Why the demonstrations on Kashmir do not become news in international media?

If we continue like this we may be celebrating Kashmir day for ever...

Today is February 5 again it is a Kashmir day in Pakistan. We have been having it for over six decades now. There have been good enough demos in Azad Kashmir. I thought this will be reported in BBC, CNN, ABC or Skynews just to give a few examples.

They did cover the Egyptian demonstrations and even covered a demo on Belgrade. But failed to cover a dispute simmering between the two nuclear armed neighbors. Why is it so? I want reasons other than conspiracy theories and victim psychosis please.

As I see it, the Kashmiris and Pakistan do not make a professional effort in this direction. Their PR is at the lowest ebb. They should ensure through Media, Pressure Groups, Public Relations, Diplomacy and High Profile Statements by Heads of States that News Agencies pick Kashmir events, report and discuss it.

Our reputation is so bad and commitment so low that besides Pakistan internally it is no news even when people die of atrocities by occupying forces. It is barely reported in Pakistan media too. Why? Because no body cares. Dawn did not even report it on 5th Feb. http://www.dawn.com/latest-news . The News reported barely: http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=10676

At every forum 24x7 round the year we must talk of a Democratic Solution so Tony Blair used to say. But do the rulers make any statements or have a diplomatic and media thrust to do that. No. Diplomats abroad just enjoy their salaries and perks without doing their jobs. Why? They just do not care. If people are dying let them. Who cares?

Hey guys get your act together if at all you want Kashmir issue resolved. Make news and ensure it is reported world-wide on a daily basis. Without creating world awareness and pressure on a sustained basis the world is not going to move.

Such approach to Kashmir is not effective...

If Kashmir is not at the center stage of world media, don't expect any solution... Kashmiris will continue to suffer...

If you want to continue to celebrate The Kashmir Day like this for centuries, then continue with what you are doing. But if you want to solve this problem and give relief to the Kashmiris under occupation then you have to do something else and a lot, lot more.

Today is the Kashmir Day. Is it news on a single international daily or news channel news sites? I have checked out. There is no mention of Kashmir in the entire world media. There is no lead story nor articles in any media. Sri Lankan Tigers, Karzai etc. have hogged the news today but not Kashmir. If any thing today Kashmir should have been the lead front page atleast three colomn story in the leading papers in the world. All news channels should have reported it. But none did. So much for your efforts.

Yes in Pakistani Channels I did see some good documentaries disregarding the pathetic comments of guys like Talat Masood and Munawar Hussain, Jamath e Islami spokesmen on Express News Channel. This does not help. We ought to have ensured that Kashmir dominated the world media today. It did not. I wish The Express Documentary is made in English and shown in the major world media sans Munawar Hussain and Tala Husain portion useless comments.

Today we ought to have reminded the world what great injustice has been going on for 60 years and how people have been suffering the attrocities of the occupiers. That is the important thing to do. We do not do what we should and love to blame the enemy. Please get over the seige mentality and don't blame the enemy when he is out to get you.

See what you are not doing. Do that. Just do not dwell in conspiracy theories that lead you to wrong thinking, analysis and hence wrong decisions for action.

We have a UN resolution in our favour but it is the failure of our diplomacy and successive governments that they have not been able to make India budge and let the Kashmiris have a life of their choice. When you fail, you analyse. So let's do it.

Where did we go wrong? Let me be brief. First we did not take advantage of the UN resolution in time. Our diplomacy failed. Our diplomats in the country and abroad just enjoyed their perks but never did the job they were supposed to. We did not build public opinion worldwide and force India in a corner. We never made the right noise in the media particularly after 1965.

The heads of State most of the time kept quite and never made the right moves, demands and announcements. They could not coin a single slogan that would get on the lips of the world leaders and media like India managed with their slogan "Cross Border Terrorism" when it was not even a border. Their slogan was repeated by our media and leaders too.

We could not even turn back and tell the world of their State Sponsored and Executed Terrorism. So much so that the terrible attrocities committed by a huge brutal army is not even duly reported in the world media. We did not do our home work and never did the important things. We did not bring to the world attention to the facts on the ground. We took it easy. The entire Muslim world took it easy. On top of it was branded as terrorism.

The problem is we never responded, never in time and never forcefully with all our diplomatic and media might. We never played the Muslim card. We never made a strong case for the world community. When our presidents and Prime Ministers meet other heads of states the first important thing they talk about must be Kashmir. They never do.

The embassies and consulates must be made to do their job and they should ensure that media in respective countries gave reports of attrocities in occupied areas. Just see how Indian media made a huge drama out of the Mumbai incident and hogged positive news for itself and negative for us. Our media has a lot to learn from it.

Now the media has grown a million fold. The task has become more difficult and more complex. Yet we have to make use of it. But how? Is the case lost? While the task is difficult, I think something can be done. What?

People of Kashmir have made huge sacrifices but they should not be expected to do so for ever. It is time now to take different actions and for all Muslim countries in the world to play a role. It seems sad when I see the actions of Jamath e Islami and guys like Talat Masood etc. who would dwell on conspiracy theories. For a starter they shoukd go t the Middle East and campaign for an economic blockade of India. This is just one action but will bring results.

The Pakistan media should play an important role and force Pakistan Govenement to act. If you build up pressure then only the Government would act. not otherwise considering the laid back and not a pro-active approach they have. Then rope in all the news agencies like Reuters and AFP etc. so that every single newspaper, magazine, site and news channel runs story on Kashmir. That is how it will get on center stage.

The world would be informed and aroused and then possibly the world would act. Not otherwise. And remember when India is a corner it will offer to negotiate and defuse a situation. I hope we don't fall for it.

It is high time we solve the problem rather than just celebrating a Kashmir day and wasting children's time of study. Instead of a holiday we should be working an extra hour on that day and register a protest by informing the world with that extra money donated.