Today's news is that a protest march is organized in commemoration of Burhan Wani, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen mercenary who was liquidated in a government operation and it was led by his father. Yes, he is a mercenary, not a terrorist or a freedom fighter or a jihadist. He is a paid employee of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, which offers gun for hire services to anyone who pays it to disturb communal peace. First thing to note is that the press has done a disservice to India by giving that massive coverage to a day-to-day operation of Indian Armed Forces and unwittingly, helped making him a martyr. His role in Kashmiri movement was a mercenary handler - get new recruits and he was killed in that process, which is a regular risk associated in his profession.
Now, coming to the actual topic. This is a very interesting shift we are seeing in the Kashmiri protests. Was India wrong, was Kashmiri politicians wrong, was Pakistan wrong is all secondary. Why are the politics played on the blood of innocent Kashmiris who don't have a proper guide to lead them to the right path is the real question. Burhan Wani's father comes in public and leads a protest march and says he is ready to offer his only living child, a daughter to the movement. First of all, it is ironic and hypocritic to see such a stand from a person who is a teacher by profession. I will rather call him a failure by not stopping his son turn into a monster. He lost his another son because Burhan was a mercenary. Was he not able to see the change in his son? How many Kashmiris excelled in academics and why was he not able to bend his son to that? What has he got by holding a gun, that too for better future prospects fully knowing that he will be liquidated one day? Every movement spreads by public support, not through a handful of safe houses. People in Kashmir are cowed, they don't support this movement. After all, no father wants to be in a situation where his small daughter asks him to take her to a park once he turns back from office and there is no guarantee whether he will turn back. Goering's quote, Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship. …voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country is more apt here.
Burhan Wani's father drew more crowds than the established Kashmiri troublemakers today. This is a great news in two ways. First, it will reveal the hypocrisy of these Kashmiri troublemakers. As it looks, very few in their subsequent generations are in the movement and most are are leading happy and cozy lives everywhere. Highlighting that single point - they are keeping their families safe all the while lighting pyres in other's houses is going to be their undoing. This brings to the forefront, people like Muzaffar Wani. He is on the roads today exhorting people to sacrifice their children for the movement. How many will? Surely, they don't want their sons to die in their prime for a few coins of pocket change. And it is a tectonic shift from a person who said, months before, "I am waiting for the body of Burhan. A militant does not live more than seven years. Burhan has already lived six of those. So I know his time will come"
Now, what is the real problem of Kashmir? No jobs and no hand over of benefits of being Indian. Very few Kashmiri leaders bleating Kashmiriyat in the name of Article 370 understand that it's the same 370 which is ensuring there are no jobs in Kashmir. Under 370, no non-Kashmiri can buy property and when he cannot, why would he be interested in setting up a business venture there? No business ventures, no jobs and no jobs, popular discontent. But, does any Kashmiri has got a guts to question the relevance of 370 in a global world? I would like to draw a comparison between Chandra Babu Naidu and Farooq Abdullah as administrators. Chandra Babu Naidu went extra mile to bring investments from overseas and wean off investors from other states making Hyderabad one of the top most cities of the world. Can we say, did Farooq Abdullah(and all those who came before and after him) did any such for Kashmir? The problem for Kashmiris lies in their leadership who is using them as cannon fodder for votes and nothing else.
Another interesting point is that Kashmir Valley, today, has a lesser population than Jammu. Then, why is there no delimitation to readjust the boundaries? There was a proposed delimitation in 2012 but it was put off amidst massive protests. Are we saying that protests are a way to subvert legality in governance? Why should people of Jammu and Ladakh, who, now constitute a majority, be the scapegoats of the derelict policies over which Kashmiri politicians operate? Don't they have any voice whatsoever?
Slowly, as people start moving into other parts of India for better opportunities, there is a shift in perception as to what India is, in the eyes of the Kashmir. The days where the only information people get is from rabble rousers is gone. One remark in a group discussion against India where one of them, just returning from Delhi or Mumbai counters it, stating India is not a devil as you are told to believe, is sufficient to force a hundred to introspect. Day by day, these numbers are growing and combined with the enhanced educational levels, let's hope Kashmir will become the paradise which it once was.
Now, coming to the actual topic. This is a very interesting shift we are seeing in the Kashmiri protests. Was India wrong, was Kashmiri politicians wrong, was Pakistan wrong is all secondary. Why are the politics played on the blood of innocent Kashmiris who don't have a proper guide to lead them to the right path is the real question. Burhan Wani's father comes in public and leads a protest march and says he is ready to offer his only living child, a daughter to the movement. First of all, it is ironic and hypocritic to see such a stand from a person who is a teacher by profession. I will rather call him a failure by not stopping his son turn into a monster. He lost his another son because Burhan was a mercenary. Was he not able to see the change in his son? How many Kashmiris excelled in academics and why was he not able to bend his son to that? What has he got by holding a gun, that too for better future prospects fully knowing that he will be liquidated one day? Every movement spreads by public support, not through a handful of safe houses. People in Kashmir are cowed, they don't support this movement. After all, no father wants to be in a situation where his small daughter asks him to take her to a park once he turns back from office and there is no guarantee whether he will turn back. Goering's quote, Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship. …voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country is more apt here.
Burhan Wani's father drew more crowds than the established Kashmiri troublemakers today. This is a great news in two ways. First, it will reveal the hypocrisy of these Kashmiri troublemakers. As it looks, very few in their subsequent generations are in the movement and most are are leading happy and cozy lives everywhere. Highlighting that single point - they are keeping their families safe all the while lighting pyres in other's houses is going to be their undoing. This brings to the forefront, people like Muzaffar Wani. He is on the roads today exhorting people to sacrifice their children for the movement. How many will? Surely, they don't want their sons to die in their prime for a few coins of pocket change. And it is a tectonic shift from a person who said, months before, "I am waiting for the body of Burhan. A militant does not live more than seven years. Burhan has already lived six of those. So I know his time will come"
Now, what is the real problem of Kashmir? No jobs and no hand over of benefits of being Indian. Very few Kashmiri leaders bleating Kashmiriyat in the name of Article 370 understand that it's the same 370 which is ensuring there are no jobs in Kashmir. Under 370, no non-Kashmiri can buy property and when he cannot, why would he be interested in setting up a business venture there? No business ventures, no jobs and no jobs, popular discontent. But, does any Kashmiri has got a guts to question the relevance of 370 in a global world? I would like to draw a comparison between Chandra Babu Naidu and Farooq Abdullah as administrators. Chandra Babu Naidu went extra mile to bring investments from overseas and wean off investors from other states making Hyderabad one of the top most cities of the world. Can we say, did Farooq Abdullah(and all those who came before and after him) did any such for Kashmir? The problem for Kashmiris lies in their leadership who is using them as cannon fodder for votes and nothing else.
Another interesting point is that Kashmir Valley, today, has a lesser population than Jammu. Then, why is there no delimitation to readjust the boundaries? There was a proposed delimitation in 2012 but it was put off amidst massive protests. Are we saying that protests are a way to subvert legality in governance? Why should people of Jammu and Ladakh, who, now constitute a majority, be the scapegoats of the derelict policies over which Kashmiri politicians operate? Don't they have any voice whatsoever?
Slowly, as people start moving into other parts of India for better opportunities, there is a shift in perception as to what India is, in the eyes of the Kashmir. The days where the only information people get is from rabble rousers is gone. One remark in a group discussion against India where one of them, just returning from Delhi or Mumbai counters it, stating India is not a devil as you are told to believe, is sufficient to force a hundred to introspect. Day by day, these numbers are growing and combined with the enhanced educational levels, let's hope Kashmir will become the paradise which it once was.
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