In a combo pack of rage and  satire, Jug Suraiya, noted  Journalist, Colouminst and  Associate  Editor Times of India, has delivered a sermon exhorting Kashmiris to Go to Pakistan in his Editorial Piece titled “ Kashmir Wool” in (ToI 11th August 2010). In a typical Jug Suraiya style, he has mocked Kashmiris for opting for Pakistan on the basis of its shoddy Democracy and  lop-sided Development.

Jug Suraiya, whom Khushwant Singh once referred to as “our own Art Buchwald” (A great American humorist) is known for his writing full of satire, wit and  humor. His regular Column “Jugular Vein” is a satirical column that skewers everything, from the mundane to the serious. I value and  respect his creative writing and it will  be a proverbial “showing  candle to moon” to attempt a rejoinder to his write-up “Kashmir Wool”.

But candle must be held and  lit, when there is darkness around. When false records are allowed to pass in history. When events are seen through colored glasses, conclusions are rooted in preconceived notions and heroes and villains are identified within  the false concepts of Patriotism.

Let me take up the first argument which annoys Jug Suraiya and  that is about Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s advocacy for Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan. Without holding a brief on his behalf, let me say without any fear of contradiction, that  Geelani has made it clear on a number of occasions that though personally he is in favour of accession of Kashmir with Pakistan, yet he will settle for any other arrangement, properly determined through a plebiscite as mandated under relevant UN resolutions. This averment, does not exclude even India from the show, if so determined upon a plebiscite. It, is, therefore, highly  unfair to demonize Geelani, merely for holding a view which is contrary to a majority of patriotic Indians.

The importance of Geelani can be assessed from the fact that even unblushing  Omar Abdullah without even endeavoring to exculpate himself from the crimes, he committed in Kashmir, endeavored to reproach Geelani to buy peace to  perpetuate his rule.

Instead we must take some positives out of  Geelani and  appreciate them. As Mr. Bhushan Lal Saraf,  says in his article “ Ideology Apart-he has shown Courage“ (Greater Kashmir 12th August 2010) It goes to the credit of Mr. Geelani to be honest, steadfast and  committed to his cause . It is Mr. Geelani who has referred to minorities as parts of his body  putting to shame the pseudo-secularists  whose priorities are determined by the exigencies of power.

The second argument of Jug Suraiya is about shoddy Democracy in Pakistan. Conceded that democracy has not taken roots in Pakistan. But then to be fair and to draw meaningful comparisons, one must  also  consider the record of democratic  India in Kashmir.

In 1948, following a one-sided and  dubious accession entered into  between India and  Mahraja Hari Singh, power was transferred to the Kashmir’s  most popular leader, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. In 1953 he was dethroned for no rhyme or reason. Bhakshi Gulam Muhammad, who had no popular support or mandate, was installed in Chair. In 1964 when Bhakshi was firmly in the saddle, he was removed under Kamraj plan. Thereafter non-entities like G.M. Sadiq and  Mir Qasim were put in place. Elections held during the interregnum were farce and  rigged. Come 1975 and  Sheikh Abdullah was again put in Chair by ordering Mir Qasim to vacate. Even the sanctity of rigged election, which had thrown Qasim as Chief Minster, was violated for Sheikh Abdullah because New-Delhi wanted him to be made a Chief Minster.

The face of democratic India is again on fore on the streets of Kashmir which we are witnessing  each hour and  each moment.  Zero-tolerance of human rights violations reiterated umpteen times by a Person, no less than Prime Minster himself,  has become a big joke. The way a stone-pelter or an unruly mob is showered with bullets  speaks volumes about the mindset of the soldiers and  rulers in New-Delhi. That Delhi uses the terrorism issue to "legitimate its repression of the Kashmiri people and traitors and terrorists have become the template for the disproportionate violence unleashed in Kashmir to perpetuate its rule- is a face of democratic India, which we had  not even dreamed for. The soldiers of this great nation which  positions itself as a champion of “respect to Women” have  left bitter folklores  of disrespect to them from “Kunan poshpora To Shopian”

When cries of mothers   for  her son’s bones  to be hugged one last time and  the attempt of fathers to shield  the   dead bodies  of their sons from desecration by  soldiers invites further bullets  from them,  and such actions are approved under the false  pretensions of patriotism, I think both democracy and  humanity have made an exit from India.

And while I am concluding this rejoinder, there is a news that both Houses of Parliament have been adjourned over the incident of killing of two farmers in police firing. Nearly Sixty people have been killed in Kashmir in firing by Police and  Security Forces over the past two months and parliament did not have even two minutes to observe silence in memory of those killed in Kashmir. And this is the Parliament to which we have also contributed six wise men.

 Mr. Jug Suraiya, I find no reason  for your rage towards we hapless Kashmiris. The satire you have made does not inspire any joyous or wonderful awe this time.

(The author is a practicing Chartered Accountant and   can be contacted for feed back at amzargar1@indiatimes.com)

Lastupdate on : Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
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