In past few weeks, strange and shocking incidents of chopping the braids of women have been reported in south Kashmir. Till date, more than 17 of these tragic incidents are said to have occurred at many places across south Kashmir, particularly in district Kulgam.
Although, these tragedies remained a mystery at first, with passage of time, the mystery appears resolved. A few of the persons behind this shameful act are said to have been caught by the public on spot and quite surprisingly it is the army men who are said to have removed the accused from the spots of incidence.
Taking away (for lawful actions) the persons involved in public harassment is the duty of the civil administration. But why is the army stepping out its jurisdiction?
The question is not easy to answer, but a popular perception is that the army involvement in the act is to create fear among the public. Yet a major perception is that the intended aim is to divert the attention of the people from the larger political movement dominating the state’s political atmosphere.
Meanwhile, people are very much frightened. Women fear to go to agricultural fields and even feel fear in moving from room to room inside their own houses.
However, the wrong act cannot be lacking a political angle in view of the volatile political situation here.
In the tug of war over political influence, targeting women can create a very sensitive and emotion charged situation in the Valley. It can potentially get people out on to the streets and push normal life out of gear.
Since things quickly snowball into great conflicts in this politically most unstable part of the world, political figures can easily take advantage of the situation to gain public sympathy.
With the Kashmir valley populated by the predominant Muslims and Muslim women seem to be the sole target of the braid choppers, a communal clash cannot be ruled out if anything untowards happens between the people and the army.
The ultimate result may pit the Hindu dominated Jammu region against the Muslim dominated Kashmir valley.
If such a situation arises, the electorate of the state will get divided with Jammu based politicians at an advantage while the Kashmir based political parties will get further out of public favour.
The image of the Kashmir based parties has already been low and negative among the people following their indifference towards the public miseries when the 2016 agitation erupted.
What is horrifying is that the polarisation may lead to the loss of life and property. Again the Kashmir valley residents will lose. Their economic conditions will worsen and the educational institutions will be a casualty. Patients will suffer and prices will rise.
Even the Rohingya Muslims living as refugees in Jammu will be trapped in more sufferings. They may become easy targets there and could be forced out of there.
A few days back following the anti-Rohingya violence in Myanmar, the Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka attacked the Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka to frighten them away.
Even India is considering to deport Rohingya Muslim refugees following tensions in Myanmar. These two instances show that the Rohingya Muslims of Jammu may become soft targets if communal tension occurs as a result of braid cutting incidents rising in Kashmir against the Muslim women.
Interestingly, the political leadership of Kashmir seems unaware of the braid cutting incidents affecting the very people whom they claim to represent.
The leaders, across the political divide, should have condemned the wrong act in strong terms. Their unanimous stand against it can prove a useful step in countering this immoral tendency.
However, their silence, even if well justified, can prove counterproductive by increasing the psychological distances between them and the public.
Meanwhile, the responsibility is on the shoulders of the government to bring the accused to book and ensure that such incidents stop immediately.
Sheikh Shabir – sheikhshabir518@gmail.com
