Kashmir unrest

More than ten-day long phenomenon of unrest in Kashmir Valley was taken up for debate in the Rajya Sabha with the beginning of its Monsoon Session. Kashmir is a sensitive issue but every Member of the Parliament, whether in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha is not fully informed on the nitty-gritty of this issue. Many among them have not even studied the history of the dispute and quite naturally, they are not expected to perform as effectively and pragmatically as they should in the debates on Kashmir. There are two aspects of a debate on Kashmir, which unfortunately most of the members intertwine and create confusion more confounded. One is the claim of Pakistan on Kashmir territory on the basis of religion, which India has been rejecting. The accession of Kashmir to the Indian Union has been on the basis of conformity of ideology and philosophy of governance of a modern state along the lines of democracy, secularism and egalitarianism.  The second part of the issue is the interference of Pakistan in the internal affairs of India particularly in Kashmir. This interference has been in terms of providing arms and ammunition to dissident Kashmiris and secondly to brainwash the youth of Kashmir by indoctrinating them with religious radicalism
Ongoing turmoil in Kashmir, starting on July 8 with the liquidation of a terrorist commander, is the handiwork of Pakistani intelligence ISI. Hate-India is the refrain of their opposition. The propaganda of Pakistan has gone so deep into the Kashmiri psyche that when the slain Burhan gunned down three policemen, who were of his religion, no Kashmiri opposition leader or descendant condemned innocent killing of the policemen nor did they give a call for strike. By plunging Kashmir into a state of violence and mobocracy, the leaders of Hurriyat and others clearly prove that they are for armed conflict and not for peaceful resolution of the deadlock. As a result of armed conflict thousands of Kashmiri men, women and children have lost their lives. Who is responsible for this heinous crime against humanity? Obviously those who perpetrated bestiality (haywaniyat) against human beings are responsible for this crime.
Mobs trying to attack army stations and installations, CRPF camps and posts and police stations are duly warned not to indulge in violence. What are the security forces going to do when unruly mobs believe they can attack the army, loot their arms and ammunition, burn their barracks and then use the snatched guns to let lose the hell of killing and murdering, loot and arson. Are the security forces expected to turn sitting ducks to be shot at one by one and then say they allowed themselves to be killed for the sake of insaniyat or kashmiriyat etc? And when the security forces take steps to protect themselves and their arsenals, and repulse the surging mobs, then the sponsors of violence beat their breasts and bring in the rhetoric of human rights and insaniyat etc. to prove they are innocent but victimized by security forces. Will this stockpile of arms and ammunition be trivialized by applying balm to the militants who brought it and want to use it? Will application of balm make us secure against it?
The Home Minister says and rightly so that the misguided youth in Kashmir are our own men and we shall discuss what their problems are. These problems will be addressed and resolved through talks. But nothing can be done in a state of turmoil.
Home Minister is very right in saying that external actors are pulling the chains in Kashmir. The finger is pointed towards Pakistan. ISI has embarked on immense brain washing campaign on one hand and pushing in infiltrators with arms and ammunition on the other. The total quantity of arms and ammunition smuggled from Pakistan and seized by the Indian security forces is sufficient for a big army to wage a war against India. This is the size of clandestinely smuggling in of arms and it should give an idea of how massive a mission of insurgency has been launched in Kashmir.
All this apart, the local administration and the central authorities have to take a realistic view and frame their Kashmir policy accordingly. All that contributes to the alienation of the people has to be avoided and discarded. Force to quell mobs going unruly has to be used with great restraint. The youth of Kashmir have to be drawn back to the mainstream and a sense of security and righteousness has to be created among the people. The Home Minister has suggested some corrective measures and more are on the anvil. He is going to take all political parties on board in formulating fresh policy in Kashmir. The State Chief Minister will be going to Delhi to brief the Centre about the ground situation. Obviously she may also talk to many more political stalwarts and thus build consensus on new approach to Kashmir issue. In the meanwhile the MLAs from Kashmir valley have the moral duty of visiting their constituencies and pacifying the surcharged emotions of the people so that normalcy is restored and loss of precious lives is stopped. People with eye injuries should be flown to New Delhi or a team of specialists should be flown to Srinagar to treat the affected people. Strict instructions have to be issued to the forces not to cross the limits of preventive operation so that people are not punished for no fault of theirs. At the same time the Government should arrange to provide essential goods to the people like medicines and food grains.

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