Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq
Once again, Kashmir is on the boil.
In spite of leadership being gagged, caged and confined, the so-called
"peace" in the valley has been shattered. So far 30 youngsters, most
of them teenagers, have been killed in cold-blood, hundreds are injured, many
of them critically by the Indian armed forces in Kashmir. Men, women and
children have been beaten up mercilessly on the streets and in their homes
across Kashmir. All this has been done to "contain" the angry
population of the valley, mourning and enraged at the killing of Burhan
Muzaffar Wani and his two associates. Burhan, a 22-year-old
Kashmiri militant commander
represents the fifth generation of Kashmiris since 1931, who are fighting for
their basic human right - the right to determine their political will.
Today it is 85 years since July
13,1931 when Kashmiris rose in rebellion against an oppressive occupation and
24 Kashmiris were killed in firing by the forces of the Dogra autocratic ruler.
Since then it has been a painful
saga of subjugation, oppression, misery by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. But
it has also been a glorious reflection of the their courage, fortitude,
resistance, resilience and repeated resurgence in the face of oppression. It
has been the triumph of the indomitable human spirit of people here to seek
freedom and the right to determine their political and everyday fate.
How ironical is it that on a day
when Mr Modi in South Africa boarded the same train in which Gandhiji had once
journeyed and was moved and inspired to fight for India’s freedom, his regime
mowed down scores of young civilian protestors with their guns in Kashmir.
These civilians were demanding the same right to freedom that Gandhiji had felt
in the racism and oppression of that train.
Aren’t these double standards
practiced, we ask, by the world’s largest democracy that it sought freedom from
the British when it was a subjugated land and people itself and now it not only
denies us that very freedom in Kashmir but even refuses the acknowledge our
yearning for independence because it is the subjugator this time.
I here want to directly address the
people of India. For the sake of humanity, justice, peace and progress in the
region, people of India need to know and understand the truth of Kashmir and
play their role to end our subjugation.
The aggressive posturing and
approach of the Indian government with regard to Kashmiri people and its
disputed nature has greatly led to the deteriorating situation here and can
lead to catastrophic consequences for the whole region. The propaganda that
they are constantly promoting through certain print and electronic media is
that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, that it is like any other
state of India and that the people of Kashmir consider themselves Indian, and
there are few fringe elements creating "trouble" at the behest of a
neighboring country. It is a lie. They substantiate this argument by saying
that a certain percentage of people participate in electoral process by voting
and exercising their choice.
While it is a fact that certain
percentage does vote to elect a governing body, it is only for the
administrative purposes and for basic infrastructural facilities and amenities.
It has no bearing on the disputed nature of the place and this is where the
distinction needs to be made and understood. Even the pro-India parties here
don’t dispute this truth.
I want to remind the people of
India that we have tried our level best to resolve this dispute with the Indian
State through dialogue. And recent history is testament that New Delhi and not
we thwarted such efforts. We were always and shall always remain ready to come
to the table if your government is seriously willing to talk resolution based on
the principles of justice and not surrender. There isn’t anybody more
interested and willing than Kashmiris to permanently end this conflict and live
in peace. The Indian State’s definition of peace in Kashmir isn’t acceptable to
us. It is surrender. The current regime’s agenda has transcended the programs
to maintain and ensure status quo as a solution. Instead of listening to our
genuine political demands, their only response is to use military force to kill
us. They want to change our demography and are turning this political issue
into a question of our very existence as people.
The state of J&K as it existed
on 14th of August 1947 is a disputed territory, recognized by the UN, India and
Pakistan, who are the other two parties to the dispute. The main stakeholders,
however, are the people of this land, who have as yet not been granted their
right to determine their political will. It is for the achievement of
this basic right that the struggle and suffering continues since 1931. It is
for this right that over one lakh Kashmiris have laid down their lives. The
baton of freedom has passed on to our fifth generation. For us, it is a moment
of great pride and great pain as we witness our next generation joining the
journey of freedom and sacrificing their lives. Which nation wouldn’t?
I want to ask those, who call these
young idealists "terrorists" that in which terrorist’s funeral will
you witness hundreds and thousands of men, women and children participating
that too defying restrictions, risking their lives and ready to face bullets.
I want to ask what do you say to
the sentiment that makes our youth so daring that they pelt stones when they
know that they will be retaliated with bullets and be killed and yet they fight
on again and again.
I ask the people of India to wake
up to the reality of Kashmir and understand that the issue needs to be
resolved. The longing for freedom in Kashmir will not die its own death, as
some would want Indian people to believe. History of freedom struggles world
over bears witness to it.
Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq
Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference
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All the views are
authors own
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