We owe more than this to the Kashmiris
Bullet riddled bodies of those who dare to speak up, banned newspapers, disconnected cellular, landline and internet services, is this what modern progressive democratic states are about? Is this what freedom looks like?
Stuck between Pakistan and India’s claim on the territory are the Kashmiris who are fighting tirelessly to assert their identity and claim their rightful front- seat in the discussion. The massive demonstrations that erupted after the security forces killed Burhan Wani, a separatist militant commander, are a testament to the deep rooted nature of the Kashmir issue. And the response of the security forces to these demonstrations highlights the absolute inability of the Indian state to tackle the issue in a peaceful manner. The blatant disregard of the human rights by the Indian security forces is not only shameful but also dangerously counter-productive. If anything, it will further alienate Kashmiris and provoke the rest of the people in the Indian administrated part of Kashmir to retaliate. India has yet to realise that it can’t shoot its way out of a crisis. If ideas and ideals could be defeated with bullets and force then post-9/11 instead of an increase, the world would have seen a decline in the spread of terrorism.
The bombardment of hundreds of bullets and the so-called less-lethal pellets by the security forces on protesters in the Indian administrated Kashmir have wounded and even resulted in the death of many while it is justified by Indian government as some sort of an obvious response to dissent. This makes me question that to what extent the state can exert its power to ensure that things go its way or at what point a person protecting his/her freedom exits the ambit of an activist and ultimately, becomes a terrorist. Who is to blame when one one side we have a patriotic soldier who has enrolled in the security forces and follows orders given to him to defend his country and on the other, a common man who is forced to protest because the voice of his people has been systemically suppressed for decades and he is tired of seeing his own abused, raped and killed.
Pakistan’s own response to the issue of Kashmir is deeply unsettling. Without having a Foreign Minister in the office, it is failed to do justice to the cause by using the foreign office to highlight the plight of Kashmiris on all international platforms. Most in the Indian circles openly blame Pakistan for instigating the recently erupted dissent in Indian administered Kashmir while the Pakistani government has done little to nothing to dispel such claims. This not only points towards the inadequacy of the politicians but also discredits the efforts of Kashmiris who are fighting to preserve their freedom.
The average age of a militant in Kashmir after they take up arms is roughly seven years. When someone knows that they are going to be shot down if they try to oppose the government then it is imprudently naive to believe that they would still do so because someone else asked them to.
One of the gravest pains in the world is to see your child in pain. Let alone, to see pellets being taken out of their bodies or to carry their coffins on your shoulders. Hence, in a corrupt system where access to education, health care, civic rights and political freedom is highly suppressed, it is downright offensive to argue that the people who are protesting in Indian administered Kashmir are merely terrorists or religious extremists.
No one wants to be amidst death, destruction and chaos.
No one wants to halt all social activities of life.
No one wants their schools, universities and shops to close down.
No one wants to see their brothers, sisters and neighbours get blinded in front of them.
But this has become the reality of the people living in the Indian administered Kashmir. It is almost unbearable to think about the amount of tragedies that have struck the world this year. Every day brings the news of a new adversity in some part of the world. The social media has played an integral and important role to keep people informed and mobilise them to achieve higher justice. However, many film makers, activists and journalists accused the social media giant, Facebook, of blocking their accounts after they posted messages and images related to the violence in the trouble-torn province of Kashmir. This selective implementation of the principle of freedom of expression and excessive censorship makes one question that whether the geographical location and colour of one’s skin really determines the value of their opinion and the worth of their blood.
It is so unfortunate that it takes a tragedy to shake up the moral conscious of the politicians to work towards the solution of a problem. Over 5,000 civilians and security personnel have been injured in the violent clashes between protesters and security forces following Wani’s killing. What will be more tragic if not enough international pressure is built and the governments of both countries still fail to come to the discussion table and for once, actually listen to the people of Kashmir.