Kashmir is in agony again. It has lost thousands since 1947 and there is no end to this tragedy. Writings on the wall show no signs of relief in near future. Recent martyrdom of several precious lives is a point in place. Now army is again patrolling the valley. Many hearts are bleeding. We are adding to orphans, widows and depriving parents’ shoulders to their coffins. Why so? We Kashmiris need to rethink. Are we not wavering raising one slogan today and another the next day. Slavery of five hundred years has reduced us to a species of political blindness. For the past 62 years we have not been able to decide what we want and how to gain freedom from the clutches of Indian oppression. In fact we have confused India too. Deciding what we want and how to proceed to reach the destination is of paramount importance to achieve a goal. But deciding is something and building castles in the air is something different; former calls for exploring possibilities, computing data on the topic, analyzing it, interpreting it and arriving at sure and solid conclusion. All these years we have found ourselves divided over what we want to achieve. Speculations, building castles in the air and just dreaming, on the other hand, takes one to the depths of confusion, chaos and agony. This is what has exactly happened to us and we are suffering beyond expression. We blame one another for this chaotic state of affairs. We blame Shiekh Abdullah and rightly so. For, in my considered opinion, he had a mass following and could have decided one way or the other. But he left us at a crossroads. And we too are to be blamed for this situation. If he was not an honest, patriotic leader why didn’t we put him aside and create a new leadership in tune with our goals. Why did we shout: ale karenga, wangan karenga; Sher karenga, Sher karenga. What is most tantalizing is that we have dozens of parties all enjoying public support of varying degrees. Every party has its own agenda. However on introspection through real lenses we can divide them into two groups: one, in favour of the whole State’s accession to Pakistan, and second, independent J&K as a country. Ground realities take me elsewhere as I have a feeling that both these options are not possible in toto. Just as we want an option, Jammu too has a right to determine its fate. Jammu in fact has not been a part of this State from long. It became part of Kashmir after treaty of Amritsar. And, today it has nothing in common with us. They won’t like to merge in Pakistan or be part of an independent State. This is a bitter pill we have to swallow. Those in Bermingham or Mirpur turn blind to this reality because of ignorance. What is needed is evolving one cause, one movement, one platform, and one program. At the same time let us evolve a code of conduct for ourselves.

Five hundred years’ slavery has ruined our social fabric. We have last our conscience; we have lost our character. Washing dirty linen in public is not good. Otherwise one could offer glaring examples of how we betrayed our selves just for the sake of jobs, promotion or undeserving favors. It is time  we wake up and start afresh in right direction. This is the message of those martyrs who laid their lives for us all.

(Feedback at abdullah_drmohsin@rediffmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
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