The people of border areas in Jammu & Kashmir have been living in constant fear and threat, from the day India achieved freedom and Pakistan came into existence, but their sufferings would often go unheard & unnoticed unless the two countries would indulge in exchange of heavy shelling. It is only then that everyone would start talking all of a sudden about border residents. It is strange but a harsh reality that J&K had nothing to do with India’s freedom struggle or Pakistan’s surfacing up on world map but people of the state have been forced to become fuel for war of hate. Anybody who has visited the border areas, even once, feels pained while expressing his observations as every hamlet, every family and every individual has a painful story to tell. Unfortunately for pro resistance leadership these areas mean not much and the ill fated inhabitants are often believed to be getting benefited from Indian army and other Security agencies. Though it is widely believed that most of the young and old from these populations are working as army’s spies but those who know the reality will not hesitate even for a second to narrate the harsh reality that for army and other agencies, even those Kashmiris who really work for them, are not trustworthy. It may not sound good but the fact is that while army has a good faith and trust on border residents of Hindu community it is, often, not sure about your loyalty if you are from the other community. Border residents of Jammu Provence do get some attention in odd times but nobody cares what happens to people in Karnah, Keren, Kargil, Uri, Nowgam and Guraiz. Even for petty things these people have to be totally dependent on mood, mercy and the behavior of army. The story of ill fated people on the other side of borders isn’t any way different. Anyway whatsoever is happening nowadays at borders has only added to the miseries of people on both sides of LOC. However the hollow, senseless and unreasonable provocation by TV channels and some politicians has, as usual, not only shifted the focus from the need of addressing the core issue but has added fuel to the fire. Isn’t it childish for commanders in uniform taking pride in warning their counterparts on other side that a bullet will be answered with ten bullets, forgetting that bullets would not be retaliated with flowers in any case. The “ultra nationalist” media seems ensuring that the threat is turned into reality so that the mothers continue receiving coffins of their sons and leaders exploit these deaths for vote bank politics and TV channels make hue and cry to increase their own popularity. In such atmosphere even sincere condemnations and condolences fetch nothing. Any fatal disease leaves some one dead, so the condolence carries some meaning, but the human mistakes and a viscous agenda, under the cover of national interest, has turned human beings into wild beasts. It is absolutely laughable, and tragic too, when those, who are responsible for making human blood cheaper than water, start expressing their concern over cross border shelling and speak few words of sympathy with the families of deceased and glorify their sacrifices, without even knowing their emotions, compulsions and feelings. Prime Minister Modi has rightly said in a recent interview that India and Pakistan should join hands to fight poverty. Yes, both the neighbors should have other priorities like fighting poverty, corruption, illiteracy and giving a good and peaceful life to their people but even the spiritual sermons remain useless unless transformed into the actions. If he has truly realized the need of changing priorities let Modi Ji take a lead. If two prime ministers feel even a bit of the pain, of those who vote them for a better tomorrow but in turn get the dead bodies of their beloved ones, they can stop the dirty game of shelling and killing within days and once for all. All it takes is to be realistic and pragmatic and take a pledge to resolve the Kashmir dispute, the mother of all disputes. Unless and until this long pending and overdue issue is solved the dirty game can’t be stopped. All those are worst hypocrites who condemn killings but instead eradicating cause of these killings add fuel to the fire in the name of ultra nationalism.
The bloody game!
