Kashmiri Leadership

elderly acquaintance asked him what the matter was and why he was looking so sad. He replied, ‘Thieves broke in my shop. The lock I used was an ordinary one and someone broke open the lock at night and stole all the goods.’ The old man pointed out that this had been his own fault. The young man said, ‘Yes. Now with this experience, I have learnt that I must use an extra strong lock on my shop door.’ Then the old man asked, ‘Is this something to be learnt after having such an experience? When you started out as a shopkeeper you should have known from day one that a strong lock needed to be used.’ “As far as a shop break-in or other similar personal matter is concerned, there is the possibility that one may make amends after such an experience. But, in the case of a national decision, the issue is totally different. In personal matters, even after incurring a loss, there is the possibility of being successful once again with further effort. But in national matters when the time for decision has slipped from one’s hands the problem becomes much more complicated and difficult to resolve. “National leadership is only for those who can envision the future in the present. Those who can see only the present and the past cannot lead the nation. However, by their unwise steps they can surely complicate matters.” (Al-Jamiat Weekly, New Delhi, June 14, 1968, p. 4). Since then I have been writing on the Kashmir issue over the years. If my writings for the last 35 years were to be collected, they would form a voluminous book. By God’s grace my writings have benefited a great number of Kashmiris, who, in consequence, have abandoned the Peace in Kashmir