A divided Kashmir

Call it our evolution or a mere coincidence that we seem tobe expanding fast politically and militarily at the same time. This growth orexpansion is more digital rather than on the ground which we are losing to manybetrayals, agreements and alliances since time immemorial.

Our mainstream politics is growing like weed these days.More attractive and lucrative adventure to tread on. May be powerful than thepetty chair of officialdom where one is bound to follow the set procedure tomove up the ladder. Politics somehow translates into a life time lottery forfew, born with lucky stars. So far, we have lucky dynasties. 

   

At the same time there seems no let up in the bloodshed,killings and bulldozing of houses. Our youth are playing with their lives andwe are losing our human resource.

The only issue with the mainstream is that it is expandingwith the same mantra of political solution of Jammu and Kashmir which to manyanalysts has become a hot cake to sell among masses. The other side of pictureis grim and gloomy. Many young men with the sole objective of dying for theirmotherland are also fighting for the same resolution of Kashmir.

What is happening in our forests and orchards.  Gunfights are a daily affair. After few daysof mourning, the family of militant is left to grieve alone or find way how tolive without any source of income or support. Not a single voice from Humanrights activists to Champions of democracy is raised as everything is equatedwith the “Terrorism”. That is how the population has learnt to liveamong all this chaos and mayhem in Kashmir.

 Not bad if manypeople, mostly young and dynamic from different walks of life join politics andpledge to change the face of the dynastic political landscape in Kashmir.  And, promise good governance, transparencyand jobs on merit to youth. But questions raised need serious thinking, why isit only Muslim part of the state that needs new political leadership and whyonly Kashmir is witnessing mushroom growth of political parties. Why Jammu ishappy with the BJP only and why is Ladakh moving too far away from the state ofJammu and Kashmir. Either politics has become a cheap commodity in Kashmir likeour life and livelihood or there seems somebody at the remote end of the statewith remote control in hand which has a historical tendency to change thechannels of their liking.

Many in India accuse Pakistan that the current movementstill runs on its remote control because Kashmiri boys have no resources to runon their own but the major shift in Pakistani politics since Gen. Musharafnegates this theory. Surprisingly, it was Pakistan few weeks ago that warnedIndia of Pulwama type attack by militants. This was yet another bitter pillhard to swallow.

Kashmir has virtually turned into a war zone where younglocal boys have become cannon fodder.  Both, mainstream and militancy are growing at the same pace in Kashmir.But the irony is that mainstream is also claiming fighting for the same cause.That is really worrisome, confusing and chaotic. If they believe in Indianconstitution, respect electoral system and adhere to Indian laws, they need toshow courage to speak truth what they believe instead of hiding behind theresolutions. While going through the agenda of one of the new formations, firstreference is made to the resolution of Kashmir issue. Can we ask how it ispossible? Exploiting gullibility of people again under the pretext of Kashmirissue tantamount to sin in the same manner as has been done seven decadesearlier when people were imposed with the solution beyond their expectations.

Is seven decades of political debauchery not enough?

Have we not tested every leader or every politician so far?They have not been able to safeguard Art 370 or Art 35A which were the onlytools they could have at least protected, how audacious of them promisingsafety and security to common man who has been degraded and de-humanized byaligning with those forces detrimental to the integrity of the state of Jammuand Kashmir.

 We need to ponderover the situation that we are losing four to five young boys daily.

And, we need to think seriously what type of politics isbeing played with innocent and gullible people of Kashmir who unfortunatelybelieve every word politicians tell them….

We have become a divided nation with so many groups andsects and policies and ideologies. Unless this divided house come together tofind middle ground for Kashmir issue, we are not reaching anywhere. Rather, weare losing everything, language, culture, identity and the sensibility… Mostof all we are losing our youth and our future….Think about itseriously……. 

These thoughts about politics are based on my experience ofbrief stint with one of the political parties. My decision of leaving family tojournalistic career to comforts of life in London was purely based on my dreamof achieving peace, dignity and safety for Kashmir. And, that was the promisemade by late Mufti Mohammed Syed to me before I committed to join politics fewyears back. The dream got shattered very soon from alliance to the continuoussnubs that undermined every decision. I left politics and the party after sometime and returned to my passion of journalism. My time was brief in politics,yet, the experiences are too bitter to remember. And, too hard to believemainstream.

The writer is an ex editor of BBC and Penguin author.

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