Basant Rath Episode: Stereotypes Smashed To Smithereens

The Basant Rath episode has a message for people, bigger than what meets the eye. This is not about one person or one transfer or even the politics behind it. True, most people believe that he was honest and dedicated (although I have never seen him) and that he should not have been transferred in the way he was, but even that’s not the focus of this article. In fact, this is not about Basant Rath, but it’s about many stereotypes /accusations about/against Kashmiris (Kashmiri Muslims, to be precise), being smashed to smithereens.

The facts that have been ratified are:

   

1) Kashmiris are not against the Police, as such. In fact, the world will be chaotic without this indispensable department. As the website of JKP mentions, that it was in the year 1873 that formal Police force came into existence with one Police officer Known as Kotwal and 14 Thanedars for Srinagar City. This nuclear force would control crime and take care of law and order situations with the help of Chowkidars and “Harkars”, who were paid by the population out of their annual agricultural produce on a voluntary basis. This demonstrates the need of any society to have the Police so that people can have a peaceful sleep. People would love them, if they just do the policing-their real job, and not go out of their way to help Delhi’s repressive policies. People-friendly officers will always be honored. Interestingly, many Kashmiris who thought they despise the institution of Police as a whole realized that it wasn’t true when they found themselves admiring Basant Rath.

2) Kashmiris are not communal. They’re not anti-Hindu. Today, Kashmiri Muslims stand with a Hindu officer, and are mad at some Muslims, who they believe, could be behind his transfer. This is a slap on those hate-mongers who brand us communal and accuse us of Pandit exodus and radicalization, day in & day out. Let them know that Kashmir is a living nation that has a legitimate cause. We will neither compromise our morality nor our goal. We have no antipathy for the followers of any religion.

3) Kashmiris are not anti-India.  This one may surprise many, since this term ‘anti-India’ is being used as a blanket term for the people’s specific political aspiration, by the media. The fact is that they are against India’s Kashmir policy – to be precise. Quite frankly, Kashmiris don’t hate India as a country. They don’t hate Indians. Kashmiris despise anyone who attempts to delegitimize their birthright- be that an Indian, a Pakistani or even a Kashmiri.  When Kashmiris go out to different states of India, they don’t make enemies, but they make friends. Basant Rath was an Indian. That didn’t come in the way of people to be on his side.

4) Kashmiris, by & large, don’t care about caste and creed. They value, honor, and side with, honesty. The biggest distinguishing characteristic of Basant Rath is his honesty. From Kashmiri eyes, Basant Rath had no commonality with the people here. For them, he was an Indian, a Hindu and a policeman- a complete recipe for being abhorred, as per those who besmirch and slander Kashmiris, sitting on the TV. However, his honesty and uncompromising attitude towards his duty are what caught the people’s eye. Nothing else mattered. This malicious attribution of Kashmiris also stands defeated.

Yes, there was one negative fallout of this saga, on our young generation. If the rumors making rounds are really true, they may feel that working so hard to become an IPS officer and inculcating good values- like honesty- in them, won’t fetch much, but chasing the politicians will. And that is an extremely unhealthy signal. I still wish it to be untrue.

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