Want to know what’s going to happen with the ongoing protest? Want to know whether, this time, Kashmiri leadership will come together for a real cause? I am not an excellent socio-political scientist, but I have—being a resident of J&K—learnt some lessons from several historical movements and did some calculations, by using them I can tell you the answer: probably this movement will fail due to the vague leadership and the chosen mode of protest. The way this protest is heading, I am afraid; it will be a bust. It will result in massive loss of human life and public property rather than a meaningful mean to achieve the long pending justice. The way we are protesting, it seems we have no vision; hence, any meaningful result seems to be a highly unlikely event and a distant dream. Because the administration, with all resources at its disposal, knows our nerves better, they know how to deviate this movement; how to fail it; and, finally, how to label it with irrational and misguided crowd behaviour. Therefore, Kashmiri leadership should take precautions and weave it in such a manner that it would end up as victory of Kashmiri awam with justified results in hand i.e. the culprits punishment. The success and failure of this movement is in our own hands. Now, the billion dollar question is: how will it happen?

How and why it will fail?
The way we are protesting, it clarifies three basic facts: (1) Kashmiri leadership has wide cracks, therefore, there is no unified call; (2) Kashmiri leaders are unable to guide people—especially, the mode of protest and; (3) our violent actions gives both governments’: the state and the centre, a face-off excuse and legitimacy to drive us away from rightful protest. Due to these three reasons (may be more), several times in the past, we have lost legitimate movements and, probably, if we don’t change our bent of mind, will consistently loose in future.
 
By protesting with stones and without a vision we have reduced ourselves to a mere characterisation of mob; rioters and; untamed irrational “a few”. Consequently, our behaviour or way of protest legitimises the state’s right to use force to control situation and disperse the protesters. As a result, innocent Kashmiris are losing precious lives and, on the other side, the government is unhurt and is consistent with its policy of repression, human rights violation and denial of justice. What is the net result? Big ZERO. Several historic movements failed in this manner. And, it seems this will also fall in the same historic line. Human life is very precious, therefore, it should not be sacrificed everyday on the nook and corner of streets or roads for a cause that could be achieved through easy, peaceful, and non-violent means—whose strength and success are internationally recognised and historically proved.

Kashmiri leadership should remember that Amarnath Yatra is right here. If the movement would take volatile twist, then in order to curtail its strength, the government will invite ‘crony politicians’ to cook a bitter communal dish which Kashmiri awam could not digest. I mean, in Jammu, they will invite Hindu right wing forces to jump into fore by initiating a parallel movement against Kashmiris on the name of separatists’ ploy to hinder Amarnath Yatra. We know this movement’s central focus is ‘innocents unlawful killings’ but the petty politics will turn it into provincial-religious movement: Jammu versus Kashmir, and Hindu versus Muslim. Unfortunately, if this happens, I am afraid, the cause and direction of the movement will lose its meaning, momentum and relevance. Soon, we will forget righteous cause—justice for innocents—and religious blood would start running fast in our heads and veins. Then from here, the beginning of the end of a legitimate cause will start. Finally Kashmiri awam will lose; government and Hindutava forces will win and victimised Kashmiri, in hope, will go home with a dream to initiate another movement another day. This cyclic process will go on and Kashmiri innocents’ body juice will consistently sell through newspaper and television for decades. The people like me will continuously bark (as one of my friends addresses me) and Kashmiri awam will again go on to ask its leaders: Where is the solution? Where is the justice?

We should not expect justice on platter from either government: the state and the centre. If they would have been so good and justified then, several years ago, the killer of 25,000 innocent people in Bhopal gas leakage, would have been behind the bars. Recently, our prime minister has attended G-20 Summit where, with the United States president, Brack Obama, he had (un)statesman’s talk; a full glass of wine; and had ‘give-and-take’ of praise worthy diplomatic lies. But, strangely, he forgets to raise a very important issue: the extradition of Union Carbide Corporation’s then chairman, Warren Anderson! If I correct myself, he has not raised this issue at all. If we are, still, expecting justice from our system; then let God come on earth and shake us from our wishful dreams. In democracy, we know that justice is always in our hands and legitimacy is in the government’s. The rational reality is that neither we can throw these leaders outside the system nor can we change them immediately because they have gained this position through a democratic process i.e. by majority votes. Then what can we do? Simple and well said, “if there is a will, there is a way”. We can limit and force them. We can make them accountable. For the present situation, if we execute our plan well, then the government has no other way except signing a charter of legitimate demands which would give justice to Kashmiris and jail to the culprits.

Recipe for success
So what to do? How Kashmiri awam will win? It’s simple: transform the mode of protest into a lifelong tested form known as satayagraha (non-violent movement)—invented by Mahatma Gandhi and successfully used by Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. It has one million percent legitimacy, dividend and success rate. And probably, no power on the earth—except the divine—can counter it if implemented carefully with determination and faith. The population of Kashmir valley is approximate 50-60 lakhs and if 10 percent of it i.e. about 5 lakh goes for satayagraha, with a mission of jail baro andolan, against governments’ atrocities and injustice, I believe, in ten days our government will surrender. No government in the world has a proper spine to face the massive and long lasting impact of satayagraha. The satayagraha is not less than a magic. Several might doubt whether it will work successfully in the present case. The historical facts, available all around the world, assure that satayagraha can give 100 percent guarantee of success than our applied formula of stone pelting. Following simple reasons guarantee that: (1) the satayagraha will take a true test of our government because our country is already struggling with jail deficit. To manage with such a huge inflow of political prisoners’ would be uphill task for any  government; (2) the state and national intelligentsia, activists, press and leadership will support this type of protest, satayagraha, which will also force international activists, press and leadership to follow and pressurise New Delhi; (3) due to satayagraha, New Delhi’s violent options would be ceased which had, in past, several times slapped legal movements and deviated them to a violent course; (4) due to satayagraha, “crony-politicians’” hindutava cards would be proved null and void; (5) Commonwealth games are around the corner, New Delhi would never like to drag this satayagraha for longer which would damage its image and finally; (6) under pressure from international organisations and governments’, New Delhi will definitely give up soon and will adopt a big fig-leaf shave through a legitimate proposal to end Kashmiris first satayagraha.

How to accept the deal
Here again Kashmiri leadership has to show some patience and vision. It will earn everything—fame, legitimacy and justice—if it takes smooth forward steps than their usual ‘back and forth’. It should limit itself to the realistic current demands because the moment it would ask more, which New Delhi cannot promise; the government machinery will again go for other options which might puncture Kashmiris new non-violent avatar and newly garnered international support. Here it needs control on itself. Kashmiri leadership should not demand for azadi, because it is altogether a different demand which should be dealt through other channels. Here our focus should remain on the unlawful killings. Therefore, New Delhi’s offer should be accepted on the basis of following demands:
• With immediate effect, all previous judicial probes should be made public;
•  With immediate effect, all recommendations of previous judicial probes should be followed;
• With immediate effect, all culprits—civilian and military—should be booked; and
• Finally, trial should proceed in speedy manner—within three months period—and culprits should be nailed accordingly.

What will happen?
In this way, Kashmiri awam will get justice, Kashmiri leadership will be recognised and regain its lost momentum; the state government will understand that accountability matters and viceroyship won’t; New Delhi will understand its limit of action and influence; and finally, Kashmiris image will resorted internationally—the world will understand Kashmiris are peaceful people who know how to get their rights without hurting themselves and others.

Final verdict:
Now we have both formulas: one is the ‘grand stone pelting’, whose success is questionable, and the other is ‘grand satayagraha’, whose success and strength is well established. If we want New Delhi should bother who we are; and give heavy promises before international audiences and take legal actions against culprits then I feel Mahatma Gandhi’s formula is the best. And if we want they should not bother, then the ‘holy stone pelting’ is good recipe for a thousand years struggle which seals our fate, defeat, now and then. Perhaps the time has come to make a right choice. It seems, Mahatma’s formula is still relevant and has something to offer Kashmir and Kashmiriyat.

(Surinder Mohan is pursuing PhD in International Relations from School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. Feedback at: sm_jnu@hotmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST