Last summer, the Valley was overwhelmed by several days of unprecedented non-violent public protest. It was triggered by the rape and murder of two young women from Shopian . But on the streets the people were saying "Hum kya chahte Azadi!" We are hearing this again this summer, triggered by the fake encounter of three Civilians in Machil encounter followed by unabated civilian killings.  Only the stone deaf could miss the cry.

Probably it is a misnomer to say that killings were followed or triggered by this protest or that protest. The fact of the matter is that the History of Kashmir is replete with killing of its natives by every  ruler selected  for its throne. Be it any regime, killing has always been the preferred tool to force him into tame submission.

Come 1947 and Kashmiris thought that the days of their agony and misery are over. They had just overcome the tyrant and autocratic rule of Dogras. Linking their fate to a country seemingly professing in Democracy, Socialism and Secularism, no person in the  wildest of his or her imagination would have thought that they would be subject to same unimaginable brutalities and tyranny, as were practiced earlier by Sikhs, Pathans and Dogras, by a Country priding itself as the largest Democracy of the World. And killings did not start, as some wrongly perceive, from 1989 but from day one when Indian Army landed here on the pretext of savings us from Tribal raiders. Infact, seventeen people, who  were among many present at  Airfield to welcome Indian Army, were done to death at the Airfield itself on the basis of mere Suspicion. Similarly many Kashmiri Muslims who were assigned to Indian Army(Known as Patiala Regiment those days) as guides, were killed by them after their job was over. Their highly decomposed bodies were recovered from  post vacated by them, after the regiment was told to proceed to URI Sector. Remember there was no AFPSA at that time which gives a legal immunity to an Indian soldier for killing a Kashmiri on the basis of mere suspicion but they still went scot free, taunting and mocking at  Kashmiris.

And over these past several decades the bloodbath of innocent Kashmiri youths at the hands of the trigger-happy Indian security forces has been going on. Be it the event of 1953 or the displacement of Holy relic, or the re-arrest of their popular leader, Sheikh Abdullah  or a mere protest against price rise or an agitation in an educational institution or the  infamous Amarnath Land row,  just one thing remains there for Kashmiris - the bullet.

And the policies of Indian Government have inflicted a colossal damage to the social fabric of Kashmiris. It has produced criminals in the shape of renegades. There has been a massive weaponisation of the state by forming Village Defence Committees, where arms are distributed on selective basis. A vast gulf, nearly to the point of no return,  has been created between the two Kashmiri  communities  namely Pandiths and Muslims in which the former have been compelled to live a pitiable life and become refugees in their own land.

A passing reference here to the shameless approach adopted by the National print and electronic media. The new Mantra adopted  by it  to defame Kashmiris is the “Amarnath Yatra”.  Kashmiris who have discovered this Yatra, organized and facilitated it for decades, are now being projected as some-one opposing this Yatra. Otherwise how does one  explain the continuous chanting of  “Yatra postponed” or Yatra timings arranged in such a way so as as to cross Islamabad during Nights” . This is a ploy that most suits the rulers, particularly the variety that thrives on suppression of voices of self-aspirations and trouncing of people’s concerns. It must be said with utmost regret  that the National print as well as the electronic media have failed in their duty in the last few weeks to keep a consistent focus on the Valley where Indian security forces are just not stopping their shameless routine of repression, firing and killings. For nearly than a month now, the Valley is on fire, but  the mainstream media in India has become apathetic to the fair reporting.

And Kashmiris are again on roads chanting  "Hum kya chahte? Azadi!" Protests have begun for all sorts of reasons but they are a manifestation of the simmering anger always close to the surface. And it is only the fault of New Delhi and its collaborators who have not been able to understand and reconcile that anger.

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

Lastupdate on : Sun, 4 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 4 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST