Kashmir Elections

The elections are over. People came out to vote in good numbers and so did those against the elections. Although a large population did cast her vote willingly, the might of Indian army was used to prevent others from freely expressing their anti election sentiments. As people swarmed to cast their vote in certain areas, other areas were swarmed by the police to prevent any expression of dissent. Unannounced curfew was imposed. For seven consecutive friday's no prayer was allowed at the biggest mosque of Srinagar. This election exposes many. Kashmiri people who swarmed the valley streets against Indian occupation in June 2008, came out to cast vote in December. They voted in the elections held under the Indian constitution. This is oxymoron. Is it the win of Indian democracy, let us not forget its intolerance to any dissent. Or, is it the failure of the separatist movement which seemed so powerful in June. My take is, it is neither India's win nor Separatists loss, it is a different ball game altogether. It is the people's game. People of kashmir are choosing who to back and when. Indian democracy or separatists are not the ones maneuvering people but it is the other way round. Both India and the separatists happen to be the players on the bench and the people of Kashmir choose who to back. Neither one could claim any victory over people and they are unable to understand the Kashmiris. Is it because Kashmirs are so complicated?

One aspect is clear, Kashmiris are unpredictable. It is not clear what they want. It may be because they are really confused themselves or may be neither India nor the separatists really understand them. It is completely possible that Kashmiris don't trust either one. I would put my chips on the latter one. Neither one has demonstrated the character that could be trusted. At the same time I believe Kashmiris need a little introspection and could come out in the open to express what they really want. The situation is already complicated enough to need any further complications. People of kashmir would do themselves and others greater good if they made up their mind and voiced it clear.

Freedom Within

I have always been wondering about this. How much freedom do we give to each other. True, we come out on the streets, mourn the deaths of others, resent what is happening in Kashmir. The most important question is what kind of people are we when we don't have a common enemy. What kind of a people are we when we are not seeking freedom.

There are more questions than answers.Here is an example; Lots of my people don't know their language or don't want to converse in it. For some it is not hip, for others it doesn't matter. Are we really the people we are promoting ourselves to be. If we think ourselves as Kashmiris, why is it that we are not even proud of our language. This is the essence of our culture. How come it is not important. Or is it that whenever there is a rallying point we all follow it and when that time is over we get busy with the normal influences of our life. I think we are not culturally proud of ourselves or our culture is too weak to bind us together. I am basing this premise on the influence of other cultures on all of us. I am not trying to question just the ability to speak the language here, I am talking about nationhood. The moment we step out of the crowd, we are not representatives of our nation. We are someone else. May be it is that only a small portion of the people really believe in this freedom from outside, rest are just followers of the tide. However, time and again we seek freedom from outsiders. Freedom for what? Why do I need to be free? I think everyone needs to answer that.
Is it for a cause or is it just so romantic. What does it mean for us to be free? We as a nation haven't figured that out. The answer to this is not really straightforward and it is an evolution but the important point is, are we in that direction? Where is my freedom to choose within my society? Are we tolerant of each other. Are we respectful of each other? Do the weak have equal opportunities? How often do we think about others?

What do we want?

There are protests everyday in Kashmir. More people keep dying and with it more families have to take more hard decisions. Everyday is tough in Kashmir. The uncertainity, the death, destruction and the choking of the expressions is pushing Kashmiris further and further into despair. While peple are out on the streets more pople want to secede from India than to stay with it. However, secessionism carries a different meaning for different sections of the society. I was talking about this aspect of our lives with Suhail recently and with that in mind I will try to represent the major secessionist factions within the Kashmir valley:
1. Mr. Syed Ali Shah Geelani thought: Uphold the plebscite promise and fulfill the resolutions of the United Nations. The United Nations resolutions on Kashmir give one of the two choices to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir state, India or Pakistan. Mr. Geelani is a supporter of merger with Pakistan and so are his followers. He does not believe in any other solution.
2. Another prominent leader is Yasin Malik. He is the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Libeartion front seeking complete Independence.
3. Hurriyat conference is an amalgam of various secessionist organizations. Its president Umar Farooq wants to secede from India but it is unclear whether it means merger with Pakistan or complete Independence.

With all these people and the majoity of the supporters for secessinism, it leaves people kinda divided about what it means to secede. Kashmiris are suffering but none of these leaders is able to give these people a single goal. While secession from India unites them but if Kashmiris have to negotite their future nobody knows what we should ask for. It is a divided society that is under opression. Leaders need to come out in the open and lay down their goals for this movement. People need to know what they are suffering for. If the leaders fail them they need to decide about their own future. How about letting people decide what they want within before they are asked to decide what they want to achieve.

Emergency?

The whole Kashmir valley has been under curfew for the past three days without a break. 8 people have been killed in police firing over the past 3 days. These deaths are on top of 31 shot from point blank range in the first two weeks of August. The newspapers cannot bring out their print editions. Local television channels have been barred from broadcasting news. This is an emergency like situation. All this because people had come out on the streets to peacefully express their desire to secede from India. India's democracy reached its limit after only 4 public demonstrations in the past two weeks when hundreds of thousands of people came out to demand freedom. Shame.

There are lots of videos on you tube showing the barbaric treatment, meted to the people for seeking freedom, by Indian security forces. Shame.

Return of the 90's

Kashmir has erupted once again just like it did in early 90's. The march to the Line of Control(LOC), pampore, UN military observers group in Srinagar and eidgah have destroyed the myth that Kashmiris have given up their desire to breathe free . All these rallies were big and people came out to express their desire to secede from India. It is funny how India thought that Kashmir problem would somehow go away if we stop recognizing the dispute. It is like you close your eyes and nobody will be able to see you. People are dying and they are saying something. Instead of brushing it away India should recognize Kashmiris as humans with dignity and listen to what they have to say. Shooting unarmed protesters will only make things worse. One of the arguments that I have heard from Indian experts is that everybody does not want to secede. Fair enough. I want to ask them, then why are you scared to hold a plebiscite or a referendum. I think it is time for India to honor its commitments to the people of Kashmir and let them decide what they want. Does India want people who will consider themselves as separate from the mainland or does it want their hearts to be with them. Kashmir's heart does not lie with India. It does not lie with Pakistan either. It is yearning for the space to decide its own fate. Don't tell it what to do. Give it a chance to breathe and to express. More curbs will make it more rebellious and India has already lost it although the territory is still under its control.
Separatists leaders must realize this as well. Don't try to be bigger than the nation. Listen to the heart beat of the people of Kashmir and do not ignore it. History in Kashmir has shown us enough times, what happens when a leader does that.

P.S.: People of Jammu and Ladakh will also get what they really want if this state is allowed to express its free will.

Blessing in Disguise

Jammu agitation for the land for amarnath shrine board and against kashmir and muslims in the Jammu region could be a blessing in disguise. Kashmir Intifada was for honor. Even during those tough days hindus were and still are being treated well in Kashmir. Jammu agitation is war against muslims. While the hindu fanatics of Jammu have yet again showed how ruthless they are by hurting muslims of Jammu and the valley as a whole through economic blockade, they have brought home the point to us, kashmiris, how dependent we are. I have always supported the idea of Jammu being a separate state. I believe they don't belong to us and we don't belong to them, so all these leaders who always consider J&K as one unit are mistaken in my opinion.
We should concentrate on ways and means to make Kashmir self reliant and live a life of honor. Calling for strikes is not the solution but working harder is, fast unto death is not a remedy but working harder to produce more to feed ourselves and others is. We need to learn to respect ourselves and always strive to be the ones giving than the ones receiving.

Kashmiri 'Intifada'

I came back from Kashmir earlier this week after a two months life changing vacation. I married a wonderful girl. It was great to go back to my homeland and meet my mom and dad and the rest of the family. Since it was wedding time so I also got to meet almost all of my close as well as distant relatives. Good times.
There were ten days during my vacation when we could not move out of our houses. Whole kashmir was protesting against the land transfer to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). This organization is responsible to manage the annual hindu pilgrimage to a cave shrine in Kashmir. For over a hundred years people (hindus) from all over India have been coming to Kashmir for this pilgrimage and the muslims of the valley have always provided the logistics. However, this year the government transferred around 40 hectares of land to this shrine board in the forest area. The transfer also included permission to make rail roads. Now wait a minute rail roads and concrete structures in forest area. This is even against the Supreme court of India ruling against the construction in forest land.
In Kashmir the problem was not just about forests it was about national pride. People saw it as an attempt by India to change the demography of the state (People outside of Jammu and Kashmir cannot purchase land in the state according to article 370 of the Indian constitution). It seemed like a back door approach to settling people from outside. People of Kashmir could not accept it and rose against the government. I saw people marching on the streets. Hundreds and thousands of them, shouting slogans against India. It seemed like early 90's when people rose against India and thousands of people would come out on the streets to protest. It was a revolution.
The leaders whether pro freedom or for India or for Pakistan had to but find ways to sail in the direction of the winds. After 10 days of street protests with 5 deaths and thousands injured, the government revoked this land transfer order. The government of Jammu and Kashmir lost support of its coalition partners (politics again) and did not have enough numbers in the state legislature to continue ruling. This resulted in the imposition of the Governors rule in the state.
The pilgrimage still continues with a record number of hindu pilgrims visiting their shrine. This is despite attempts by some hindu right wing organizations of Jammu trying to give it a racial color. They were trying to call these protests by muslims as protests against the pilgrimage itself. They were proven racists and defeated yet again. Muslims of Kashmir still continue to provide the logistic support to the hindu pilgrims.