The Hindu : Growing up with violence

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Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

Opinion

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Growing up with violence

By Kalpana Sharma

What was associated with "normal" college and university life in India was totally absent in Kashmir over these last 13 years.

THE FACE of the average young Kashmiri that you see on television is an angry one. But what is life really like for a person who has grown up during a period when the gun has ruled and curfew has been a daily routine? Under its Violence Mitigation and Amelioration Project, Oxfam (India) Trust recently produced a rather unusual report that documents the opinions of nearly 200 young Kashmiris. The primary research was conducted by a group of young Kashmiris familiar with the situation in the State.

Although the report, "The impact of violence on the student community in Kashmir," does not claim to be either empirical or statistically significant, what it does convey through its qualitative material is the mood of the college-going person in Kashmir. Reports such as this are often dismissed because they lack academic rigour and also openly state their political bias.

Yet, it is inconceivable that a group of young Kashmiris could produce a report without articulating their views on the political situation in their State. In this report, that view is stated up-front; the reader can agree or disagree but the substance lies in the narratives and the information on what the young people think and what they experience.

In a city such as Mumbai, for instance, college students are busy at this time of the year trying for admission, shopping around for books, clothes and music, going to the movies, restaurants or just hanging around the roadside tea stalls. Such a scene would be unheard of in Kashmir, although in the last six months things could have changed.

The report records how the 13 long years, when the State was convulsed in violent conflict, took their toll on the life and academic performance of thousands of students. A majority of colleges could not function normally. Curfews, `bandhs' and continuous violence meant that students did not know from one day to the next whether they would get to college. Degrees were awarded even though students had not attended college. Also, many educational institutions were burnt down at the height of the troubles. Others were occupied by security forces and thus could not be used.

Even in the colleges that continued to function, there was little by way of extra-curricular activities. And student unions were not permitted. Thus, what was associated with "normal" college and university life in India was totally absent in Kashmir over these last 13 years.

In the course of the study, the researchers, Sarwar Kashani, Idrees Kanth and Gowhar Fazili, spoke to students in colleges in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla and Anantnag.

Ninety per cent of those interviewed said that they were angry over the current situation, and over 63 per cent said they had been affected by the violence. Over 90 per cent said they had no faith in the political leadership and did not attend political meetings. Yet, the overwhelming majority believed that education would help them find jobs and most of them ranked peace and employment in that order as their major concerns. Although these figures are drawn from a fairly small sample of boys and girls, they do give us an inkling of what the young in the State feel.

Far more interesting and helpful than the statistics are the narratives in the report. They provide a vivid picture of the different moods and views that are inevitable when you get a bunch of students together. Here are just two out of 17 in the report. Rukhsana Jabeen from a college in Baramulla, who lost her father at the age of 12, says, "Although women are trying to come out of the shambles, the society, particularly in Kashmir, is still dominated by men. I have to give an explanation to the family elders if I am late, which is not the case with my brother who is never asked this question."

Ajaz, a student of history, says, "I want peace now. The gun culture is going to ruin us. Educationally, we have suffered equally. No classes were held in those early years and I didn't attend college except for exams. I have been deprived of the simple yet joyful experiences of college life. Interaction with others is important. It enriches you. It teaches you a whole lot of things and above all, it makes you conscious. Staying back at home is very frustrating. You don't grow."

Most plaintive of all is this plea from Mohammad Ashraf Jatta of Anantnag, "Can you give us a break and take us out for a while to a place where there is no terror, where we will be able to roam about or at least get a whiff of fresh air? Can you take us out of this hell for a week or so?" When matters of state, of historical rights and wrongs, are being discussed, the voices of the young are ignored. Yet, for the future, these are the people who should be heeded, on whose shoulders a peaceful future can be built.

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