The Battle Between Pen and the Gun!
By Mudasir Ahmad Gori
Recently there has been a debate going on about the youth of Kashmir, no I would better say educated youth of Kashmir joining militancy. One is surprised by the self-orchestrated and fabricated stories that have been cooked in the cozy cabins about the state of Kashmir.
Well, perhaps they need to revisit the history books again and get themselves educated about the original narrative of Kashmir. Some of the basic questions that are often discussed are: Why do they (Kashmiri youth) join militancy?
A terrorist is a terrorist so what if he is a PhD or not and so on. Others say like Kashmiri students study in Indian universities then shouldn’t they leave Indian universities too. These are some of the very often discoursed questions that eat them up.
The answer to these questions is very simple. They are made to do so, because of the circumstances. Kashmiri youth irrespective of whether they are educated or uneducated join for the cause of self-determination. Why would a person, who has everything at his service, a good job, well-constructed house, and everything that a common man dreams of, prefers death over life? Because there is will to die now. Because his life is even more fractured, because he is not allowed to breathe freely, he is asked to show his identity in his own homeland by an outsider.
They believe they are caged and it has been a deliberate plot to do so. Because the blood of Kashmiri is treated cheaper than water. Because sisters are raped in front of their brothers on the pretext of revenge and avenge. Because they are fired bullets if they demand their rights. Because many have lost eye sight, fathers have lost sons and many sons have been orphaned. Because incidents like KunanPashpora and Asiya and Nelofar happened in Kashmir.
Because there are scores of unidentified and unnamed graves, one is wonder struck who is buried inside them. Every mother whose beloved has been subject to enforced disappearance hopes against hope.
The loved ones have not returned to their mothers. Because forces use them in fake encounters as a tool for their promotion. They either disappeared like MH 370 or Titantic without a clue of their whereabouts.
Because they are looted and plundered day in and day out on the pretext of search operation. Above all, there is a legalized illegality that troops are doing ever since their intrusion into this land of ours.
The truth is that India wants to put an end to the strength of Kashmir perhaps that is what they call “Operation All Out”. Killing every day, a civilian has been a routine. Now they fix ammunition in advance in certain selective sports knowing that people will throng in and get killed there and then.
In one of the recent episodes of #MeTOO movement a Mumbai based woman also expressed her story claiming how she was molested by an army officer when they were on a tour to Kashmir.
This may be an eye opener for those who claim Army is safeguarding the people of Kashmir. They did not spare the woman of their own country how can they spare a woman who dares to look straight into their eyes.
Even the forces enjoy impunity and not even a single case has been tried in any civil court. So, what if he is solider, no person is above law. Laws should be same for everyone. Being a solider does not guarantee you the right to touch and groop the body parts of an unknown woman.
I deem it fit negating the question of receiving education and scholarships from Indian universities too. I am in a state of a fix, is there any university in India which has exclusively some reserved seats for the Kashmir students. The answer is a big no, like any other foreign university the admission is open for all.
They conduct an entrance followed by a viva –voice, and then the list is out. So firstly, a student has to qualify entrance only then he can make it to the second step. We do it because of being able to qualify the exams and the respective interviews too.
India is doing no favour to us. We earn a berth in the university just because we deserve it. Now people like Arnab Gosawmi say we are paying taxes for them in universities, well certainly you are, perhaps you also need to be reminded that you’re paying of tax does not justify your forceful occupation.
Many great Indian leaders studied abroad especially in Britain, why did they go there? Britishers were colonizers. Why did they receive their fellowship awards and honors? The question simply is to enquire why is it hard for India to accept that we existed as an independent state and that we demand the same status even now; you were outsiders and will remain so.
Majority of Kashmiris want peace they don’t want either Pakistan too just like most of the people barb about Kashmiris wanting to go Pakistan. We are labeled with tags like terrorists.
They also (KashmiriYouth) understand taking to weapons certainly is not an option to solve the issue, but they are left with no choice. When did India listen to the peaceful resolutions, if they did why is condition of Kashmir still the same, it has gone from bad to worse and from worse to bizarre. They tried everything, had the liberalist attitude bore any fruit, by now Kashmir issue could have been resolved and the asserts (youth) could have been saved too. Many interlocutors were sent to Kashmir, what did they do? Even if some of them were honest to put their concerns before the officials. The officials turned a deaf ear to them.
Now that you may say that if they had chosen pen over gun may be that could have made a difference, I partly agree with you, but where I beg to differ is that, ManaanWani did the same, he wrote exclusively why he joined them. But certainly, there was a cold response from the officials because they could not digest it. Arnab is reluctant to listen to the voice of voiceless Kashmiris because he shares prejudice affection with Kashmir. He claims that “AzzadiNaiMiligi forget it”. It is as if Azaadi has to come from TV studios.
What is it they need to do; Kashmiri youth need to empower themselves at various levels. Then their voice will make a difference, then they may be heeded, their perspectives may be valued and understood. So, asserting power, important posts certainly not through elections but by dint of capabilities and abilities can make a difference. Let’s choose life over death and make a difference.
The writer is a research scholar and can be reached at [email protected]
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