The idea of justice has changed entirely in last two decades of conflict in Kashmir as the finger of blame is always pointed at the victim rather than the perpetrator of crime.
It has become a norm to crush any voice of dissent that is raised against the denial of basic human right i.e. right to life in Kashmir. The history of Kashmir is full of incidents where unarmed protesters were fired upon by security forces without any care for consequences or law.
On 18th July, after BSF personnel shot dead four protesters in a restive village called Gool in Ramban district of Jammu region, the state machinery got in full swing once again to deny the involvement of perpetrators of crime with vigour. Ironically, while most of the injured were battling for their lives in different hospitals across the valley, people in power started to debate the number of deaths rather than arranging emergency healthcare to the victims. It did not stop there as the IG BSF went on record claiming that his men only returned fire as someone from the crowd fired first. He continued that the sole injured BSF personnel was injured in the enemy fire. But his claim was rubbished in the preliminary investigations which said that the said BSF personnel was injured by his own men.
In order to contain the anger that swept through Jammu and Kashmir after news of innocent killings in Gool reached valley, state government did what it knows the best: clamped curfew and consigned the entire population behind concertina wires at the peak of holy month of Ramadan.
Rather than bringing perpetrators to justice, at least once, government came down heavily on protestors in Kashmir valley and elsewhere with full force. Nobody seems to be concerned about justice anymore. Over the years, especially after three consecutive unarmed summer uprisings since 2008, state has learnt the art of dealing with such angry protesters who fill the streets after every killing hoping to get justice. The state knows quite well that the reaction is like a bubble that will bust automatically after remaining in the atmosphere for a day or two. But those who blame people for nurturing the ‘move on’ attitude must know that after almost a quarter century has passed, Kashmiris still feel the pain of victims of Kunan Poshpora mass rape victims. Only problem is that the hope for justice is fast fading in Kashmir.
