B L Saraf
A ‘shocked’ group of prominent residents of Kashmir and a few from the Jammu region have, as per the media reports, submitted one more memorandum to the President of India seeking ” initiation of dialogue for lasting solution to the Kashmir dispute”. Their first memorandum was submitted in September 2016. Describing themselves a “group of concerned citizens “, they have prefaced the second representation with a ‘sense of dismay’ for having ‘no response ‘ to their earlier memorandum. They say ” a reign of terror has been let loose by the Security Forces and JK Police across the breadth of State to quell the mass uprising in 2016 …….. Not only there has been no letup in atrocities heaped on general public, but new tools of oppression have been employed to suppress the people and trample upon the human rights. The Kashmir dispute, oblivious to the ground realities and historical back ground continues to be viewed as a law and order problem with military response as an answer.” They want to see end of ” excesses of security forces in Kashmir where, according to them “streets continue to be painted red with blood of the innocents.”
The ‘concern ‘ shown by these superannuated ’eminences’ tempts us to recall what Pakistani journalist, Raza Rumi has said, in his book Factitious Path -Pakistan’s Democratic Transition, about the activism of the superannuated Pakistani Ambassadors and the Generals :
“Many a former ambassador, the recent cohort to jump into the fray of activism, has found a great post – retirement vocation. Once the plush tenures are over and all that could be extracted from the holy cow has been extracted now is time to speak truth and condemn military dictatorship. Convenient and most opportune …….”
We grant it to the ” concerned citizens of the state ” that before invoking Presidential intervention in the matter, they may have been ” oblivious ” to the statement of a senior separatist leader to a Delhi based news channel “admitting” having taken funds from Pakistan for creating the, so called, mass uprising in 2016. On “admission ” where of Syed Ali Shah Geelani felt compelled to suspend his senior colleague from the separatist’s amalgam. NIA has launched a Preliminary Enquiry and, reportedly, questioned three prominent leaders of the separatist camp. ‘Concerned citizens” have amongst them a senior retired judicial officer and so many persons with knowledge of law. We will like them to emulate Geelani in this regard and suspend their judgment about genuineness of “mass uprising of 2016” till NIA comes out with report of the investigation on these murky dealings. And then revisit their impressions about the “lasting solution to the Kashmir dispute.”
It doesn’t bear reiteration that armed militancy is synonymous with death, destruction, mayhem, loot and plunder. That is the devastation which militancy inflicts in tangible terms. In Kashmir it has done more than that. It has stifled political imagination, aided and abetted construction of a sectarian narrative, quiet alien to the native ethos and environment.
The self-claimed concerned citizens may have their reasons to approach the President of India and speak for some Kashmiris. But in the same breath it would be incumbent on them to speak for other persecuted sections of the Valley, also, who have been thrown out of their homes. They must understand that it is important to conjoin the rights of majority in Kashmir with questioning views of the armed militants who speak of beheading anyone, not falling in line with their perverse and bigoted ideology. And what was the fault of poor Kashmiri Hindu boys and girls, employed to impart education to the Kashmiris and render other public service to them, that they were almost put to the sword in the transit camps where they had been lodged, across the Valley. While eulogizing the “public uprising of 2016 ” the negative aspect of this so called uprising ought to have been brought to the fore. Any way who has told these ’eminences’ that 2016 ” uprising has been across the state.” A couple of districts in the Valley can’t define whole State of Jammu & Kashmir. It would have done a world of good to their credentials,-as the “concerned citizens’ – had they a word of sympathy for these young employees and some sort of condemnation for their assaulters.
One can appreciate their helplessness in outright condemnation of the dastardly terrorist act which took away promising life of a young Army Officer in Shopian district. However, for the regard of sense of equivalence and being seen as unbiased these ‘concerned citizens ‘ ought to have shown solidarity with the bereaved family and shared its grief. More so, Saheed Captain Fayez too was a Kashmiri Muslim – a son of the soil. Citizenship, as a political practice is instantiated in the right to speak for others and not for one’s own tribe, only.
The group of “concerned citizens” comprises of persons who have held highest Constitutional and Statutory positions in the Sate – one was in the State Human Rights Commission. Failure of State in doing justice to the people and protection of their human rights, when these ‘ eminences ‘were in harness, is held largely responsible for the present unrest. Rather than showing ‘ after the event wisdom’ isn’t this matter for them to introspect upon. Or, else one will be forced to agree with what Raza Rumi has said about superannuated Pak ambassadors “. This low- risk strategy is paying dividends: a great white washing of all that they were party to, and all they let happen in front of their red- taped offices.”
In Kashmir, death and destruction has many fathers. The forces euphemistically called non – state actors are no less responsible in spreading the deadly disease. Therefore, a word of advice is required for them also. Nobody in his right senses can ever condone death or permanent disability of young students. But sometimes a word of caution is needed for the impressionable young also that they should concentrate on studies and not loiter in the streets with stones in hands.
There is no denying that J&K has some serious issues to content with. But foremost need is to stop madness visible in the streets of Kashmir and save human lives from being lost. Governments in Srinagar and New Delhi have a greater responsibility in this regard. The conscientious citizenry will help by having a holistic view of the matter and then suggest remedial measures. Instead of helping any one, a selective concern will aggravate the situation.
(The author is former Principal District & SESSIONS Judge)
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