An old man felt pain in his chest. His son, a doctor, immediately gave him a pain killer and within ten to fifteen minutes he was relieved. After a fews hours of relief, the old man became restless again. One more pain killer and he was calm for another five to six hours. For the third time pain for the old man became unbearable and he started crying. The doctor again thought of injecting some pain killer but the old man struck back and asked his son better to cure the disease than to rely on pain killers.

This is a good advice for India as in Kashmir it has been trying pain killers only. It sends troops, cracks down youth, imposes laws like AFSPA and clamps down curfew etc. for last six decades. The recent protests which have so far resulted in more than fifty killings have a story to narrate for both India and Pakistan. When tempest strikes, all lofty trees bow down and those which do not, break. The important factor India has to consider earnestly is that in Kashmir the protestors are mainly those youngsters who are brought up in sheer turbulence of last two decades. They have seen force being used against them. Their parents were humiliated, tortured or sometimes killed in front of them during last twenty years. For India the time has slipped now because for the last 60 years they never treated people of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of their nation. 

  Kashmiris have been protesting against Indian rule right from the beginning. Decades have passed by and the mode of protest in Kashmir also underwent changes and it got the most dangerous form in early 90’s when the whole valley was engulfed by bullets and bombs which cost lives of more than one lac people. Ironically, India always masked the facts to mislead the world community and their own people as well. It is basically the matter of arrogance and ego that sometimes they call it the problem of unemployment and sometimes political unrest and at times economic packages come to their minds. 

There is every likelihood that the current situation in Kashmir might be the curtain raiser of some new historical event. India is frustrated, not knowing how to tackle the situation, the hostile Kashmiri youth are fearlessly marching ahead. They are taking the bull by the horns and are least bothered about their precious lives. Indian media and other civil and government organisations are putting forth suggestions to the Indian government. Some propose government to treat Kashmiris ruthlessly so that they don't react. But this way India has to kill and kill only.

So when the situation spins out of control like this, what can be done. Here the opponent does not like to kill but loves to get killed. The best thing to do is to listen to him patiently and make a sensible compromise because the killer never is a winner. The question is what the ultimate solution to the Kashmir problem is or can be? If every problem has a solution, what goes wrong with the Kashmir problem? Basically none of the parties involved in the Kashmir dispute so far have seriously addressed this vital issue. For Pakistan Kashmir is their jugular vein (Shah Rag), for India it is their integral part (Atoot Ang), for opposition parties both in India and Pakistan  and even in Jammu and Kashmiris it is used as an instrument to pull down  the ruling party, for most of the separatists it is a compulsion before which they buckle down. Everybody thinks of his survival at cost of innocent Kashmiris’ lives. Pakistan thinks of annexing Kashmir and India thinks of abolishing article 370 to strengthen further its grip over the state of Jammu and Kashmir, both of course two distant dreams.  

Most of the Indian journalists, writers, columnists and politicians openly condemn  killings in Kashmir. They bluntly talk of human rights violations at the hands of Indian troops but very few dare to suggest India that the only solution to the problem is to do what Kashmiris demand. They talk of economic packages, employment avenues, political undertakings and the like. They either fear to face the truth or they also accept it as true that Kashmir is Atoot Ang of India. If today’s opposition parties of Pakistan and India happen to rule tomorrow, they too will adhere to the policy of their predecessors. Here in Kashmir the separatists, even after experiencing a twenty years long period of turmoil have failed to reach a point of agreement. Everyone has his own office, own agenda and own style of struggle and ironically every Hurriyat spearhead considers himself the real representative of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Geelani alone seems to be the man behind whom people can rally.

So the pain can be tolerated anymore and pain killers have been tried for long. Time is to find a long lasting solution so that we don't lose lives.

(Isaar Kashmiri is a columnist from Tral who writes for Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Uzma. Feedback at 1722004@gmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST