There are two ways of looking at Kashmir of today: to look back at the squandered chances, or to create new moments of hope and promise for future. History cannot be ignored for there are many lessons to be learnt from it. But staying hostage to the tragic past is a bigger mistake because that darkens new and innovative ideas of the future.
Kashmir conflict is a dark reality. And, so is the wish of many peace-loving people to end it. This passionate wish is not to the liking of the vested interests that live in the morbid world of reaping their conflict-perpetuating dividends in ever-expanding graveyards. The day these self-servers — separatists and the mainstream alike — will realise the value of life of others, the dignity of living in peace will spring up automatically.
The past 70 years, including the 30 years of high bloodletting, have not brought Kashmir even an inch closer to a solution, while the graveyards are expanding by miles. When you don’t have a plan for today, tomorrow is as doomed as yesterday. Separatists and their patrons in the mainstream should know that.
One of the strong reasons for this misfortune is that there is partnership in bringing death and destruction to Kashmir. These partnerships between the groups operating in the Valley and Delhi have their own methods of wreaking destruction. They draw their pleasure from schools in flames, hartals, restrictions, street protests, pellets and bullets.
How separatists operate. An example of that is here. On a chilly December day in 1990, separatists (of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front) held a rally in the surroundings of the revered Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Their rhetoric was laced with anti-India abuses and the solemn vow to “liberate Kashmir to usher the dawn of freedom”.
A few journalists curious to have a view of the dais were asked to stay away. The warning came with a threat: “Don’t you dare move closer (to the dais), otherwise we will throw a grenade at you.” The slogan for Kashmir freedom sounded hollow as the freedom of others was threatened.
The prospect of a solution gets killed when guns and grenades are used. Their fear within was demonstrated with the brandishing of weapons and explosives.
The mainstream was much more dangerous. It is a master in forging and breaking alliances only to realign and often with the sworn enemies. Well, that is an acceptable part of politics. In Kashmir, it has different connotations. At least since 1975, I tend to forget that how many times the Congress and the National Conference forged an alliance and then swore against each other. This political see-saw is now so familiar that people have stopped trusting them. The worst happened when the PDP waved the green flag to keep the BJP at bay and then allowed itself to be covered with saffron colour after the 2014 Assembly election results. At times, feeble attempts are made to assert green and saffron identities but the people have seen through the opportunism of both as they have discovered it in the case of the Congress and the National Conference. All this is for power, claims to the contrary notwithstanding.
To date, Delhi and Srinagar have not been able to deliver on their promise to put in place a roadmap for a forward-looking Kashmir. That anti-thesis to guns and graves hasn’t surfaced yet. This also illustrates Delhi’s relationship with Kashmir that has worsened from hope to despair.
The real worry is about what course Kashmir charts for its future. The actions of its leadership and that of the Indian nation are of consequence not only to Kashmir but to the whole of the subcontinent. The ringing message at the moment is that the leadership will have to assume greater responsibility for defending what Kashmir stands for and what it looks forward to. There is a need for responsible partnership between Delhi and Srinagar beyond the game of power-sharing.
Delhi, Kashmir must look beyond power-sharing ties
