Kashmiris  are getting killed. Why should they? Both India and Pakistan, and more importantly, the people of Kashmir should look into this tragic trail of death of  fellow Kashmiris, some as young as nine and others who did not happen to see the 12th day of their life.  The Indian and Pakistani sides should  have a relook at what they are doing with Kashmir and, in Kashmir Pakistan is a factor in Kashmir.  There are two different prisms of looking at Pakistan’s role in whatever happens in  Kashmir: one , of course is the  window of history  that allowed Pakistan to  step in on the terrain of Jammu and Kashmir. Second is its  role in seeking resolution of  Kashmir issue. In its bilateral dialogue with India by positioning itself as a friend of the people of Kashmir. There is no one on this planet, as of today,   who doesn’t acknowledge how crucial  role Pakistan can play in  helping India or the people of Kashmir find a lasting solution.

Down from Jawahar Lal Nehru to  Manmohan Singh, and,  from Muhammad Ali Jinnah to  Yousuf Raza Gilani, each one of them have expressed the similar theme, but when it comes to dealing with the issue, the middle-ground is lost in the quagmire of murky rhetoric  by  both India and Pakistan. There are cheer leaders  propagating the hardline or  putting across such unrealistic theories  about the solution  of Kashmir crisis that  the whole context is lost.

Pakistan, despite its credentials as an Islamic Republic, is hardly  a place  what Kashmiris had  viewed from 1940s to 80’s, or to some extent even  in 1990s. The   violence that  sweeps  across Pakistan  is hardly  a magnet for any of the peoples in any part of the subcontinent  to  live there. It is the fifth  most dangerous place in the world.

 As Pakistan is gripped with its own set of crisis, its  role  in the world affairs  is getting diminished. If it is still allowing itself to be using its  geo-strategic location to be used for fighting the American war against terror, it ignores long-term  and disastrous consequences for its  people and  its own importance in the region.

Kashmir is  on boil  has become a cliché.  It is not a 2010 phenomenon. Both India and Pakistan need to understand this. It  had this  tag all along, since the times of Dogra rule. Today TV channels are telling  you so, earlier the media reach was limited,  rather negligible.  It serves neither Delhi nor Islamabad’s interests if this tag lingers on.  There is a need to play a positive role, rather than indulge  in blame game because that adds to the sufferings of the people and shifts focus from the real issue.

In 1990s, too, it was a Kashmiri getting killed on the Line of Control, in the interiors and suffering from day to day restrictions. The story is no different today, when stones are targeted at the men in khaki.  It’s Kashmiri  who is getting killed  whether in police/CRPF firing or in the stone throwing. Tufail Mattoo  was killed, so was  Rafiq Bangroo and  what about that nine year old child of Delina,  Baramullah or three youth of  South Kashmir. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that an 11-day infant and a government employee lost their lives in the stone pelting.   All of them were Kashmiris.

All of them are  victims. They, in no way, were the perpetrators, whatever  fiction might be woven to  twist the facts.   The situation in Kashmir today sits  in a picture frame of  leaders versus  commoners. The other side is a canon fodder.

Jessica Stern, an American  expert on the conflict situations  has analysed some thing like this about  such situations:“The leaders tend to live in comfortable houses and enjoy the trappings of their power: large cars, acolytes and bodyguards. They talk in generalities about the justice of their cause and the Almighty's firm support. Those who serve as cannon fodder, on the other hand, are likely to be young, vulnerable, socially disadvantaged and poorly educated, and to have a sense of personal or collective humiliation. Violence for the cause gives them a feeling of purpose, dignity and the transcendent experience of serving, and perhaps dying for, ideals that they regard as pure.”

Stone throwing would stop  some day;  curfews would be lifted and the typical administrative description of normal life : shops open,  traffic on roads, schools and colleges having attendance of students and the offices of their employees,   would be there. It has happened in the past and  it would happen again too.

For many, it would be a business as usual.  Then there would be  a halting progress on the Indo-dialogue front,  and some offers of talks from Delhi, its rejection by separatists in Kashmir and the mainstream parties as confused as they ever are would first ask for facilitation of dialogue  and all of a sudden would place them in driver’s seat. It doesn’t require the knowledge of a rocket science to tell that Pakistan, too, would  be making certain noises, loud of course, further amplified by some elements in Kashmir and elsewhere  asking India to withdraw troops, revoke Armed Forces Special Powers Act and check the  human rights’ abuses.

All this needs to be done. There is absolutely no other option. But at the same time Pakistan would be doing a great service to itself and  the people of Kashmir, if it uses  pure diplomacy as a tool to highlight its concerns, rather than applying other methods , which not only bring it into direct confrontation with Delhi, but also besmirch its image  at the international level, besides fueling trouble on its own soil.

India, too should acknowledge that the things cannot be wished away, nor Pakistan’s role. A negative attitude toward Pakistan pushes Islamabad to wall. It serves no purpose, whatsoever, in  condemning Pakistan  for the whole  trouble in Kashmir. If looked other way round, it would  be significant to note that if Pakistan is succeeding, India  has some areas which it has not addressed. It should focus on  that.  Pakistan should be brought on board, and it should be done sooner than later.

Another important aspect is that  the people in Kashmir need to grasp that it’s their problem , it will need an indigenous and realistic solution and they should not  see India through  one particular prism alone . There are sections in India who share their pain and grief and  understand  the rage and deep-seated frustration  at what is happening and  what ought to happened  has not materialized .

It’s a good thing that leaders of all  hues in Kashmir have told  the fundamentalists in India that the  street protests  or  stone-throwing, in any manner is meant to cause disruption to the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. The smooth  yatra is evidence of what Kashmiris are saying that yatris are welcome. A similar gesture in telling India that it should not view them through the prism of stone throwers, but  what’s behind it, would help in seeking a solution to the issue. Kashmiris  cannot afford to have yet another  generation consumed by  violence and counter-violence. This, they should tell both Delhi and Islamabad, and the best way of doing so is to present its intelligent faces in the forefront  and allow them to  work together  to get the results, instead of allowing themselves to be  grounded by  perpetuating  a hostile environment.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST