Kashmir: Making sense in chaos
Kashmir: Making
sense in chaos
In Kashmir,
every act of brutality, corruption, deceit and dishonesty is not only committed
and glorified but also legitimised. One politician justifies killings and
maiming of the people by claiming that the other politician, when in power did the
same, or the worst. The politician accused of selling life, liberty, respect
and dignity of a people to New Delhi for power and perks instead of making his
position clear prefers to blame the accuser and his clan for doing the same and
being equally close to corridors of power in Delhi. Whatever the allegations or
counter allegations the fact remains that we tend to rationalize our wrongs on
the basis that the other is worst or at least equally wrong although we fully
understand that two wrongs cannot make a right. Mr. A’s acts of destruction,
deceit and sell out will not give Mr. B any right to do the same. We can fight with each other for what we believe
in, however, when deceit and corruption becomes the belief system and gets
legitimacy, we are all doomed.
Unfortunately,
politics in Kashmir so far has been only about attaining and retaining power. Moreover,
under the present circumstances power means power to inflict pain upon the
voiceless and powerless in order to control. The political elite is left with the
only job of using this power to silence the voices of dissent and maintain the
calm of a graveyard, which to many means restoring order in this chaotic place.
All the politicians whether pro India or pro freedom believe or seem to
believe, that Kashmir is an unresolved issue and must be resolved. However, the
argument put forth by the mainstream is that until the issue gets resolved, the
management of the state should be handed over to them. Time and again, these
politicians have used this mantra to attain power however, once the power to
manage is transferred to them by Delhi they use the same power to inflict pain
upon masses so that they are seen as loyal to the people controlling New Delhi.
They do not hesitate to commit brutalities against the people they claim to
represent. Whosoever the managers have been, although actually pawns but have
succeeded in making the situation in Kashmir alarmingly fragile and people
appallingly weak. In last 70 years of Indian rule, these people have proved
that they are being employed to kill and humiliate the masses they claim to
represent. This not only makes the Kashmir
situation more complicated but also the life of a commoner more difficult.
To
me it seems that the Indian state is and has ruled this place from the
background of fear; fear of losing the area, fear of not being able to control.
As a result, they also use fear to control the population. The democracy
existing in India with all its weaknesses and flaws has failed to find its
place in J&K. If some democracy manages to enter the area, it does not
reach to the people. No matter who rules India, the fundamental flaw in the
belief system is that Kashmir is to be managed by employing fear, creating
division and having maximum control. The fear is not only used to control the population
ironically, it is also used to control the local managers of the Indian state. Whenever
there is an occasion to take a stand or do something positive the Politicians,
bureaucrats and police feel so scared that they think they do not have the
power to change the things that need to be changed. However, when they have to
use the same power to crush the people and silence their voices with brutality
they do not hesitate to act. For them it is legitimate to use the force, deceit
and division to control the masses as long as their personal interest is safe.
They are fine as long as they can maintain the surface calm and keep the
situation manageable.
Government of India experimented and succeeded in creating a political elite consisting of the families who have essentially and historically been close to corridors of power. These families have a history of working against their own brethren. Initially the number of such families was small but with time and deteriorating situation, the number kept growing, particularly after 1990. These families are so caught up in safeguarding their interest that they do not know who they actually are and what have they become. Sometimes they justify their acts by believing that if one cannot fight an enemy one must join him. Mostly they tend to believe that they are doing it for general good. As long as they are close to the corridors of power, they will be able to save some people from the vices and brutalities of the enemy state. Tragically, they conveniently prefer to ignore that they are the brutalities the enemy state is committing.
Sometimes the oppressed and abused take refuge in the same system that abuses and oppresses them. Consequently, the system of abuse gets further strengthened with the increase in the number of managers and collaborators. There is sufficient evidence in history to establish that when the oppressed becomes a collaborator the oppression is worst. This cycle is so vicious that once you are in, you will have no other option but to protect the system that runs you. No wonder, most of the resources at the disposal of the state have shamelessly been used against its own people for the sole outcome of maintaining the status quo.
On one hand, we have people who use all their energies and resources in maintaining the status quo. They are afraid of change and the consequences of change. On the other hand, there are people who claim to work for changing the status quo by representing masses and running freedom movement. However, the lot is more confused than perspicuous. There is total lack of vision, creativity and innovation. They have failed to create some space for dissent within this chaos. As a result, they have all become reactionaries. They do not do what they are meant to do, there is a total lack of action on part of the separatists, rather all their actions are reactions to the actions or omissions of the ruling elite.
After the death of Burhan Wani, people of Kashmir have not only seen worst atrocities by the state but have also observed a total chaos and lack of understanding in political elite and separatists. There is no ambiguity for people who are on roads, in jails or in their cosy drawing rooms. They are sure what they want; however, they do not probably know how to achieve it, and how to channelize their energies into one direction. On the other hand, the separatists or the resistance camp seems to have once again misread it. They have gone into delusions. There is total confusion, ambiguity and dilemma about what they want and how to achieve it. Some of the leaders did not even hesitate to make “resolution of Kashmir dispute” and “aspirations of People” as their main political ideology. They seem to have failed in creating an unambiguous political ideology and carve out a role for themselves. With the lack of initiative and wisdom in mass uprisings the most used, misused and abused word in Kashmir is Hartal now.
The separatists recently invited people to share their opinion about continuation of strike in Kashmir, which has completed almost five months. No one in the meeting was allowed to show dissent or disagree with the mob. A specific group was raising slogans Sauda Baazi Nahi Chalegi (we will not allow the sell-out) as a result people who wanted to share abut calling off the strike did not speak at all and the ones who initially did, had to face the wrath of the MOB. A senior leader in a private meeting afterwards confessed that he wanted strike to be called off but did not muster courage to talk as he felt that the rule is to go by popular perception. It seems most of the people in the resistance camp believe in the same principle “that I will not take the blame” if this is the level of individual commitment where do we stand? Most of the good people seem to be concerned about their political Image, stature and public perception. No one seems to be fighting for the common good or at least some political ideology. May be the mechanism of fear that works here has rendered them numb.
We cannot expect social and political reforms from politicians; it can only be expected from leaders with vision, imagination and a strong value base. The choice is with the separatists whether they want to become politicians or the leaders .So far they have presented themselves as just another lot of politicians who have failed their own people., imagination and dreams.
If
we cannot tolerate dissent and disagreement in our own space how can we expect that
our opponents to tolerate us. When one cannot democratize institutions within one’s
own domain, how can one demand dissent, democratization and justice from the ruling
elite managing the state for their masters. When there is no scope to disagree with
the MOBS, how can one expect India to allow disagreement with her. One can assume that may be in the process of
making this place a just place to live in, these people have become neutral and
have psychologically accepted the wrongs of political elite as a punishment for
sins committed by all of us. They seem to have stopped fighting for ideology
and general welfare and common good instead created a myth calling it Resolution
of Kashmir problem. It would be naïve to think that by getting freedom or
becoming part of Pakistan everything in Kashmir will be fine and this place
will automatically turn into a heaven. Is it not our duty to strengthen the
systems, which are of fundamental importance to the people? Unless we live the values,
we believe in, how are we going to implement those values and ask people to
live those values. Values can only be practiced and lived. As long as we don’t
practice what we preach freedom will be a distant dream and even if freedom
comes true, the vision of a better tomorrow will never be realized. With every passing
day our moral graph goes down, no matter what our belief system is, we tend to
follow the devil rather than sticking to our values, and keep on blaming the
other. Our collective greed is taking us towards collective destruction.
Separatists have failed to provide an alternative to the mainstream politics. All that is happening is a reaction to what is wrong. There is no sense of what is right. They have not been able to explain the term Azadi, and what will happen with azaadi. There is not even a single organisation in Jammu and Kashmir practicing human values or at least talking about the systems that they want to implement. They have never declared what kind of system they are striving for. There is a natural principle “you can’t give what you do not have”. If we want a just system to be established in Kashmir, we have to establish that system in our day-to-day lives and practice that system for others to follow. If one is not able to implement values in one’s own life, sects, groups or organisations one represents or have control of, how can one demand the values and ideals to be implemented by the managers of the Indian state? One cannot thrive on the wrongs of the other. If mainstreams is wrong what have separatists to offer. How are we going to change the situation in Kashmir and what is their proposed solution. Merely talking about resolution of Kashmir issue is not sufficient to prove ones role. One must take responsibility and must not thrive on the wrongs of the other. We need to come up with the solutions in the given situation. Common People cannot be blamed as they are never at fault. It is the system, that teaches us treachery and deceit and it is the firmness of our resolve, to live our values, which can defeat the unjust and unfair systems. The system based on justice and equality can only be established by practicing it in one’s own life. If one is just in one’s domain, institutions and systems in one’s control the situation is bound to change. Otherwise, it is just a distant dream that cannot be realized. The struggle for justice & freedom is universal and as old as human existence. Therefore, if you are leaders, you must act with all your resources, energy, wisdom and faith, and if you do so there will be results, visible and measurable results and those results will be small victories leading towards bigger one.
A leader must be audacious and act with faith, take calculated risks, and not worry about his image or public perception. Whatever is done selflessly and fearlessly will yield results, otherwise we are all pawns of the same system that humiliates us, dictates its terms and manages us under all circumstances. If genuine leaders leave the political space open, crooks will definitely occupy it and use it to their own advantage. It is the responsibility of the leaders to represent people and use the ‘people power’ to change the situation and turn it to peoples’ advantage. For that, one must take the blame and own the consequences. Even if one fails at the first attempt one will succeed in breaking the monotony.
I feel it is pertinent to mention here that disagreement does not mean disrespect and listening to a different view or opinion does not mean accepting it. God bless J&K.
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