Thursday, February 21, 2008

KASHMIR: The Ground Reality

The Tourmoil of decades needs to have a say now

BY: IRFAN QURAISHI.

Since 1989, for 17 years, even since 1947, almost 60 years of independence Kashmir had been offered toffees and chocolates to stop his tears as one does this to a small kid weeping over there. No one realized the agony of kashmiries lies deep inside their hearts. Since last 17 years of insurgency approximately 100,000 people had been killed. Thousands of young boys, men between the age of 15-65 were taken to the Custody for investigation by security forces but their return remains uncertainty for their families.Thousands of civilians becomes victim of bomb attacks, police clashes with locals’ ends many times in a shooting that is being subsequently described as an encounter. Many girls were raped. Hundreds of houses in a village were burned, even religious places like mosques; gurduwara’s and temples were destroyed. Hundreds of Graveyards are full of militants, Innocent civilians killed by army, victims of militants. Thousands of widows and orphans are still mourning and lamenting. Thousands of Kashmir pandiths fear full of militant's bullet, bombs or grenades, were made homeless. The list of tyranny is so Long, Enough is enough now. Flicking through the pages of history one thing is clear kashmiries have always paid a price for their paradise. For Pakistan Kashmir is a matter of territory in the name of Islam. For India Kashmir is a matter of territory in the name of secularism. For Hurriyat Kashmir is a matter of personal interest in the name of leadership. For local government, Kashmir is a matter of power in the name of democracy. For militants Kashmir is a matter of easy money in the name of ''jihad''.For security forces Kashmir is a matter of reward in the in of public security and crushing of militancy. The outside forces had ulterior motives, seeking to create an Islamic territory under the control of Pakistan. Pakistan is financing the militants in order to give vent to the dispute in the name of 'jihad”. But at last it's the common Kashmiri who is the scape goat In the bi-lateral war.Hurriyat says them the true representatives of Kashmir, how they can be a true representative when they themselves have a different ideology on Kashmir results the split of hurriyat.They never stick to one common voice, Sometimes they are ready to join the round table conference while some times they refuse. Sometimes they are in favour of Pakistani ideology while sometimes cooperating with indo-pak dialogue process. Some times they begin "safar-e-aazadi" while some times "hunger till death”. All the time the results were very different simply by not sticking to one plan of ideology.Kashmiris is a bonus scheme fore every one to full fill their desire. Confidence building measure between India and Pakistan is a popular phase since 2004, but what about confidence building measure between Delhi and Srinagar?? After all this is the ground zero were the base must be constructed. Ask a common Kashmiri about Confidence building measure he will definitely Say that this is all a political game and nothing else. Every month j&k police and other security forces receive a slush fund to finance its espionage campaign to find out the militants. Rewards are given on the basis of quality information for example: 3-4 lacs. will be given for the information leading to encounter with militants. This leads to the ultimate result of Innocent killing, just to achieve higher ranks and huge pockets. The Indian police in Kashmir renowned for fake encounters, but no one yet takes a step to make such a law for encounters by which the chance of innocent killings will be minimised.This is a fact, while taking to any political leader of Kashmir about such legislation no one pays head to legitimate this kind of legislation, because the reality behind the curtain is that Kashmir is an easy and use full source of income for every one from first estate to fourth Estate. Media too has not been cushioning or portraying the ground reality of the scenario. It’s the local media in Kashmir which speaks the truth, but has a limited audience and circulation. Kashmir has become a place of fear where anyone could be the enemy, where any time a bomb could explode or a gun man opening fire at any time at any place. Any time a security personal irrespective of the rank can threaten or arrest you without any warrant or reason. Presence of large military has made a fear psyche on the street. If you a Kashmiri on the road side you feel afraid of military militant, police, and every one. Psyche of fear remains the same even when you are at home. To vote is a democratic right; this is up to a citizen whether
he participates or not, but if you are a Kashmiri and you voted you will be killed by militants or if you don't vote you will be either killed or repeatedly tortured by armed forces. The victory for the ballot box over the bullet worth’s always bloody election, i.e. the blood of innocent Kashmiris. Address the situation to any person outside Kashmir and ask him being in such kind of situation what do you want? I am sure he will say "aazadee" freedom from such an agonized life. And ask the same to almost any Kashmiri, he too will say "aazadee".freedom.kashmir for Kashmiri, hardly matters for him-does it men autonomy or self-dertermination.For a common Kashmir's what means that's only freedom. India claiming Kashmir as an integral part, but after sixty years India couldn't rehabilitate the Kashmiri in the heart of Indian nation. For decades the ordinary Kashmiri had been a suspect whether than the member of Indian family. If Kashmir for India is a matter of territory then it needs military solution and made Kashmir a graveyard. If not, India must address the needs of the people because operation alone can't win. Win the hearts of people. Feel the pain of Kashmir’s to make them secure. Unless India doesn’t bridge the gap of trust, faith, honour and security, Kashmir is at "heaven's distance".

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

hallo,qureshi saahab i read your blog suddenlly, when i come to search something else but i could not make ablw to switch into my work n i struck at your blog. friend i appriciate your innovative thought. but mitra first of all we should invock social activism,politial activism n obiviously play a true role to stablish right type of democracy.i want to inlined your attention towards other parts of india those are more r less same as you have describe our kashmir . took the exm. of chhatisgarh, bihar, up, west bengal. evry one is in the grab of distorted motive of politics. i hpoe you will write with your innovative task in broader prospect also.

Anonymous said...

thanx for your concern.you are righ to say what you write in mail.be in touch in future.
bye.
irfan quraishi.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Quraishi, i think you wrote all this with emotions and while doing so we do a lots of mistakes when handling these type of issues with emotions.
i would like you to go deeper into the cause and see from the GROUND what is motives behind all the groups trying to fetch this noble paradise. my point is only what you said "for militants Kashmir is just a money generating machine."
Dear if you know the port folios of these militants rather Mujahedin, you ll see all of them are from the richer families and are Engineers, Doctors,Professors and some other high rank officers. take the case of Osama, Masood azahar, sayed salahudin, Mohamad qasim and so on... Do u think they are doing all this for money ?????????
No my dear they are alhamdullilah doing it FE-SABILILAH (in the way of Allah).
And you point of making Kashmir a Muslim state by Pakistan. Brother not only Kashmir but whole world ll be a Muslim state one day insha Allah.
Hope you ll do a research now onwards. Dont sacrifice the sentiments for the sake of becoming a so called journalist.

Please do not take it a criticism but a guidance for reducing mistakes.
may Allah bless you.

Ashash Khan said...

kashmiri said....

Bad really a bad research and observation.Dear if u had been there in last seventeen years you would have known better truth which lies behind kashmir.how can you say it is a money generating machine for those who left everything and went on the way of "JIHAD".incidently i came across your article not only i got stunned but you really hurt me with these poor thoughts.Wont like to say u ny thing.bcoz history witness that the tyranny over kashmir is becoz of kashmiris you can be one of their future product for XGen. .who just are behind their personal interests.

Avlokan said...

its a good article. but i think u should write in broader orspect also.
anwarul haq
aajavlokan.blogspot.com