Stone rage in Kashmir
GoI is not interested to look into the root of present uprising instead GoI is inclined to push all Kashmiris to the wall
Mohammad Muzaffar Thakur
Parliament is the supreme representative body in our country where Kashmir unrest was also discussed recently.
All the opposition members in once voice criticized the excessive use of force and impressed upon the government to exercise restrain while dealing with the situation. The members also impressed up the Government to stop the use of pellet guns.
Few days later Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Kashmir and stated in a press conference that a panel will be constituted for finding out an alternative to pellet guns.
After a week or so DG, CRPF issued a statement that the use of pellet guns will continue, however, in extreme circumstances, which was immediately endorsed by a General of the Army in Kashmir, which raises many questions.
Who rules Jammu Kashmir, state or center or security agencies?
India is a democratic country where legislature and executive cannot be subservient to the armed forces or para-military forces. Earlier also, army in the name of security had shut down, several times, the proposal of reviewing AFSPA.
Unfortunately, the word of Army is taken as a gospel truth which is a matter of concern for the State government in particular and entire country in general.
Once AFSPA is revoked the graph of human rights violations will come down to a considerable extent and bring back normalcy. In fact, excessive use of force and pellet guns have been used in Kashmir with greater amount of vengeance, killing people and maiming hundreds including teenagers and children.
Jammu Kashmir High Court has also issued directive for stopping the use of pellet guns which has fallen on deaf ears, even it amounts to defiance of court directives.
Attaching precedence to military wisdom over country’s executive and judiciary will further alienate people of Kashmir and erode faith in the system.
Continued human rights violation and unaccountability of the armed forces, and horrifying images of victims of pellet guns are the seeds of hatred and anger which is brewing like lava under the carpet and erupts after intervals in the shape of stone rage.
It is point of great introspection that the security agencies exercise veto in Kashmir only over the decisions of the center, when the State government has been reduced to the role of a powerless bystander.
Unfortunately, some political turncoats, intellectual renegades and self appointed advisors on some Indian news channels adding fuel to the fire by painting the Kashmir unrest as “Pakistani sponsored terrorism”, or “radicalization” or “Islamisation”.
This indicates that government of India is not interested to look into the root of the unrest instead they are inclined to push all Kashmiris to the wall on the basis of military might.
Pelting of stones symbolizes resentment, anger and anguish which needs to be looked into sympathetically not by brute force, but like a compassionate parent.
During 2009, two girls (Asiya and Neelofar) were raped and murdered by armed forces in Shopian which flared up in an agitation in which a number of people were killed.
After lot of hue and cry the matter was closed as drowning, and the culprits were not punished, because they were “security” forces personnel.
Shopian double-rape case is just a tip of iceberg of human rights violations in Jammu Kashmir. In 2008, uprising 110 persons were killed in the aftermath of allotment of land to a Hindu trust, which was ultimately withdrawn after bloodbath.
Burkha Dutt, of NDTV has for the first time presented a vivid account of the uprising after visiting the epicenter of unrest (Anantnag) talking direct with the injured in SMHS Hospital which was published by Hindustan Times and Rising Kashmir also.
She stated that in Nagaland PM Modi stood shoulder to shoulder with NSCN (IM) S.T. Muivah to underscore his own investment in finding a political solution for the insurgency. Why has no one used his paradigm for Kashmir? She asks, “Why is it nationalist to push a political dialogue in Nagaland but treacherous to ask for the same in the Valley.”
The author had published the pain and anguish of pellet gun victims including Insha Manzoor, 14-years-old, who was watching the protest from the balcony when pellets smashed through her head.
She further states that how aggressive, violent or radicalized the crowd of protesters may have been, this cannot work as our security protocol.
In Haryana, the Jat agitation was more violent and disastrous than Kashmir, where railway tracks were uprooted, milk plants and shops set ablaze and policemen pelted with stones.
Not just that, it is now, confirmed by Punjab and Haryana High Court that women were dragged out of their cars, taken to the fields off the highway and gang raped. Yet these men were not sprayed with pellet guns and blinded.
They were not labeled seditious or anti national, they were not even crushed with the full force of law, instead police officers acquired slingshots to counter the stones being hurled at them to put on more people friendly images.
And because of cynical electoral calculations or relative prosperous community with a questionable right over the benefits of reservation was rewarded for its anarchy.
If Kashmir is “atoot ang” of India then why law applies differently in Haryana and Kashmir?
India is playing like a real estate agent instead of a compassionate parent, focus on land, not its people, she lamented. These are the views of reputed Indian Journalist which needs to be taken into consideration.
Mehbooba Mufti had protested against the use of pellet guns during 2010 agitation but allowed its use this time. General V K Singh, Minister for Home, had also said that step motherly treatment is being meted out with Kashmir. It happens in Kashmir alone.
The ugly reality is that the powerful elements in the current government structure of State have over the years developed a vested interest in keeping the conflict simmering because this enables access to vast amount of funds and privileged positions in the State hierarchy.
Despite of appointing Interlocutors who took extensive time in consultation with various sections of the society in Kashmir was not followed up and those recommendations did not see the light of the day.
At the beginning of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state, the party was talking of healing touch and self rule and now all the rhetoric has turned into blinding touch.
It is heartening that amid blood bath in Kashmir, PDP celebrated its 17th foundation day in Srinagar against the saner advice of two PDP MPs, who chose to be away from the event.
Entire Kashmir is in deep shock and anguish democratic tempers, decency and morality demands to stand with the people in this hour of pain and desist in any fanfare.
With such immature decisions the party will invite doom for itself.
The only solution of present conundrum lies in meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders, revoking AFSPA and making everyone accountable before law, reposing trust in the elected representatives for handling the political issues confronting them, including the Hurriyat, engaging a process of reconciliation and rehabilitation of the victims of violence.
Author can be mailed at muzafer.hsn@gmail.com
