“ Shift India Out Of Kashmir ”

By B L Saraf

‘ Take India out of Kashmir ’ has been the refrain of separatist discourse for quite a time . Some in the Valley have taken to the gun to achieve the ‘ object ‘ . They almost succeeded in 1990 when institutions and commercial units associated with India , including radio and the TV , were ordered out of the Valley . It took GOI years to relocate them back . What a trick of the fate that what militants couldn’t achieve then , now , the dyed in wool ‘ nationalists ‘ of the mainland are up to it . A campaign is underway to get NIT Srinagar – a common national symbol – out of Kashmir . A tiff between local and non- local students of the institution is the underlying cause . We hear the megaphones of so called nationalism shout that NIT be shifted from Srinagar to Jammu or elsewhere . Because , they feel , non – local students ( Indians ) are not physically secure there . By this argument no body speaking for India or having some connection with the country should be safe in the Valley and requires to be rescued out .

In Kashmir , even members of PDP ,INC and NC may not be the pure ‘ nationalists’ to the votaries of ‘ nationalism ‘ .But they should have sense to grant ‘Nationalistic Character ‘, at least, to those Muslims in the Valley who have hitched to the Parivar band wagon . BJP managers tell us that thousands of Kashmiris have acquired the Party membership . Are the supporters of ‘ shift ‘ telling them also to move out or be at the tender mercy of the ‘ anti- nationalist s’ in the valley ? These hyper ‘ nationalists ‘ must be told that by uttering these words they are expressing lack of faith in the general public of Kashmir and seriously hurting their culture of hospitality . Youth in the Valley do have some issues with the Indian state which need to be sorted out . By casting them in one mould these spurious nationalists , instead of helping the resolution of the issues , are complicating things for India .
For a change , let these ‘ nationalists ‘ and the mainstream leaders learn something from the venerable ‘ separatist’ as how to act in these situations . Not agreeing to his political creed , it must be said that Syed Ali Shah Geelani , like in 2008 and 2010 turmoil , has again come out as a statesman . He has advised local students of NIT to adopt an attitude of camaraderie with the non –local students and concentrate on studies only . Comforting words , indeed. .

True , JK Police is not known for dealing with the situations with sensitivity or using force commensurate to the occasion . They wield lathi with impunity . So is the case with police of other states . Yes , some elements in this force did falter in the beginning of 1990 . But thereafter the force fought militancy tooth and nail . They had to bear the brunt and , in the process ,suffered a huge loss in terms of men and material . The so called ‘nationalists ‘ must care to know that they are doing great disservice to the nation as also to the local police by dubbing it as anti- national . Remember , JK Police is not one-dimensional in its composition ; Jammu Dogras , Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits contribute in large numbers to this force .
Union HRD Ministry has done its job by sending a team to assess the situation in NIT Srinagar and instill a sense of safety in the non-local students . We hope that it will act with similar alacrity whenever a complaint of harassment of Kashmiri students ,studying in the educational institutions across the country , surfaces .

There can be no denying that the non-local students of NIT Srinagar have gone through a very traumatic experience in the last couple of weeks . They have been badly beaten and bruised in the ill advised police action . Matter must be thoroughly investigated and the guilty brought to the book .
Things seem to have settled down . Restraint should be the bye – word . Any “ Procession of Nationalists” to NIT must be stopped at all costs .
Liberals across the country, as also the Kashmir’s want a space for themselves to raise Azadi slogans in the mainland educational institutions . In a democratic set up they are entitled to this freedom . Fairness demands equivalence . Space should be provided for hoisting national flag in the Valley’s public institutions as well .
(The author is a Former Principal District & Sessions Judge.Feedback- bushanlalsaraf@gmail.com )

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