Syed Tasaduq Nazmi
Introduction
‘Knowledge’ and ‘Frustration’ seem two expressions on different tracks without any link. Kashmir connects them intricately. When we analyze the circumstances of budding youth in our valley; we find set of connections between the two.
Be it student protests, young intelligent topper students joining militant outfits, endless tragedy of fake encounters, crackdowns, mass rape, forced disappearances, silencing the voice of common masses, Internet ban or be it the journalist who is not able to project and portray his report in positive and honest light due to political heaviness, our youth is tied by ropes of different width and strength.
Kashmir right now is going through toughest phase of its history and even we are concerned more this time as flashbacks of 90’s in our minds giving us knee jerk reaction. But the starting point of this legitimate political aspiration of Kashmiris dates back to 1947.
The increase in militancy from last couple of years, the incidents happened in 2008-2010 and now last year (2016) turmoil is responsible for the youth to pick up guns according to the experts. As the 2008 killings were fresh, Asiya and Neelofar in 2009 added salt to the scars. The 2010 unrest created history as civilian deaths were more than 150 in just 2 months and 2016 unrest was vicious circle.
All the successive governments in India and Kashmir never addressed the Kashmir matter. Indian Government failed to uphold the divine mandate of the political, social and even economic responsibility of the valley. The bona-fide and susceptible concerns are on back burner and virtual strategically designed job is going on that is crushing and humiliating the people of Kashmir particularly the responsive youth.
Students’ up in arms
Kashmir is entirely engrossed in flux and instability. It has witnessed the worst and most horrible style of tyranny in the past two decades. The young students who are on the streets have seen atrocities since from birth. The angry and dejected youth are fighting to stop more killings of innocent lives and want to put the end of this instability in the valley. Youth are protesting on streets just to clutch and hold the legitimate political aspiration of Kashmir. Kashmir is neither the question of terrorism nor it is the matter of human rights, although both exist here, but the main concern and apprehension here is “Political issue”.
The Youth of Kashmir obviously are young but are restless. This restlessness is because young people are targeted, beaten, maimed and killed just for registering the protest against injustice. Youth have fallen prey to diplomacy and duplicity. Young generation of Kashmir doesn’t want to live in a place where the blood of innocents is spilled with such abandon. They want to live in the environment where a mother doesn’t have to mourn her lost child, where a father doesn’t have to shoulder his son’s coffin. They want to live peaceful and non-violent life and not the caged and enslaved one. That is why they are on streets as powerless people’ fighting for justice.
The crackdown of Indian Army and paramilitary forces in various Degree colleges and other institutions was lock and load situation. Students were beaten’ injured and then crushed their protest by the use of pellets and chilly grenades in immoral and inhumane way. This high echelon atrocity on students marked the beginning of new revolt. This time the students are pressurizing the state to address the Kashmir issue in delicate style as the state is facing such opposition from the erudite community.
Sensitive Youth
The youth is frustrated not because of depression but of sensitive character because when they see a father whose teenage son was killed years before & is still waiting for the justice-when they see the Kashmir as beautiful cage for them- when they see the crackdown on Pulwama Degree college, SP college, Women college MA road and other academic and professional institutions, when they see the restlessness of the minor girl who was blinded by Armed men by pellets, when they see that even the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter have serious political implications, when they see that journalists are also forced to project their stories in negative tone. Thus they fearlessly take to the streets and have come to represent, through their defiance.
They are frustrated not because they are activists, On ground Militants (Allegations by centre and state Governments) but because they refuse to accept the status quo. The bright, opinionated, angry youth know that caging them won’t solve anything. They know as long as their voices remain unheard, the problem will fester. They know there can’t be peace when pellets and bullets are raining on them. Thus they are fighting for their rights. They also want to be happy.
How long the problem will fester
This Question is frustrating the youth of Kashmir. The cold response from the Indian government is putting negative impact on cream-future of Kashmir. The future of Kashmir is gripping the dark most side. Every time youth is thinking about the solution of Kashmir as soon as possible. But the voices of youth remain unheard. Their voice is named as ‘Violence’ but Major Gogoi’s act that crossed all stages of violence was rewarded despite FIR stands registered. How long the problem will fester?
When students protest against ‘brutality’ on their fellow students-they are treated as on ground militants and the state backs the particular group of people in positive light and remark that “Everything is fair is love and war”. How long the problem will fester?
Conclusion
The State discusses the Kashmir issue when the valley witnesses any unrest’ and then Indian Government gives hollow promises of dialogue and peace initiate processes for Kashmir and when the peace returns then everything remains history again till the next unrest and same thing gets repeated again and again. Indian administration through Indian media only highlights that Kashmir is the issue of theirs and therefore are capable to solve the issue within the constitution and even then there is conversation with Pakistan diplomats and then how it remains “Androoni masla” at that time it becomes inter country dialogue in which only Kashmiris are not included. And Kashmiris are not recognized as stakeholders then.
India never addressed the Kashmir matter and still keeps on saying that Kashmir is the integral part of India which they never proved on ground.
(Ideas expressed are author’s own)
