By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Boston (USA): American philosopher, linguist & a leading public intellectual, Professor Noam Chomsky has said that the Indian Army should leave Kashmir as there have been ‘horrible atrocities’ in the Valley.

“Kashmir has had an awful story, especially since late 80’s after that fake election. There have been horrible atrocities. Therefore, the Indian Army should leave Kashmir,” Professor Chomsky told Mehboob Makhdoomi, a Kashmiri Author who recently got into Harvard University, in an exclusive interaction in his office at the Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology (MIT) here.

Mehboob Makhdoomi and Professor Noam Chomsky during interaction in MIT, USA

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Impressing upon India and Pakistan to maintain the peace, the Professor said, “Pakistan and India should agree to a Federal structure which gives ‘more or less Independence for Kashmir’. Indo-Pak conflict is ridiculous for both; but it’s more devastating for Pakistan since it uses all its resources to match with Indian military, and it’s harmful for India, even though it’s larger and more powerful.”

A statement from Makhdoomi on July 22 said, Choamsky further advocated that there has to be some kind of sensible negotiation between the two countries, which will lead to steps towards disarmament, cut back military confrontation, and facilitate trade & commercial relations between the two.

“Some breakdown in the hostility is the pre-requisite for settlement of Kashmir and Kashmir could be a marvelous place,” he said.

While narrating one of the incident when he talked about his views on Kashmir during one of his visit in India, Professor Chomsky said he had to take police protection for rest of the time he was in India, since there were BJP demonstrations against him; although he claims he “didn’t say much.”

Prof Chomsky appreciated the work of political scientist Eqbal Ahmad and Indian political activist and writer Arundhati Roy but admitted that it is still not enough.