Saga of Kashmir Conflict
Special reflection by The Kashmir Scenario
The age in which we live can only be characterized as one of barbarism. Our civilization is in the process not only of being militarized, but also being brutalized. Alva Myrdal
In contemporary world of ours, every human-being is supposed to be a global citizen, so the logic demands us to learn and behave in accordance with the international citizenship: because present is a mixture of little bit past and more future.
The nature of current global context demands us not to act at the expense of one’s identity and keep concerns of others betterment. We should have firm belief in live and let live.
But all these things seem to be overlooked in Kashmir as humanity stands battered and bruised badly here on account of the unabated cycle of violence and counter violence from all sides having its roots in the unaddressed Kashmir conflict.
Over the weeks violence seems to be reinforced itself in a big way. A number of educated militants got killed in encounters in South Kashmir then one witnessed killing of Policeman and then a number of army men were killed in attack in Srinagar.
The gruesome side effects of this human pain were reinforced when in a tragic incident; the widow of one of the Army Jawans who was killed in a militant attack in Srinagar allegedly committed suicide just recently.
The incident is reported to have happened in West Bengal’s Bankura district. A 25 year-old Piu Nandy, wife of Aditya Nandy is said to have set herself on fire.
Pertinently, an Army convoy was attacked in Srinagar on June 24 by militants in which eight army men were killed and 19 others were injured, a day before the high profile two-day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi to Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand , the South Asian region is at the historical moment of transforming the economic conditions of its people and playing a leadership role not only in worldwide economy but also in the development of human civilization and this spiral of violence and pain in parts like Kashmir are going to adversely impact the prosperity of this region.
We fail to understand how the stakeholders are failing to learn that whether it is killing of Army men, Militant, Policeman or civilian. It is the human blood that is poured on earth and it means unending suffering of his family.
The response from the state which otherwise should have taken lead in solving conflict has been even more inhumane. Heart-wrenching stories are all alike around Kashmir – mothers wailing over their dead sons or wives mourning over their husbands killed.
And despite facing unprecedented repression, kashmiris continue to have relentless faith in spirit of humanity and are pained by every sad episode of violence that takes away with it scores of precious human lives.
Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikandar, a well-known humanitarian voice and a writer while commenting on this tragic saga states–
“Every Conflict has the tendency of sidelining or silencing the saner voices. If the conflict is embedded with violence then the situation becomes much more complex. Kashmir Conflict is no exception to this rule. Since the birth of contemporary Kashmir conflict in 1947, the human tragedy has been exceptionally huge, be it in form of refugees, migrants, political dissidents or prisoners. The human tragedy has multiplied and reached to demonic proportions since the initiation of mass armed struggle in early 1990s. The violence of both sides has consumed thousands, destroyed property worth billions, maimed hundreds, orphaned and widowed thousands. The disappeared, incarcerated, half widows have added to the already escalating miseries.
The tragedy of armed forces and police goes unnoticed. They too get consumed without gaining any empathy or sympathy from the masses as they are being witnessed as collaborators, occupation forces and perpetrators of atrocities. None mourns about their loss as human tragedy. The distinction between who is right and who is wrong gets blurred in the conflict, and the vicious cycle of violence continues in which innocent humans and State’s forces get consumed as cannon fodder, while the politicians, capitalists and elites with vested interests achieve their nefarious designs by keeping the pot of the conflict boiling.
The human tragedy and head count in Kashmir conflict has already been too large and it is bound to expand and escalate if concrete steps for resolution of Kashmir conflict aren’t taken. Peace will continue to evade South Asia if Kashmir conflict isn’t solved judiciously and justice rendered to the victims”.
All these violent acts are also having their own repercussions on family and home life as a result of these today it is a normal shame to find out that the most dangerous place for women and children is actually in their own homes – homes being the place where we actually find the most violence. Family life in our insane civilization has turned into a nightmare for way too many people are indulging in violent acts.
On the other hand clearly the latest cycle of tremendous violence in the troubled valley is a stark reminder that more than six decades after independence of both India and Pakistan, the disputed territory of Kashmir remains as volatile as ever and the mood on ground zero clearly indicates that that until a permanent solution to the Kashmir crisis is found, normalization of ties between Pakistan and India will not be possible and peace can also be not achieved , until the dispute is solved according to wishes and aspirations of Kashmiri masses. For the time being, humanity in Kashmir is under attack.
We need to remember that the list of countries and cities disintegrating or unraveling because of violence, economic and political turmoil, lack of food and civil unrest is growing. Human violence is a very important subject at this particular moment in time.
Pertinently, we are accustomed to hear the sorrow tales on account of Kashmir issue-We often get to hear that dead Policeman had ambitions to build a new house or enter his newly constructed house, a killed militant was aspiring to be a doctor or engineer, a killed army man was supposed to visit his home after long time. The shameful reality is that we all get consumed in this hate and death cycle and need to lead a forceful revolution as humans to make bigger powers sit together and solve this painful saga.
Violence has ‘always’ been a basic part of human nature and we have a lot to be ashamed of especially in our part of the world.
Humane voices are urging that let all the concerned parties keep humanity at forefront and solve conflicts in a humane manner.