By Muazzam Nasir:
“Every Indian loves Kashmir.” “The azaadi (freedom) that every Indian feels, Kashmir can feel too.”
Thus spoke the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in a city in Madhya Pradesh, India on the 9th of August while celebrating the country’s independence week.
The Prime Minister of India had come under increased criticism for his silence on the growing turbulence in the Kashmir valley. The Valley, where 56 people have already died in the relentless violence; over 6000 people injured and more than 500 blinded due to the use of pellet guns – had bore a brunt of the Prime Minister’s silence.
The Prime Minister in an attempt to heal the wounds of the people invoked the commitment of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had promised to cut the Gordian knot by looking at the problem through the prism of Insaaniyat (Humanity), Jamhuriyat (Democracy) and Kashmiriyat.
The cliché that the phrase Insaaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat has become is because Indian premiere’s over the years have abused the existing humanity and democracy in the valley.
The Indian Prime Minister used the same cliché to heal the wounds of people, points to the use of a strategy which has long worn out and has weighed down in its standards.
The valley is yet to see the humanitarian or democratic face of the Indian rule. The valley has witnessed Jamhuriyat through the barrel of the gun and Insaaniyat through the pelleted faces of its children.
The New York Times in a report headlined “An epidemic of ‘Dead Eyes’ in Kashmir as India uses Pellet guns on Protestors” on the 28th of August 2016 said, “2016 will be remembered as the year of dead eyes.” A leading opthamologist in India, Dr Natarajan described the situation as ‘disastrous’ and ‘war like’.
The merciless and authoritarian imposition of restriction on the communication and lifeline of people. The clampdown on the movement of people, the worst- even ambulances being attacked and ambulance drivers beaten up by the security forces.
The imposition of curfew to disallow the people from even buying essential commodities strongly rebuts the claims of the Indian authorities which are presenting facts different to what the people on the ground adduce to.
The alienation in the minds of the people in the Valley is deep rooted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to deliver an economic package but seems to have forgotten the political nature of the conflict.
The Prime Minister, by changing prisms from a viable political solution to a developmental and economic solution has indicated in crystal-clear terms that his office is in no mood to budge an inch towards the demands of Kashmiris for whom the writing on the wall is clear ‘Aazadi’ (freedom from Indian rule).
A leading newspaper of India, The Hindustan Times recently in a report said, “The Modi government’s hardline strategy in Kashmir is a straight lift from the approach suggested by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in 2010. Speaking about protests that year he told policymakers not to overreact and give in. He said the crisis will pass off, “It looks big in the midst of it, they cannot sustain it beyond a point and even if they do there is a price they have to pay.” As an assimilationist strategy, it has certain astute aspects, but it will eventually harm India and damage Kashmir irreparably.”
The Narendra Modi-led government is making a blunder by prejudging the mood of the people in the valley. The political demands are responded to by cliches and phrases. The Prime Minister is giving absolutely no significance to the process of a sustained dialogue. The words of the Prime Minister does not match his deeds.
The Kashmir valley is heading towards a disaster if the government at the helm of the affairs continues to act in the same manner. The atmosphere in the valley is largely hostile towards the Indian establishment.
The people are looking for nothing short than ‘Azadi’ as they feel the enormous amount of sacrifices they have given for the cause demands it. The road ahead for both the Indian authorities and people in Kashmir heads nowhere.
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Image source: Daniel Berehulak, Rob Stothard/Getty Images
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