SEPARATISM WILL BRING ONLY DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN THE VALLEY

Mukesh Devrari

Pakistanis are obsessed with Kashmir. The madness in Pakistani media is just spectacular to observe. Media is only taking the cues from the state. It has become difficult for Pakistan to accept that the two-nation theory has no place in the Modern World. It is impossible for the Islamic separatist movement in Kashmir to succeed. It is unlikely to succeed in any part of the world in this day and age. 

India as an aspiring modern nation determined to fight against Islamists in Kashmir. The entire world has seen how Kashmir valley was ethnically cleansed by terrorists and their radicalized supporters aided and abetted by Pakistan. All the Hindu families, otherwise known as Hindu Pandits were forced to leave their homes. Their vacated properties were seized by their Muslim neighbours with a sense of impunity. Their houses were burned by militants so that they could never return. 

Islamic militants gave Kashmiri Hindus two choices. Either to convert to Islam and leave the Kashmir valley. Kashmiri Hindus decided to leave and became a refugee in their own motherland. They were forced to live in the camps in various parts of India and mostly in Jammu, Delhi and Mumbai. They watched with helplessness how their houses and other properties were either burned by militants or captured by their own Muslim neighbours. Indian government failed in protecting its own citizens. 

Things have not changed much. Even now Kashmiri separatists are opposing Kashmiri Hindus to come back and settle down in specially created colonies in the valley. The Islamists with the help of their anti-India cahoots are spreading the lies that India wants to change the demography of the Kashmir valley. It is just a ploy to keep Non-Muslim Kashmiris out of the valley. It is well-known fact that Kashmiri Hindus cannot go back to their villages thirty years after they were thrown out of their houses due to security reasons. They will be targeted again by militants.   

It is the responsibility of the government to do justice with the victims of Islamic oppression in Kashmir valley and provide safe housing colonies in the valley to Kashmiri pandits. Muslim separatists can have no moral basis to oppose the return of Kashmiri Hindus back to the valley. However, radicalized youth shamelessly protesting any attempts by India to protect the religious diversity in the valley by preserving the rights of all citizens irrespective of their religion, ethnicity and sect. It is being alleged that plans to resettle Kashmiri Hindus in the valley are an attempt by India to change of the demography of the state.

The Islamic separatists want to implement Sharia law in the J&K. They already forced the movie theatres to close in the valley. They described music and films as anti-Islam. The women are also suppressed continuously, forced to cover their head after the armed militancy started in 1980s. The increasing Islamization in the valley poses a great threat to the liberal orientation of India. Pakistan has played a key role in destabilizing the valley. It has successfully used the medicine of Islam to indoctrinate youths.

India is constantly projected as a Hindu state. Kashmir was talked as land of only Muslims, as if religion is the only identity of human beings. Indian Muslims generally don’t wear their religion on their sleeves. India is home of all known religions in the world including of the all the sects of Catholics and Protestants. Its is the only place on earth where Jews were not prosecuted. 

It has been repeatedly emphasized that more than 200 million Muslims live in India. Kashmir valley is only a 15 per cent area of Jammu and Kashmir controlled directly by India. Jammu and Ladakh regions are getting back to normalcy after the removal of article 370 and 35 A. Only the Muslim majority areas of Kashmir valley are the hotbeds of separatism. 

It must be noted that people of J&K denied voting rights to Pakistani Hindu refugees who came to J&K in 1947 during partition. It is unimaginable in modern India people are being denied to vote in state legislative assembly elections after staying there for more than seven decades. Even the women who married to non-state subjects of J&K were not allowed to acquire the property, neither her children were considered as state subjects.

Removal of article 370 and 35 A is the greatest service done by the BJP to this nation. Temporarily it will lead to a lot of discussions and possible criticism. Pakistan and its staunch anti-India ally China are finding it difficult to digest. But all this is temporary. Coming generations will be greatly benefitted by this move.

It will lead to the unity and integrity of the nation, but India must remember any turmoil and violence in the valley will provide fuel to Pakistan and its allies to embarrass India internationally. We must make sure that restrictions remain in place in Kashmir valley for a long time to come. Life should be brought back to normalcy in slowly and gradually.

Even after most of the restrictions are uplifted, the monitoring of social networking sites should remain in place, as social media is used by Islamic separatists to spread lies and fake news. It also helps them in coordinating wild protests.

Although it cannot be a good decision to weaken state governments in the federal country, unfortunately, legislative empowerment of the valley became a breeding ground for separatist tendencies in the valley. So, it no longer exists.

End.