on J & K needs to be changed in the present situation. The historic occasion of total accession of Jammu and Kashmir with Bharat that took place on October 26, should be celebrated in the country as J & K accession day. Nationalist elements in J & K should be encouraged to nullify the separatists confined to some districts only.