PERSPECTIVES ON KASHMIR VIOLENCE

Source - Wikipedia

Mukesh Devrari

There are allegations that Indian armed forces rape women in Kashmir. Indian armed forces kill young men and women in Kashmir. The Indian state is a monster full of rage and hatred and hell-bent on destroying the lives of ordinary Kashmiris. People in Kashmir face humiliation on a daily basis. There are hundreds of Kashmiri parents searching their lost kids who are picked and killed by Indian army in fake encounters over the years. This is a popular perspective on Kashmir nowadays. Newspapers sympathetic to separatist tendencies in Kashmir are full of these stories.

In light of these facts all of us need to ask one question?  Why India deployed thousands of armed forces in civilian areas in Kashmir. No matter how over simplistic this may sound, but India deployed armed forces in civilian areas to counter terrorists. Now it has become a chain. No one is willing to go at the root cause of the situation. For some, the root cause of the conflict goes back to 1947. As a Muslim majority territory of the Indian subcontinent, Kashmir valley rightfully belongs to Pakistan. In all the Muslim majority areas of undivided India, the British government held the plebiscite. All of them chose to become part of Pakistan without an exception.

Pakistanis definitely, have a reason to believe that Nehru shied away from plebiscite because he was aware that if he allowed it. Kashmir will become part of Pakistan. In an ideal world, a plebiscite should take place and Kashmiris must decide their own fate. But unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. The fantasies can never become a reality. The world would have been a very different place if history would have any sense of justice. In the present realities Kashmiris have no choice, but to live with India. As many other ethnicities like Tibetans in China, Baloch's in Pakistan and so on. 

The perspective of Indians towards Kashmiris can be categorized into three categories. The first section believes that the idea of India as one unit is important. It has to be protected in its present form, it has the potential to make our lives a little better. It opposes the militancy and separatist tendencies of all kinds in any part of India. The second section believes that the idea of India as one unit is not necessary. It is not worthwhile to pursue. This group supports separatist movements across India.

Then, there is also a third perspective. The more balanced one and can be considered a humanitarian perspective. It believes that by protecting the protesters of all kinds in Kashmir and other disturbed parts of India, whatever may be their demand, whatever may be their methods, we should strive to create a nation where organized state violence has no place.  

These three perspectives are competing with each other. The first section believes that these liberties cannot be taken in India as guaranteed. No matter how justified and scrupulous they are. India is not a mature unit. It just cannot handle large shocks. If you will push it beyond a point, it may break like a glass frame.

Now it all depends on how you are geared to see things. The second set of people who think they live in the moon, not earth dismiss the idea of a nation itself. They say when the whole world can be ours what is the point in loving this man-made unit (nation-state) beyond a point.

You make your choice as I have made mine. 

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