Resetting the clock is not in our hands; the needles are moving at their regular speed, but our mind is not keeping pace with the time, and challenges that it has posed. This is Corona time inflicted sluggishness, ascribable to so many reasons, where everything is discussed except the human inertia.
This is no time to debate how did we reach here where more than 30,000 cases and 330 deaths were recorded in the first week of this month in Jammu and Kashmir. This debate can be put off for some time, because the virus has gained its top gear speed, and we have very little stamina to stop it in its tracks. There is shortage of resources, and it is also pointless to recall that how the things failed over the years.
Amidst all this, if we all reflect honestly, hasn’t this pandemic made the task of restoration of the past glory of J&K more difficult ? Second, there is a question, whether we are looking to the past glory through the hoped-for-bright future and where does our present stands ?
In some cases, the argument would be, let’s have the peaceful times of pre-1989 era, when tourists thronged Kashmir and ventured out fearlessly even until past midnight. That was the strength of the place. The safety of tourists was an evidence that how much trust existed between the locals and the visitors. Jammu and Kashmir was experiencing an era when things were moving in the right direction. It was in 1989 when the things had started going wrong; the gun shots had started puncturing peace, and the holes so created were filled by further political disruptions.
Two things surfaced up as a result: demonization of Kashmir started in the rest of the nation, and the Valley added to its own criticism when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving their homes and hearths. What was a trickle in the last quarter of 1989 became torrent few months later into 1990?
Once this minority community was out of the Valley – the wheels of demonization picked up the speed. Second thing was worse, that a vast section of the people, out of their emotions or fear started defending the indefensible. The cult of gun was given legitimacy and sanctity both.That’s where Kashmir faltered in 1990s.
It thought the rattle of guns and bombs would be louder than the narration of the demonization tempering the rest of the nation. It was wrong. Kashmiris had no idea, nor America had any clue that 9/11 will happen and there would be a world-wide change in perception on gun wielding men. Guns were condemned – Kashmir took some time to understood all this – but by that time the damage had already been done.
The damage did not stop there only. It expanded and showed Kashmir as a land where terrorists were born, bred and graduated with the political patronage. The political leadership of the times was discredited. This is an old story. But its consequences are visible even now.
Worse, there are no indigenous tools to repair the damage, and those who dared to suggest that a particular course of dialogue and understanding would help ease matters were mocked at. This has been the tragedy of Kashmir that it was not able to evolve a consensus on dialogue with Delhi. It was also ironical as it continued to plead for the national consensus in the country on the resolution of crisis. What it was expecting from 1.3 billion people of the country, it failed to do so. The 12.5 million people of Jammu and Kashmir could not rally behind one point of the talking points with Delhi. Those who attempted to talk to Delhi, or responded to Delhi’s calls for dialogue, were accused of Faustian bargain. The ” sell-out” was the term used for them. That also gave an excuse to Delhi not to pursue the dialogue beyond a point. It was an on and off game all through.
Post August 5, 2019 , another theatre is unfolding where any indigenous suggestion to repair the things is dismissed as rooted in the old concepts of the times when Jammu and Kashmir was a state , and that , too, with a special status. The whole thing is summarily rejected. This standoff should be ended with a middle-ground approach.