13 August 2016

Kashmir: Being Human - The Way Ahead

Rahul Bhonsle 
Aug 11, 2016 

35 days are not a long period in the life of a nation that too a civilisational entity as India.

Yet for many in Kashmir this has been a period of transition from life to death and from sight to darkness in the wave of violence that has wracked the Valley after the killing of Burhan Wani leader of the terrorist organisation Hizb ul Mujahideen.

Will the all party meet being held on 12 August deliberate on this reality of the situation in the Kashmir Valley or will it delve on the perfidious role of Pakistan and its sponsors - terrorists groups and separatists who have “literally,” waved the flag of anti nationalism in the past five weeks will provide the way ahead for rebuilding peace and stability.

The Known – Knowns

The role of Pakistan has been dealt elsewhere, the agenda of the separatists who have exploited the collective emotion of empathy for the killing of Burhan Wani has also been recorded extensively and needs reiteration only to evolve viable strategies to counter the same.

Confessions by infiltrators from Pakistan on national TV are not enough to blunt the stream of propaganda from across the border led by no other than Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Nawaz Sharif. This turn of events if there is any is not surprising.

Kashmir is the last straw for every political leader in Pakistan facing serious challenge to his power and Nawaz is under the threat of being deposed over the Panama Papers leak. Rumours have it that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz is having a Plan B to scuttle the plan of the opposition parties for a sit-in on the lines held in 2014.

Zafar Malik writing in the Daily Times of 6 August states, “In case if government would be compelled to do any in house change, the former Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab could be given the slot of Prime Minister”.

Thus the desperation of Nawaz Sharif who sees protests in the Valley an opportunity to enamour himself with the Pakistan Army.

The Separatists have their own agenda encouraged by Pakistan, they are using the aroused sentiment and their well knit network of stone pelters and professional protestors to create trouble on the streets.

The Known Unknowns

There is a degree of support to the separatists particularly in South Kashmir which has seen much disillusionment over the past few years with withering of nationalist sentiment due to a number of reasons.

South Kashmir buroughs such as Tral the home town of Burhan Wani have not been touched by the much bandied development as compared to other areas in the Valley and thus remain caught in the grip of extremist religious sentiment.

Tral is a ghost town unlike other hotbeds in the North such as Sopore or Bandipore which are bustling at most times.Ironically one reason could be the location of these towns on the routes to the Line of Control and thus the networks that support forces there as compared to Tral which is off the main communication grid.

So are the other towns in the South which have been relatively deprived, for them development is just a word in the lexicon of political leaders from Delhi who visit the Valley sporadically and of local ones during successive elections.

Burhan Wani has another connection that is growth of social media through which he could rejuvenate the, “romance of terror,” amongst youth of the new millennium who had no experience of violence of the 1990’s.

This had also made the elimination of Burhan Wani critical for the state though it is stated yet to be proved that he had not participated in any terrorist attack himself.

Wani rekindled the hope of change through the gun for they had not seen the violence that destroyed the Valley like their fathers and elder brothers.

There are other factors also the alliance of the PDP and the BJP though may not have been strange in any other part of the country was fanned by separatists as a nexus an agenda for dissipating the special status accorded to Kashmir.

The unease increased as Mehbooba Mufti took unusually long time to take over as the Chief Minister adding to rumblings in her core constituency South Kashmir.

Despite these trends the outpourings took everyone by surprise – K Rajendra the Director General of Police in J & K an old Valley veteran would have perhaps handled Wani’s death differently rather than announcing the same on national television if he had anticipated the violence that was to follow.

The State government seemed completely out of depth while the Centre was somewhat detached despite a trip by Home Minister Mr Rajnath Singh.

Some Reason for Hope

It was on 10 August that a measured debate took place in the Rajya Sabha – the Upper House of parliament and an all Party meet has been scheduled for 12 August.

The text of the Resolution passed by the Rajya Sabha on the situation in the Kashmir Valley reads, “This House expresses its serious concern over the prolonged turbulence, violence and curfew in the Kashmir valley. The House conveys its deep sense of anguish and concern over the loss of lives and critical injuries caused by the deteriorating situation. The House is of the firm and considered view that while there cannot be any compromise on national security, it is equally imperative that urgent steps are taken to restore order and peace for the alleviation of the sufferings of the people. The House earnestly appeals to all sections of the society in Jammu & Kashmir to work for the early restoration of normalcy and harmony and unanimously resolves to restore the confidence among the people in general and youth in particular.”

Sadly it has taken some time for the parliament which was in session during this period to express empathy with the people of Kashmir

Yet the mood in the Valley denotes that all may not be lost and the all party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir on 12 August needs to rekindle hopes in the people by firstly announcing concrete measures for rehabilitation of the youth who have been injured during violence particularly victims of pellet injuries.

Willingness to engage with leaders including the separatists is another palliative though bitter for many, yet if talks can be held with NSCN IM General Secretary T Muivah then why not with Geelani even though he will certainly reject the outreach by the government, but others as Meerwaiz Farooq may not, we will have to wait and see.

A major impact of the outreach if properly structured and narrated to the masses in the Valley will indicate that there is empathy with the people and Delhi is willing to talk on hard political issues.

The talks could include aspects such as Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and demilitarising civilian areas. Some hackles are likely to be raised for it may be felt in some quarters that discussing such issues with separatists is anti national.

Yet democracies have to talk to the people and cannot rely on the gun alone to impose order. In sum a human approach is necessary for return of the people of Kashmir to a reasonable discourse in the days ahead

Wither Role of Security Forces?

That the security forces have to be commended for their restraint amidst heavy provocation is a given. To face the challenge of aggravation day and night with anti national slogans and Pak flags without resorting to mass actions has been to the credit of the leadership of the police, the para-military and the army in the Valley.

Deficits have been exposed and remedial measures have to be taken such as replacement of pellet guns, the government has done well to constitute a committee for the purpose.

Loss of control over civil society leaders at the grass roots is an equally serious deficiency – a political as well as security phenomenon and urgent action is necessary to overcome the same for this has allowed separatists to regulate normalcy in the Valley with the State enforcing rather than pre-empting the same.

The Test of 15 August

The final test will come not many days away on 15 August – the Independence Day. How well the Valley is able to conduct functions related to the same will be the acid test and for this an all party resolution which can defuse the sentiment of frustration and distrust and create a sense of hope will go a long way!

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