New Delhi appears determined to prove to young Kashmiris that it is a tyranny, opaque and arbitrary in its use of power.
In the charged summer of 2010, an irate cleric from the central Kashmir town of Badgam showed me startling evidence of India's plot to destroy Islam in Kashmir: an improbably large potato. The potato, he claimed, contained pig-genes which would defile the faithful.
Last month, Usmaan Raheem Ahmad — the man behind the high-yielding potatoes which the cleric had claimed induced impiety — was denied entry to India. Mr. Ahmad's path-breaking work on rural empowerment, urban entrepreneurship and women's rights had been publicly endorsed by the Chief Minister, the Governor and even the State police. He was seen by them as representing the kind of progressive intervention needed to drain the swamps of religious chauvinism and backwardness in which the Badgam cleric thrived — opening up the prospect of a new, vibrant Kashmir. For reasons no one in the Central government is willing to explain, though, New Delhi chose to shut Mr. Ahmad's work down.
Full disclosure: I made several attempts to find out why Mr. Ahmad was denied entry and to see if the problem could be resolved. I was told, variously, that Mr. Ahmad had worked on a tourist visa (not true); that he met with secessionists (true, but so does the Home Minister); that a 50-page Intelligence Bureau report concluded his organisation, the Mercy Corps, was working too closely in coordination with the United States (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government, some critics say, also does). No one actually accused Mr. Ahmad of a crime.
Paralytic malaise
In the grand scheme of things, Mr. Ahmad's fate is perhaps trivial — but his story illustrates a paralytic malaise that has gripped New Delhi's policy on Jammu and Kashmir. In recent months, this malaise has manifested itself in dogged efforts to persuade young people in the State that India is a mindless tyranny, opaque and arbitrary in its use of power.
No one has seen fit to explain to the thousands of young people who saw hope in Mr. Ahmad's work why it was abruptly terminated. Nor has New Delhi explained its decision to stonewall the Chief Minister's repeated calls for phased demilitarisation. Not one reason has been given for why the government can't find the time to discuss A New Compact, the report of the three interlocutors it had appointed in 2010 to address the causes of street violence and police firing that claimed over a hundred young lives.
This pattern of behaviour isn't just mystifying: it's outright dangerous.
The report of interlocutors Dilip Padgaonkar, Radha Kumar and M.M. Ansari — whose details were made public by The Hindu earlier this month — essentially seeks to put Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional future on a firm basis. It advocates limiting New Delhi's future ability to intervene on legislation that does not concern the country's security or vital economic interests. The document calls for power to be devolved to the provinces, addressing the ethnic-religious anxieties and resentments that have underpinned so much of the State's problems in recent years. It calls for economic regeneration on this side of the Line of Control, and trade across it — another issue that Mr. Ahmad was working on.
Few of these proposals are contentious: as the New Compact acknowledges, some of the ideas it deals with date back to 1952. Indeed, if there is one criticism to be made of the document, it is that the New Compact speaks to an old Kashmir: there is barely the whiff of radical idea in the document. New Delhi's decision not to begin discussing the New Compact bodes ill for the future. Kashmir is changing in ways that are imposing seismic pressures on its politics and polity, making real political dialogue imperative.
First, Jammu and Kashmir is urbanising rapidly — a process that creates huge social strains. In just the decade between 2001 and 2011, census data show, the urban population has increased from a quarter to a third of the population as a whole. It is hard to overstate the importance of these numbers. In 1951, soon after Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, over half of the population was rural — and 10 years later, two-thirds were living in the countryside, as radical land reforms giving rural migrant workers the opportunity to become peasants kicked in.
Secondly, Jammu and Kashmir is seeing the birth of the largest youth cohort in its history — another source of strain. Three in five Jammu and Kashmir residents are either under 19 or over 60 — and the young are growing fastest. This means there is great pressure on the productive age group, and an urgent need to create new jobs for those who will soon enter it.
Thirdly, two decades of violence have left much of the population ill-prepared to deal with the new world that has emerged around it. The literacy rate has gone up only marginally, from 55.52 per cent to 68.74 per cent. The Planning Commission's last State development report on Jammu and Kashmir noted that “all the districts affected by militancy have a low literacy rate.” Kathua and Jammu, it noted, stood at the top of the pile; Srinagar at the bottom.
Himachal Pradesh — a State with terrain and social conditions not dissimilar to Jammu and Kashmir — illustrates the point: even adjusted for population, the State has better education, health facilities and tourism infrastructure.
Dangers ahead
From New Delhi-based scholar Navnita Behera's survey of media consumption by young people in Kashmir, there is some evidence that this generation has attitudes quite different from those of its elders. There remains among young people in Kashmir a substantial constituency for secessionist politics: 36 per cent of those seeking azaadi — who made up a little over half the respondents — defined it to mean independence from India, accession to Pakistan, or a shari'a-governed state. Even larger numbers — 61 per cent — however said they understood the term azaadi to denote greater constitutional and economic rights; one in 10 simply wanted the army out.
This is evidence that the secessionist constituency is diminishing. The problem, though, is this: this generation is also disconnected, as never before, from the political system. Two decades of violence strangled democratic politics. New Delhi is now delivering the coup de grace. Little empirical work has been done on the issue, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that young people in search of agency are turning away from organised politics to diverse forms of religious pietism, consumerism, or nihilist street violence.
Kashmir's jihadist movement was, at its core, a form of anti-politics that arose from a crisis just like this. In the 1970s and 1980s, pressures on small farmers — and growing hold of a new class of contractors and urban élites on the National Conference — created a reservoir of discontent among its traditional constituency. The party increasingly turned to religious chauvinism to hold on to its following. The Muslim United Front, representing the urban petty bourgeoisie and the rural orchard-owning elite, did so too. Islam, for the classes which backed the MUF, was an instrument to legitimise the protest of a threatened social order against a modernity which held out the prospect of obliterating it.
Price of failure
Kashmir, scholar Thomas Marks has argued, was flattened by “a demographic tidal wave of unabsorbed youthful males appearing in the late 1980s”, precisely the time “political issues called into question the legitimacy of the existing order”. Politics ought to have addressed these issues — but New Delhi's decades-old de-institutionalisation of democracy in the State ensured it could not. The price of failure was tens of thousands of lost lives.
From the English civil wars of 1642-1651 to the rise of European fascism, similar demographic trends have fuelled epic violence. In an exhaustive 2006 review of the evidence, social scientist Henrik Urdal concluded that “relatively large youth cohorts are associated with a significantly increased risk of domestic armed conflict, terrorism, riots and violent demonstrations.”
“War is father of all,” wrote the ancient philosopher, Heraclitus, “king of all.” “Some it makes gods, some it makes men, some it makes slaves, some free.” Heraclitus' aphorism has been used to illustrate the uncertain fortunes of conflict. It also, perhaps, has a deeper meaning. Efforts at peace-building often seek to discover and then fix causes that drove the emergence of a conflict. Not infrequently, they fail, because the societies they address no longer exist.
New Delhi's policy establishment still imagines it is dealing with a Kashmir that disappeared two decades or more ago: an illusion sustained by the fact that so many key actors are the children of the men who made the deals that propped up the State's dysfunctional political order. Its key instruments remain cajoling and co-optation — and, when it fails, outright bribery.
Meaningful political dialogue, least of all the new language of transparency, rights and empowerment Mr. Ahmad represented, simply isn't on the agenda. Prime Minister Singh's government won the war in Jammu and Kashmir, inflicting a decisive defeat on the insurgency. His government's actions suggest it is now doing its best to lose the peace.
praveens@thehindu.co.in
Keywords: Kashmir issue, UPA government, Usmaan Raheem Ahmad
Let me add one very important thing to this discussion: all the information and news dissiminated to people of India through media from Deli is biased and one sided. For example, the Delhi based media has always painted Kashmiri people's freedom struggle in communal colours while as the facts on the ground are otherwise.Kashmiri people are neither against Hindus of India nor their own Pandit brothers but Kashmiri people have been demanding the return of their fundamental right of right to self-determination.Believe me not more than one hundered Pandits might have died in the last twenty two years in Kashmi whileas more than seventy thousand Kashmiri muslims were killed by army.Let us be realistic.I invite all the people of India to Kashmir so that they may see for themselves if there is any communal aspect in our struggle for free Kashmir.We simply ask you to gives us our former self back and restore our Pre-1947 Identity when we were not a part of India or Pakistan.Is any body listening?
The problem of Kashmiri Pandits(KPs), mainly return to the valley, and protection of their religious places cannot be seen in isolation from the expectations of other communities and people from Jammu and Laddakh, who too have been suffering due to inadequate political representation at various levels or lack of political will to address such issues as the problems of refugees,human rights violations,proper rehabilitation of militancy affected people,compensation to entrepreneurs whose businesses have got adversely affected during the last 20 years.Frankly speaking, Pandits having got reservation of seats in educational institutions and employment, and that there is nothing much to gain in terms of political and economic powers in the state, are hardly interested in going back to Kashmir. Moreover, a majority of them are members of a communal party; they therefore see a bleak future for themselves in the valley, where the concerned party has no base.
In the early 1990s I grew up with everyday news of Kashmiri Pandits
being murdered by people of the separatist movements (the name of the
district "Udhampur" still rings in my ears).The separatists ought to
know that Kashmir belongs as much to the Pandits, as to the rest of
India, as it does to them, and the Pandits and the people of India
have&should have an equal say concerning the future of Kashmir.Every
Indian worth her/his salt feels for Kashmir irrespective of religious
affiliations,and wants the best for Kashmiris. The Kashmiri culture
and identity are unique in themselves, but are still a part of the
larger Indian identity.Some of the holiest Hindu places have been in
Kashmir until 20 years ago.It is not just about what Kashmiris feel
about India, but also what the rest of India feel about Kashmir. The
problem is that the separatists insist ONLY on Kashmiriyat, forgetting
cunningly and conveniently the Bharatiyat which for good or bad links
us to each other.
In the case of Hyderabad, the Nizam used force and had to be reacted
upon. As for Junagadh, the King wanted to accede to Pak, but the people,
mostly Hindus, wanted to accede to India. So the King fled to Pak,
leaving the state to India. No Kashmir story is complete without Pandit
ethnic cleansing. Since India was the giver, and Pakistan the receiver
of land, the benefit of doubt goes to India.
@Manzoor : With due respect, your statement that no single Hindu temple is destructed is 'farce'. Kashmiri Muslims, disillusioned by Terrorist organisations like LeT, Jaish-e-Mohamma,Hizbul Mujahiddin and Hurriyat conference, have so far made every attempt to seclude Kashmir from India.Believe me, if all Kashmiri's think that Pakistan can solve their eternal problem, then you are at wrong side.See,what hatred and constant fuelling of Terrorism has brought to that nation. They are now paying prices for their own sins.So, it's in welfare of Kashmir that they remain in Union of India instead of adopting seclusion measure.Pakistan will sell Kashmir in hands of China and China is not at all as mercy as Indians are.
In the history of mankind,the societies having strong economic and trade as well as cultural relations have hardly resorted to war or arm struggle to resolve ethnic or territorial disputes.Recent developments in our economic and diplomatic relations with Pakistan augur well for a permanent and lasting solution on K-issue.What is however most important is to effectively deal with internal problems to redress the grievance of war and militancy affected people,and to remove alienation among the youth who have, during turmoil period, missed the opportunity of acquiring technical and professional skills needed for well paid jobs and career mobility.Local economy and its management is utterly in bad shape, due mainly to inadequate infrastructure and fiscal policy to attract private investment,occupation of prime lands and building by security forces, which narrows space for economic and civil activities.Besides, the governance of institutions is sadly bad,which calls for accountable systems.
@Manzoor Bala: Kindly explain the statistics that say that around 40 temples were destroyed at the minimum during 1989-1991, merely a span of 2 years. And these are statistics given in the parliament in March 1993. More recently, I am sure you must have heard about the destruction of the Vitaal Bharavi temple in Rainawari, Kashmir, where in finally the CM Omar Abdullah had to intervene. Also, about Jagmohan, he was the one who actually arranged for various camps and schools in Jammu and Udhampur as an immediate measure for all the displaced Kashmiris and their children. So, in all, there was no Kashmiri movement that Jagmohan was trying to defame; because I do not think that what Yasin Malik is trying to achieve by shouting at odd gatherings " Pakistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad" is by any means a movement in the interests of the nation.
the only alternative to resolve the complex K-issue is allow the democratic forces to create conditions to deal with all the contentious issues in a civil way.All the democratic institutions should effectively function to ensure delivery of services, at least to the extent of average performing states.The benefits of socioeconomic services, including legal, have hardly reached the target groups while huge funds have remained unused or diverted for private use. People have overwhelmingly responded to Assembly, Parliament, Panchayat elections and have thus demonstrated their resolve and commitment to pursue their aspirations and solve problems through democratic means. But,they are unfortunately governed under harsh laws, against which the people had launched agitations in early twenties. Even when the peace and normalcy has returned to the state, the draconian laws, namely PSA and AFSPA are invoked to deprive people of their democratic and human rights.This is unacceptable in a democracy.
Pakistan divided Kashmir into 3 parts namely, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Aksai chin. They gifted Aksai Chin to China without the consent of the Kashmiri people. Gilgit was created based on the shia majority ,but in reality they were only following the divide and rule priciple learned from the British.
Azad Kashmir is Azad in name only. The Punjabis and the Pashtuns are now the majority unlike in Indian Kashmir, where other Indians cant settle. The Punjabis occupy the top positions and are the colonial masters of Azad Kashmir. The native Kashmiris cant have a general strike to demand basic services like electricity and water ,let alone demand independence. They are also targeted by sunni extremists and the local police. As the future of Pakistan becomes bleak, so does the prospect of equal rights for Kashmiris.
India should highlight the plight of our Kashmiri brothers across the border. They need our support and prayers during these difficult times
It is unfortunate Kashmiri Pandits have been oversighted. The plight of Kashmiri pandits have been forgotten. while the celebrated media of India would try to portray themselves as champions of human rights when it comes to discuss the issues of Pandits everyone becomes mum. The Kashmiri Pandits suffered worst kind of ethenic cleanisng in free India.Sunni muslim population of Kashmir resorted to destroying temples, raping women, killing toddlers and beheading men. It is unfortuanate the government of India is even talking with people like Yasin Malik who were responsible for number of rapes and killings. It is unfortunate when it comes to Pandits, NHRC keeps mum saying due to 370 issues fall in jurisdiction of SHRC and we know SHRC is formed by people of same community who were invloved in organised ethenic cleansing. It is unfortunate even Amenesty international doesn't find time for us and it is unfortuante Supereme Court of india doesn't constitute SIT in our case.
The only correct point is made by Mr. Vineeth when he says that India should have applied the same logic as in case of Hyderabad (By the way Junagarh also)before annexing Jammu & Kashmir.The great game was played by annhilating Five lac Muslims of Jammu in 1947(See collected works of Mahtama Gandhi & ) thus changing its demographic character and laying the foundation for occupation of whole State.
Laying blame of Exodus of Pandiths on Kashmiri Muslims is again part of the great game enacted by Jagmohan to defame Kashmiri Movement as communal and to stir up the minds of Indian people.By the way this is now used as a cometing narrative to the dominant & majortity political aspiration of Kashmiri people.Beleive me there is not a single case of destruction of any Hindu temple and this alibi is propgated only to market commercially the sufferings (if any) Of pandiths in rest of India.In the recent past Muslims have helped in renovating & reburfishing temples lying vaccant.
Its admirable to see that there are some people in our country who have the courage of expressing about whats happening with particular section of society in some part of the country but dont you think it is also the timidity of their character that they donot have the valiancy of writting about the pain that is face by other section of people (kashmiri pundits ).
Secularism does never mean to think about the problem of people because they belong to particular religion or Caste, but i believe it means thinking about someones problem irrsepective of caste/Religion.
Large numbers of idle youth make for an explosive situation, exacerbated by a seeming antipathy towards the Indian Union in some quarters. It is this apparent fact, married with the presence of an extremely hostile neighbour who is infatuated with meddling in India's internal affairs and delighted to send emissaries of violent death, that makes most Indians reluctant to endorse the complete repeal of AFSPA. In terms of autonomy, in non-security areas I see no reason to deny J&K the status of any other Indian state. This is very important. Ultimately, however, the question remains whether the majority of the people of J&K identify with the Union of India and wish to contribute to her success, thereby augmenting their own. If the answer is "yes", GOI has something to work with. If "no", well, we need to work hard at getting the answer to be "yes", and then we build on that. There are no other alternatives as far as I am concerned.
Pandits are the refugees in their own country. This is the only country
in the world which can make people of it's own faith refugees.
The fact need not be reemphasized that it is the prerogative of the centre and state government to restore normalcy in the region of their occupation. There are factors and there will be factors which might act as impediment in restoring the normalcy and development in a state like Kashmir. Blaming the popular sentiment or a fanatic idea or whatsoever for the same is not way towards solution and consolidation of states to make India a powerful country. The government is not elected to point out flaws ,find excuses or play blame games.It is elected to bring things on path no matter what. Until now, there has been progress but its pace is critically slow compared to other negating factors.From the 80's to the present year,government have come and gone but no such solution has been delivered which can give respite to the whole nation including Kashmir which is worrying about the future of Kashmir. The thing that is missing is the whole hearted effort,approach and not just fund allocation.
I am a regular online reader of 'The Dawn' newspaper, which could be regarded as Pakistan's equivalent of 'The Hindu'. It is a very progressive newspaper which is highly skeptical of Pakistan's civil and military establishments and rarely carry jingoistic articles. Going by the articles and letters appearing in them, it is apparent that their perception of the Kashmir issue is the exact opposite of what we are being fed with on our side of the border. Therefore, it would be safe to say that the actual truth lies somewhere in between. Neither India's nor Pakistan's hands are clean as far as Kashmir is concerned. Since this is a highly emotional issue for Indians, Pakistanis, and people of undivided J&K (and that includes not just Kashmiri Muslims, but also Kashmiri pandits and Ladakhi Buddhists), it is necessary that a middle ground needs to be found through dialogue with compromises from all sides. Adhering to blind 'patriotic' dogmas will never solve this issue.
it is unfortunate for kashmir that they are sandwiched between pakistan who think they 'own' it because people kashimiris follow Islam (they should learn the lesson from of bangladesh's independence). India has played sometimes double standards, sometimes bully and sometimes plain cowards. kashmiris are no saints either-they are guilty of clearing the Hindu pandits who resided for centuries. so for the state independence is not a choice-it will lead to economic collapse, talibanisation (thanks to our friendly neighbours), either isolation or annexing by pak. they are better off choosing lesser of the two evils-India; at least they will get tourists who can afford to take vacation and give them bread to live on unlike pakistanis who might offer bullet.
What Mr.Swami has brought out is not just in Kashmir but is happening all over India. Ex: Bengal, arrests for expressions, UPAs request to Google to block the account that is critical of a politician, etc. I believe Mr.Singh's (or should I say Ms. Gandhi's) Govt. is either in its dream world, or in a paralysis or is only busy in looting the nation. These situations creates apathy in the masses (evidenced by the poor voter turnout), which will only aid our adversaries be it in terrorism or covert operations or just intelligence activities. The best way to manage a system is modularisation and transparency, however, UPA is having only vested interest. BJP and Left, should not be complacent as the anti-UPA sentiments might not transform into their votes unless and until they prove their mettle.
Indians are seriously pseudo secularists,
If you look at the articles in "The Hindu" they always write their
views only from one (specific)stand point. They never published( Even
if so VERY LESS COMPARITIVELY) the agony, trauma and heart rending
difficulties of other sections of population in J&K.
How about Pandits, Kauls, Jats, Sikhs, Rajputs and their views????
And to mention am not writing this either in favour of any particular
section or against the editors of " The Hindu".
I am only trying to point out the lopsided nature of the articles
published(though to an extent correct)here.To conclude,from the bottom
of my heart,I SINCERELY wish and request the authorities of the state
& central govt to provide rehabiliation of the YOUTH in kashmir ( as
rightly pointed out by our Praveen in the article about percentage
increase of YOUTH in Kashmir) irrespective of Caste, creed, Religion.
Not only the situation in Kashmir , but many states in India - particularly in Central India - are going out of control due to Naxalites' problem . In the case of Italians and releasing the crew who shot dead the 2 fishermen also , the central govt is unable to be strong and firm as its own solicitors go against its own views , It looks as on today , whoever has the ' stick ' in India become the Tanedar or policeman - so to say .
have u spoken to the kashmiri pandit youth - who are also kashmiris - what they want?
One thing that always pains me is that whenever there is any news article or discussion on J&K - its always the Kashmiris who are discussed. Why do you forget that Jammu is an equally important part and population wise even bigger part of J&K. People in Jammu and the Kashmiri Pundits (who were driven away from Kashmir) want to be part of India like any other state. I am from Jammu and I can tell you we here in Jammu want the Article 370 to be dissovled so that we can have industry and other development like any other Indian city. Why don't you listen to us - just because we don't make any noise and resort to voilence? Please recognise... J&K is not only Kashmir - we are part of it and we want nothing to do with Azadi, autonomy and all. We just want to be a normal state of India.
In my short life thus far of 44 years, I am yet to see Indian Government
take a strong stand on any major issue (Bangladesh being a supreme
exception). Why would the government oblige now suddenly? We will be
unwilling recipients of platitudes galore for the next few decades or a
major war whichever comes earlier.
@Ameen Fayaz: It is not like the Pandits have not tried to return to their homeland and trust me they have been met with everything but open arms; Hostility, brewing resentment against India, Army etc. The fear psychosis still exists there and I do not think that the then governor has a role to play in it now. And yes, if you still continue to believe so, how would you explain the recent destruction of temples and pious places of kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir, Vitaal Bharavi temple being one of them that I would like to quote.
Also, I would like to urge "so called people of Kashmir at present", to turn and venture for new avenues of employment just like we Kashmiri Pandits did, and not towards guns and despair. We have set an example already for the country to see, even after having suffered the worst kind of human right violations in our own country. More funds being diverted for Kashmir again as of now.. Please no!!
Let Indian and Pakistan governments withdraw all their armed forces and personnel from the state. Let the people of J&K (that is, Pakistan Controlled Kashmir and Indian Controlled Kashmir) elect the kind of government they like. Let this government run the place as they want to. Indian and Pakistan governments should not interfere in the affairs or governance of the state. The state may take such assistance as it likes from either or both of them The external boundaries of the state should be guaranteed by the P-5 of the UNSC. Let this go on for, say, 30 years, with elections every five years. Then the people of the state, including the Pandits, should be asked to choose between merger with Pakistan, merger with India, and sovereign independence. Indian and Pakistan governments should undertake in the beginning to abide by the result of the people’s choice after 30 years. Is anyone in India and Pakistan and in the two parts of Kashmir prepared to try this?
Isn't that symptomatic of the central government's way of dealing with the
peripheral regions, first started with Indira Gandhi's policies of consolidating all
power in her person and then using tactics ranging from cajoling, bribing to
outright violence (as with the Akalis in Punjab)?
What we really need is greater federalism and devolution of power and
responsibility to local governments including the freedom to collect and use taxes,
and I mean local not just state governments. Our central institutions are all corrupt
and ineffective and it is high time their hold on the states was weakened. I have
witnessed a similar sort of apathy in Assam, another state with a very highly
politicized and educated youth suffering from a similar sort of marginalization and
unemployment, and logically leaning towards violence as a means to seek
redressal.
Add to that the incoherent policies shown in dealing with the Maoists and you have
an explosive mix!
As usual,Swamiji has made a brilliant analysis of what Kashmir problem is all about from his own point of view.To me as a Kashmiri,the problem lies in denial of self and history to Kashmiri people.This denial actually led us to what we have become today.The solution lies in restoring selfhood and history to Kashmiri people.Second thing that I would like to add is that Kashmiri youth are not disillusioned.They know what they want.Having been the victims of denial of self and history by Indian government,they have a clear map on their minds vis-a v-vis the future of Kashmi.Regarding our Pandit brothers,it is pertinant to mention that the socalled "exodus" that they experienced was not an act of Kashmiri muslims but the governor of that time.Better they return home they will find us waiting for them with open arms.Economic development is not an issue at all.Kashmiri youth want history and self that has been denied to them.Can any body think of being denied oxygen,the freedom of choice?
Such "efforts" to normalise things keep occurring from time to time, covering up the unpalatable truth that neither India nor Pakistan wants to resolve the Kashmir dispute since keeping it alive is more profitable. The problem was first created by Nehru during the 1947-48 war, and has been upheld - mainly by India - as witnessed at Tashkent and most of all, at Shimla. There is only one answer as recommended by Generals Ayub Khan and KM Cariappa in the early sixties namely, convert the LOC into a formal border. This apart, we should create three separate states of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh and scrap the highly divisive Article 370.
Kashmir's accession to India was a very critical mistake in my opinion. Going by the yardstick we used in case of Hyderabad, it was the people of the state, and not the king, who was to have the last word on the case of accession. However, though Kashmiris deserve the right to self-determination (like any community they should), it is not advisable to pursue that option now in the interests of both Kashmir and the rest of India. On the one hand, the greatest beneficiary of Kashmir's independence will be the Islamic fundamentalists who will feed on the euphoria of the population and the power vacuum to create a new Swat valley in Kashmir. On the other hand, the independance of Kashmir will be viewed by much of the Indian population as a second partition of the motherland due to the 'Two nation theory' and could result in widespread anti-Muslim riots. Hence I believe there should be compromises from both sides towards a more peaceful (and less radical) solution, i.e genuine autonomy.
Well no one talked about the fate of Kashmiri Pandits. Ah ! I understand - its secularism.
I am a Kashmiri Pandit, one of the many thousands who were a victim of the planned mass ethnic cleansing that happened in the valley. I have stayed out of my house for a good 2 decades now and the government seems to be doing nothing about it and even better I hardly see anyone raising the concern for fighting for this cause. I see too many authors just like Praveen Swami, telling the world about how a lot of Kashmiris want AZAADI. What I don't see is his oblivion to the fact that a lot of these Kashmiris that he is talking about do not even get to stay in their homeland. We Kashmiri Pandits have been out of the valley for so long, that we have been very conveniently forgotten, to the extent that our say doesn't even matter in issues of our own homeland. And i say this because I am sure that you wouldn't find even one Kashmiri Pandit who is in favour of the so called Azaadi - A term that has been immensely misused and abused.
Totally disagree with this confused analysis form Praveen Swami.That the Youth of Kashmir is getting too disillusioned,and disconnected with Politics- is a strange statement from Praveen Swami.When it is these same Kashmiris-who have voted for dynasty politics-Omar Abdullah & Clan,PDP etc.What is rather disconcerting is that-Praveen Swami shifts blame to NEW dELHI FOR everything-but he forget the millions being spent on Kashmir,doles to Kashmiris etc(Vaidyanathan from IIM has explained that 1000's of crores have been spent on kashmir-which has gone down the drain due to the Political establishment in Kashmir-nobody blames the autonmomy or Kashmir Govt for this.Praveen Swami dwells on the interlocutor report-nothing but a Pacifist apologist report for greater autonomy for kashmir-for what? more corruption and funds being diverted. Kashmiris & youth should know their brethren 3lakh kashmiri pandits who were driven out by Sunni extemists live in far worse conditions,spare a thought for them!!
To the point sir!! Well written
Pathetic attempt to rationalize away the India's brutal occupation of Kashmir. 95-98% of Kashmiris want independence (Chatman poll), it's not that hard to understand what they mean by independence. It can mean a lot of things, including becoming Azad like Azad Kashmir in Pakistan; but one thing for sure - independence and sovereignty from India. New Delhi is rightly concerned about the new movement being led by the young in Kashmir. They have moved beyond any notion of India, and will take practical steps to realize their goals. Visionaries like Ahmed are dangerous because any relaxing of control over the Kashmiris will lead to the logical conclusion of Kashmir's independence. That is why autonomy, demilitarization, revoking of black laws (afpsa), and dialogue with Pakistan is dangerous to New Delhi. In the mean time mindless exercises by "interlocuters" will suffice for the Indian public. They are not taken seriously by the people of Kashmir.
Another piece of erudite analysis by Praveen Swami. Mr. Swami has rightly pointed out the need to nurture grassroots democracy and participatory politics in J&K. This will weed out much negativism and pent-up anger among Kashmiri youth. New Delhi should spring to action to create real political space for youth participation and facilitate collective entrepreneurship (like Kudumbasree in Kerala). Policy should not be perverted to suit puppets like the Abdullas and Muftis. It must focus on recreating the syncretic traditions of Kashmir and lasting peace.
If I may recall J&K's IAS topper Shah Faisal's approach to Kashmiri youth.. he stressed greater political power in hands of youth. He stated that no other regions of India has youth as politicized as in J&K. Certainly this article confirmed that to me. Bipin Chandra, a great historian has once said - "an idea, no matter how innocuous, can subvert the system in long run, if it could not be accommodated by system." Certainly, I agree that Status Quo is no longer solution for New Delhi. We need action on "A new compact".
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