Aptly said: ‘In the war of ideas, its people who getkilled.’ Wars are simply clashes of ideological dogmas and subsequentturnovers. Nothing really interests history except escapades of those whomaneuver history. This has been the harsh lesson.
Using various combinations of instrument of power as a meansto defeat ever-evolving situation in Kashmir, is not a new phenomenon.
History tells us about the creation of force comprisingRazakars/Volunteers in the wake of Qabali foray into Kashmir post 1947.Razakars, meant for ‘security and surveillance’, eventually dabbled in familymatters and rivalries. Before this band of force could absolutely go out ofcontrol, it was packed off with many of the Razakar being absorbed in governmentservice where from they even got elevated to higher positions.
Another instance is that of infamous Peace Brigade formedduring Bakhshi’s rule in Kashmir post 1953. Also known as Khoftun Fakirs andnicknamed as 29—15(kuntreh-pundeh), this force was a symbol of brute coercionmeant to intimidate people.
In late 90s, the raising up of armed groups, called asRenegades, was again an indication of tackling Kashmir throughcounterinsurgency(COIN) campaign strategy.
Of late, there are disquieting developments hinting towardscertain ‘recipes’ that are pending experimentation in the kitchen of paradoxes.Perhaps, trying out crackpot plans in Kashmir seems compulsory. Small wonder,Kashmir falls under the category of such historical ‘redemption’. It is USP(Unique Selling Point) for many who morph it in their own exclusive way. That’swhy preposterous theories are dished out; clichéd justifications are dotted in.
Apart from chop-logic offered ad nauseum to experiment withthe troubling mystery called Kashmir, the COIN techniques are consistentlyafforded institutional agility to build tactical success. From deploying more forces to population monitoring andpsychological operations (Psy-Ops), the line of separation between acounterinsurgency and stability operations has, however, been blurred. Morethan three decades into conflict, the ‘strategic blunders’ continue tocomplicate the situation here.
In fact, it seems that concerted efforts have been unleashedto render the things in Kashmir anarchic, augmented by social media rumormongering. There is a structuralonslaught to make state-of-affairs messy.
There seems an intricate and baffling blend of politics andperversion at work. While projecting the so-called ‘concern’, the mainstreampoliticians actually seem exposing their hypocrisy. They always benefit fromtheir political wilderness without any set ethical purlieus. The policy makersand planners seem embarking on silly ideas, justifying their uselessness andinconsequentiality.
Nonetheless, the conditions in Kashmir remain challengingfor all of them. Kashmir is their fort. They fight their battle of interestswith ingenuity and a class of finesse for keeping their ‘jobs’ intact. Zeroingin their ridiculous plans/ideas, they proclaim knowledge of Kashmir dynamicsmore than the commoners here who actually face the brunt.
All said, Kashmir continues to breathe. And it has to. Forif it dies, numerous funerals will follow. Many shops will stop trading, manystores will go bust. There will be no market for absurd plans. The ‘hawalamafia’ will peter out. Money will ebb, mysteries will explode. However, thatseems highly unlikely since symbiotic survival guides the latter-day world, andwrithing Kashmir makes just a tiny fraction of it.