Indian TV channels seem very furious over FIR being lodged against Major Aditya and others. It is possible only in this part of the world that nobody is talking about loss of three innocent teenagers but lodging FIR against army has become the talking point. Not only that TV channels expect their TRPs to go up by abusing, insulting and discrediting Kashmiris but they believe that their shouting makes them more loyal than the king and masses in the motherland see them as saviors of India’s unity, nationalism and patriotism. However, nobody tells a common Indian about the other side of the story which reveals that Indian media is doing exactly what Pakistan would have dreamed and begged them to do. Thousands of Kashmiris watching Indian TV channels everyday draw the conclusion from every single word being displayed on the screen that India and Kashmir are two different things.
Not only their alienation towards New Delhi increases but their anti India emotions and helplessness compels few brave hearts to join the armed struggle. Denying even nominal justice to Kashmiris gives anti India lobby effective weapon in their hands to oppose every single institution, party and individual who believe in fighting either within the system or the Gandhian way. Indian channels are giving Pakistani establishment enough material to increase venom and hate against New Delhi in the hearts and minds of every Kashmiri.
AFSPA never prevents a station house officer (SHO) from lodging an FIR against army in any incident but when someone not below the rank of CM reveals is like a breaking news in the assembly that she has talked to Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sita Raman and she has been kind enough to agree lodging an FIR against accused, it gives a lot of pain. If Mehbooba Mufti, rather directing SHO to lodge the FIR needs to beg Nirmala Sitaraman to do so, then let there be no confusion that not only the credibility and competence of Mehbooba Mufti but of the entire mainstream politics gets dashed to earth. When pictures of injured army jawans in alleged stone pelting are displayed on TV screens and retired generals, defense experts and political leaders are provoked to abuse innocent Kashmiris, it must be bringing a lot of joy on the face of Pakistani policy makers who deal with Kashmir for the reasons that these pictures create anger even in the minds of 80 years old Kashmiris. May these TV anchors explain that if the victims at Shopian and elsewhere have gone for some picnic to a foreign country and are expected to return soon so these anchors don’t even mention about their deaths.
The FIR against army would have been helpful to the state than the people as New Delhi through its media would have used it to send a notion within and outside India that it treats Kashmiris as its own people and Indian army is not there to kill but has some accountability. The FIR would die its own death for more than one reasons, however, the huge hue and cry raised by Indian media and rightwing forces has made a common Kashmiri to think that if FIR really matters then why has not been any FIR lodged against army or other security forces in hundreds of cases similar to that of Shopian incident.
One can understand the difficult circumstances Army is working in but does it mean that the deaths and killings at their hands should be celebrated and every word spoken by men in uniform is like if angels have spoke from heavens. With National Media adding salt to the injuries of Kashmiris, the state assembly which is in session in Jammu has made a joke of its authority. Any debate over killings or sensitive issues is within the competence and the fundamental duty of the Assembly, but it has to take the issues to the logical end and not make just hue and cry just to give cover to the shameful incidents. The assembly could have taken a much bigger decision in ensuring justice to Shopian victims and it would have given this institution some credibility but it seems that the assembly is being forced to work as an extension wing of security agencies and has just to manage the crises and facilitate in implementing New Delhi’s vicious designs.