‘O bulbul, let the freedom urge possess your soul!
Bid goodbye to your cage, step out,
Gather your flowers & enjoy their bloom!
Speak out bold & clear, your voice-  need not falter
with fear, as when you sing within your cage!
In bondage, they serve you ample food,
Now gather in the fields what grain you can,
And see how sweet is even less food in freedom!’    
                                                                      (Mehjoor)
                                                                        
            For this freedom we are still striving hard. This struggle still continues for us every day and night. The Kashmir I was born into has changed tremendously since, alas! but not for betterment of its people or towards  any  progression for that matter, rather the condition has turned  obscure and murkier. I grew up amidst curfews, crackdowns, blackouts and indefinite strikes. I remember as a little girl I used to be terrified of the 'blackcat commandos' roaming scot-free in this part of our dear motherland. People of my generation have somewhat terrifying memories of this Kashmir which spring back to mind with startling reality as even today these sort of unfortunate incidences do occur often,  if not with earlier frequency. We got accustomed to living like this, attending schools in between strikes and calls for “hartals” As a child every story that you are told has a happy ending. May be this is why I am not entirely disappointed and still hold this strong hope that peace will Inshaallah prevail once again and my Kashmir shall be the same paradise about which I have heard from my parents.
     Though that hope still lurks somewhere in some corner of my heart, but the passion, the intensity that was, has definitely gone down. It pains me deep, to see or hear about the continuing despondent situation in Kashmir. The once called as 'Paradise on Earth'; has been chained and bonded by inhuman laws and converted into a fortress, wherein people have no say, no democratic right and can be mercilessly  harmed, killed as if they were mere dummies. It is a pity and I must add unfortunate on the part of Kashmir, that the Human Rights People do not find the incessant killings of innocents in Kashmir by unidentified elements, important enough to say or act against it. Let alone other countries, even in other Indian states, killing of a stray dog or any other animal generates  a huge hue and cry  and it is made sure that the accused are brought to book. But here the scenario is totally different, as Kashmir has been declared  an unstable state owing to the so called ‘security reasons’, killing of innocent people no longer becomes illegal,  questionable and no one is  likely to be held accountable even if the targeted  protesting people are a group of 10--17year old teenagers who hardly have a clue regarding their actions.
 
           The youngsters mostly teenagers need better guidance and making them tools should be immediately stopped. They are the hope for future and their loss can only bring disaster for the majority. Evolvement of a peaceful strategy is the earnest need of the hour.  A mixture consisting of ‘shunning violence, religious awareness and proper education’ can prove to be the panacea for the achievement of a logical goal and ultimate success.

 (Samreen  Naqash  is Final year MBBS:Govt, Medical College, Mymensingh,BD. Feedback at reen_mahi@yahoo.co.in)

Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST