Vinod Singh Negi
The tragic turn of events at Handwara recently is behind us. The Valley appears to be limping back to normalcy. The separatist machinations and morale appears to have received a ‘new surge’ (victory for them lies in strife and blood shed, peace and prosperity is doomsday). The security forces and police are at the receiving end once again, perhaps a little disillusioned and disappointed and in an introspective mode. Action leads to blood shed and inaction also leads to the similar results. The ‘aam aadami’, as happens in conflicts, is heaped with further miseries and agonizing memories to contend with for times to come. Pakistan as ever has the ‘last laugh’ and basks in the glory of its orchestration of the conflict over 65 years now; drawing the moral high ground in validating the ‘two nation theory’. Ceding ground in Kashmir means accepting defeat for Pak: ‘jugular vein’ eh!. Christine Faire rightly brings out in her book ‘Pakistan Army – Fighting to the End’; ‘Even if India gives Kashmir on a platter to Pakistan, it will still not cease its opposition or perpetual state of conflict with India, as it considers ‘India as an existential threat to it’. Existence of a peaceful, prosperous and secular India (with second largest Muslim population in the world) will question the very need for partition (the first slap to Pakistan was; independence of Bangladesh) and hence the rationale of the ‘two nation theory’. Thus, Kashmir in a way is the testing ground for the respective ideologies of the protagonists too.
So, what is the ‘ground swell’? Kashmir Valley of today happens to be a badly fractured society. The disputed legacy, prolonged conflict, painful memories of blood shed, sustained malicious anti- India propaganda, targeted half-truths, a deadly cocktail of religious and politics appeal and so on, have contributed to the current traumatic situation. The population that is the ‘centre of gravity’ in conflict zones remains divided into self-interested politicians, thick-skinned seasoned inefficient bureaucrats, separatist flush with Pakistans financial, moral and material support, terrorists, over ground workers, subverted media and Bar Council with misplaced notion of ‘Pro Kashmir necessarily has to be anti India’. These however form the minuscule 10% but of course wield sufficient power to call the shots and hold the entire Valley to ransom. The balance 90% are hostage to the moves and counter moves being played out everyday with crippling strikes and blood shed shattering and shaking their life everyday.
It isn’t easy to be a common man living in Kashmir. Day in and day out your loyalty is questioned. The dominant narrative; being anti-Indian, pro Pak is what a true Kashmiris is ! and to drive him to succumbing to this narrative social ostracism, potent threat of physical danger to life, property and women, religious invocation and finally extreme peer pressure to ‘fall in line’ is abound. It is fashionable to be anti- India, especially so amongst the youths, who are the cannon fodder for terrorists and separatists alike. Such is the vitiated atmosphere created by Pak, separatists, overt and covert workers and subverted media that nobody can come out and say ‘I am an Indian’. The fear and actual execution of reprisals is too strong and quick too. The perceived atrocities against Muslims in India, so called RSS threats and imagined and created atrocities of police and security forces have further clouded the environment so badly that it is beyond the intellect of a ‘commoner’ to see through the nefarious designs and vested interests at play.
So, what is the way out for the police and security forces? Disheartenment, disillusionment, disenchantment seem to be the obvious fall out of the vicious and challenging operational environment. With questions like; What are we dying for? Whom are we sacrificing for? being the apparent dilemmas. However, a calm, sane thinking will reveal that in the ‘melee’ ie Kashmir, the biggest casualty is the aam aadami, the ethos, traditions, culture and Kashmiriyat. ‘He’ of course is helpless and has to toe the line of the terrorists and separatists. After all ‘power in Kashmir flows from the barrel of the gun and the wallet of Pak’. So, if anybody can the turn the tide, its just the tireless and self less security forces and no one else. Be convinced that you are here for the sake of humanity and the ‘common man’. It is this ‘commoner’ to whose rescue, the police and the security forces have to stand. Your work spans across multiple domains; from anti terrorist operations to winning the hearts and minds of the Awaam. Continue weeding out the ‘bad eggs’ from the basket, dry up the moral and financial pipeline of the separatists but when it comes to the population treat them with true empathy.
And, when you finish your ‘tour of duty’ and get back to the peaceful environments South of Pir Panjal, carry a good word for the ‘Kashmiri’. Delink yourself from the narrative created by shallow mercenaries who never understood Kashmiri; of a sly, clever, conspirational race, appeased and made fat and well fed on Indian subsidies. Amidst the memories of flying missiles (stones!) recollect the warm relations that you shared with the people, the famed Kashmiri hospitality and care and finally the innocent Kashmir caught in the political cross fire. In doing so you would be building real good impression of real good people !
Finally and conclusively, we owe to our Nation and Kashmiris to be part of the solution to the problem and not accentuate them. And our ‘Dharma’ is to, work tirelessly and selflessly from ‘hope of success rather than fear of failure’.
“ become a possibilitarian, no matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities- always see them, for they are always there”
Feedback requested at vinodnegi@gmail.com
Disclaimer – The views expressed in the article by the author are his own and not that of any organisation or Kashmir Scenario.