Yasmeen Khan
There are many assumptions made over stone pelters. Some say they are crazy, some categorise them among the jobless people and some believe on the theory of getting paid…but who they actually are…and why they do so…
Kashmir is back to the square one. Things are spinning out of control and situation is turning worse with every passing moment. On Friday, putting pro-freedom groups aside, youth on their own come on the roads and throw stones at forces- who are some seven lakh plus in number making J&K the most militarised zone.
On Fridays, mothers in Kashmir,are not very sure whether their adorable sons would return home or not.
Does it really takes courage to pelt a small stone?
Nobody in this world is such a ‘psychopath’ that he will go to a battlefield and start hurling stones at the security forces. Then what promotes them to do so?
Well somebody who has lost his brother in conflict, someone who still has his ‘raped sister at home’ and somebody who has lost his father in a conflict does not need courage to pelt a stone.
Well some people maintain that educated youth should not indulge in stone pelting like activities …..but Amir (name changed) has this in reply: His father was brutally murdered by security personals in front of him eighteen years ago. Justice was not done to Amir and his family still await justice. He has only one option left–to throw a stone.
Why do they pelt stones?
Stone pelting in Kashmir is not a battle between security forces and youth, but it is a form of expressing their outburst against injustice, brutality and oppression.
A stone pelter when goes to throw stones has this in mind: “I know there are very less chances of returning home alive still I fight against the brutalities and what allows me to do so is the faith in Allah and Jazba (courage) given by him.”
“When I go for pelting a stone, I never had an intention of hurting a policeman or a CRPF personnel, what I have in my mind is the killings of innocent people, rapes done to our mothers and sisters, and brothers who were killed for no reasons,” he said.
There are many assumptions made over stone pelters. Some say they are crazy, some categorise them among the jobless people and some believe on the theory of getting paid. The ground reality contradicts all the above interpretations because Kashmir without any force has developed an army of pelters whom an organization cannot hire for vested interests.
“On every Friday I protest against the killings and I will protest until we will get justice. I also want Kashmir to progress but not on the cost of murders. There should be a body to address our grievances and solve them for the betterment of all,” said Irfan( name changed).
The stone pelting generation compromises of educated youth who are aspiring like the youth of any other country. The future of these young Kashmiri lies in the hands of government. The only thing government has to do is to listen towards the questions each stone is asking.
(The views and opinions in this article are of the author and not of the organisation she works with)