It's many weeks now with the same subject. And what else can it be. With no let up in the killings, you really need to force yourself to think of anything else other than this. The way things are shaping up in Kashmir can only lead us from bad to worse. After prime minister's announcement of blood-buying package, human lives have gone even cheaper in an industry called Kashmir. It took fifty lives for the head of a democratic state to `reach out' to the people and `feel their pain'. Not a difficult guess to make as to how many more will it take to actually make him do something on the ground. How much blood is needed for him to direct orders of punishment against those found guilty. With state government itself waiting for Hurriyat-G calendar next, one can't really hope anything from an emasculated administration like this. So it has only to be a prime minister that has to issue directives to punish even a cop on the roadside. PM's word-chewing about AFSPA and autonomy proposal has already caused a disquiet amongst the opposition in the parliament. The very idea of justice about Kashmir infuriates a large section of Indian politicians. Imagine what happens if the idea finds an execution. Well, that all makes a political debate. Whether a complete secession or an internal arrangement  within or outside the ambit of Indian constitution – as of now nothing matters as much as does the loss of lives. Political analysis apart, as human beings this must pain us more than anything else.

A 65-year-old civilian was killed in North Kashmir on Friday. The same day, according to newspaper reports, two youth were killed when paramilitary CRPF troopers resorted to indiscriminate firing on a procession at Bomai Sopur. This is in addition to the scores of injuries which go unaccounted as many injured succumb later without making news. It seems that we are following two types of calendars. One relates to strikes and the other to killings. Over the last two months it has been quite horrifying to note that the day the impact of violence seems to taper off, it gets triggered once more by another fresh spate of killings. On one hand New Delhi talks about reining in their forces, but what practically happens is quite the reverse. Despite ripping open dozens and scores of skulls, nothing seems to discipline them. And with no fear of persecution, that is bound to continue. By letting it happen, the state becomes a facilitator to this act of collective murder. The argument that what if the same happens elsewhere in India has been thrashed out beyond count. And here we don't have anything new to offer. Would you kill someone for just defying the discipline of curfew or for attacking public property or for using any violent means which can do anything but not kill. If yes, then how many get killed each day in the states where mobs go berserk on relatively pettier issues like cast-reservation or pay hike demand. There they are dispersed, here we are killed. And that perhaps is the underlying status that makes Kashmir different from the rest.

This has turned everyone from citizens to rulers into spectators who can't help but watch the bloodshed. The predictability of incidents have cast a chill over human psyches. What is happening? Where lies the way out? What should we do to wriggle ourselves out of the predicament we are in? How much should be accepted before the strike is called off? All these questions are making rounds and everyone sees it from one's own individual point of view. But one commonality observed in all is the pain of getting killed - to no end. Our young and old, men and women are being fired at indiscriminately. Whatever happens, everything culminates in the killing of a Kashmiri. A protestor, or a passer-by or an unconcerned third person – all fall. It's everyone's blood that spills on the road. Let everyone think and act. It's like a wounded body which doesn't make surgeons discuss the long term medication? It cries aloud to plug the wound first. The same way, we as a people are bleeding fast to a collective death. We need a tourniquet first.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST