The paradoxes of Kashmir The Statesman 13 Feb 18
The recent decision of the J and K state government to condone stone throwers, many of whom were habitual offenders, while charging army personnel, who were victims of stone throwing and opened fire in self-defence, in an FIR, is the latest confused news emanating from the valley. Photographs of damaged vehicles, injured army personnel and littered stones were ignored. Had the army opened fire first, there would have been no stone pelting. They were perpetrators of the crime, since they possessed weapons, despite their presence there, not on free will, but to perform a task. The father of the officer named in the FIR, along with a few army brats were compelled to approach the Supreme Court and NHRC to quash the FIR as also consider human rights of security personnel. The paradox of Kashmir.
Last year, Major Gogoi was targeted because he tied one individual to his jeep, to move out security personnel trapped by a mob inside a polling booth. His action saved lives of both, security personnel, whom he was rescuing and civilians who would have suffered if he opened fire. He was accused of violating human rights. His opening of fire may have been justified, since it was in self-defence. In the recent incident soldiers fired in self-defence and have been hauled up for the same. Hence, if you don’t fire, you violate human rights, if you fire, you are charged. The paradox of Kashmir.
The Hurriyat abuses the national leadership and praises Pakistan. It is aware of the suffering of the people of POK and Gilgit-Baltistan yet demands freedom of Kashmir from India. It instigates youth into violence, burns educational institutes, while their children study in safe locations. It is known to be involved in Hawala transactions and procuring property way beyond their means. Clearly anti-national elements. Yet the opposition claims they represent the masses and should be engaged in dialogue, as also are given security protection and funds from the government. The paradox of Kashmir.
Pakistan is responsible for maximum violence within the state. Its proxies are the Hurriyat. It is well known that Pak openly sponsors terror groups which target not only security forces but also locals. It is the violence generated by Pak, which has ensured that the state remains under developed and causes maximum economic loss to locals. Yet state political parties insist that government talk to Pakistan, which is clearly unwilling. The paradox of Kashmir.
The youth pelt stones and seek bandhs and strikes when locals are killed in either cross fires during encounters or stone throwing. There is no word against the same militants when they kill innocent Kashmiri policemen, politicians or on leave service personnel. Locals display Pak flags during the funeral of killed militants but remain silent when Pak guns target their own state brethren along the LoC. The paradox of Kashmir.
The locals demand azadi, which in their opinion is freedom from India. They seek a separate state, independent from both India and Pak. However, in all protests, they display Pak flags ignoring their own state flag. They continue to support Pak, despite it officially claiming that freedom would never be given. The paradox of Kashmir.
All either injured or killed in retaliation to stone throwing or in cross fire during encounters are claimed to be bystanders. This leaves the rational Indian wondering if stone throwing or an encounter is akin to a soccer match which could be observed from the side lines. Security forces target ring leaders at the forefront, not spectators in the background. Everyone who has been injured or killed was supposedly out on an errand and unjustly targeted. Locals claim that they could never harm anyone yet were at the forefront of the agitation. This only happens in Kashmir. The paradox of Kashmir.
Article 35A had the opposition NC and the ruling PDP combining to battle it together in the supreme court. Speeches by their leaders against the article were only given in the valley. Farooq went on to threaten on the possible scale of violence which would erupt, in case the article was tampered. Surprisingly, these political parties are meant to represent the state, not just a miniscule portion of it. The views of Jammu and Ladakh were not even considered. It is only in J and K, that the party which rules the state appears to support only a part of it. The paradox of Kashmir.
The army has borne the brunt of local anger, yet established good will schools, conducted tours for locals outside the state to give them a better exposure and provides medical aid in remote areas. It has greater visibility and contact than even the state government in remote areas. It is more aware of the happenings within the state than anyone else. Yet it is considered an occupying force and the advice of the army chief on education impacting the youth is rebuked by the state government. The paradox of Kashmir.
The recent incident when a LeT militant, Naved was freed in the Srinagar hospital was viewed as Pak attacking a hospital, rather than a failure on the part of the police, which moved him without being handcuffed to at least one policeman. In any other state, necks would have rolled immediately. In J and K, it took a week. The paradox of Kashmir.
Thousand attend funerals of militants, who target their own, exploit their women and rob their banks. However, only a handful attend funerals of local police and security personnel who sacrificed their lives for their security. The paradox of Kashmir.
The government provide maximum assistance to the state, mainly to wean the masses towards the country. In simplistic terms, the tax paid by the common Indian is spent on making the lives of Kashmiri’s better. Yet, there is only anger and hatred against the nation and its taxpayers, on whose largesse they live. The ultimate paradox from the region of paradoxes, Kashmir.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army