The world outside can and must help them but it can only help such a lot and less . The militancy which erupted in 1988 served only to revive a problem which was dormant within the eyes of some. It exacted an important toll on lives within the area. The All Parties’ Hurriyat Conference which was formed in its wake has been an utter failure. Its leaders have only proved themselves to be a selfish and self-centred lot. They did not provide strong leadership or maybe a convincing strategy mainly due to internal bickering. That some prospered was no secret. the sole strategy they might come up with was the strategy of hartals which imposed an important economic burden on the folk .
Two persons are mostly liable for the decay and virtual collapse of the Hurriyat — Abdul Ghani Lone and Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Lone was a product of a political process, cognizant of its realities of political warfare. Syed Ali Shah Geelani quoted religious texts and poets profusely without much understanding. what’s revealing is his public claim — twice — to absolute leadership of the Kashmir movement. most rushed to reject the claim.
Only one man has struggled hard to stay the flag flying — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Only one man has struggled hard to stay the flag flying — the young Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who is under confinement .
The Unionists are represented by the National Conference, led by Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah. and therefore the People’s Democratic Party is led by Mehbooba Mufti.
The two-year old constitutional coup of Aug 5, 2019, has spared neither. Its aim was to destroy Kashmir as we’ve known it — the political entity and Kashmir’s political class.
Three politicians of some note are bought over and now operate because the king’s men. during this lies the danger ahead.
Towards the top of June 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a gathering between the centre and pro-India Kashmiri leaders in New Delhi . The lively Srinagar weekly, Kashmiri Life, published in July what was virtually the minutes of that useless meeting. Most of the politicians apparently spoke with a forked tongue; one line at the meeting, another to the press outside. What reliance can the people of Kashmir place on such leaders of the old fashioned , including the ‘new’ leaders whom New Delhi is grooming before our eyes? Predictably, the king’s men accused the prevailing leadership of lying while giving that meeting an entire load of lies and false claims. One participant who came call at flying colors was the courageous Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami of the Communist Party of India (Marxist.)
It’s no gain for the Kashmiris that Prime Minister Modi and residential Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed their pledge to revive Kashmir’s status because it was before the Aug 5 action. what is going to be its worth now if it might be snatched away so easily? the difficulty is that the restoration of Article 370 of the Indian constitution.
The member who completely prevented debate saying the matter was legal was talking through his tilted and frayed cap. The legal rule cannot, doesn’t prevent debate on a matter of public concern because the European Court on Human Rights held within the thalidomide case decades ago.
Outlook India’s Kashmiri correspondent Naseer Ganai has reported that some days before the second anniversary of the Aug 5, 2019, abrogation of Article 370, by New Delhi , the Kashmiri poet and actor Bashir Ahmad Dada had talked about “living in fear”. He said, “It’s not just the govt that’s liable for the Kashmiri’s fear-ridden existence. We, the people, also are spreading fear.” Ganai quoted Bashir Dada as describing how “his friends asked him to delete a Facebook post critical of the government”. The poet said: “They thought the police would arrest me otherwise. this is often what has changed within the past two years. Poets have given up poetry, columns by independent writers have disappeared from local newspapers and everybody is scared of talking.”
Meanwhile, Ifra Jan, the spokesperson of the National Conference, said that the govt says people aren’t angry, “but how does one quantify anger?” She asked, “Are people happy in non-democratic countries where nobody protests? In democracies, people show anger through public protest, which may be a democratic right. Will the present dispensation allow anyone to … say anything? A father who demanded his son’s body was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. If people were to protest on the streets, won’t their lives be in danger? A government muzzling people’s voices isn’t a symbol of individuals being happy, it’s a symbol of the govt being tyrannical.”
It is very unfortunate that her description perfectly fits the state of Kashmir today.
The writer is an author and lawyer based in Mumbai.
