The mysterious and abrupt deportation of US national, Usmaan Ahmad Rahim and Argentinean footballer, Juan Marcos Troia, sets a bad precedent and shows our disregard and intolerance for people who work for a change, Saima Bhat reports.
As They Said…
“A resolution to Kashmir issue is urgent and important. Kashmiris should get the same rights that are afforded and awarded to other people in the world.”
Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s foreign minister said at the Asia society, New York.
This year, if the political dispensation managed to achieve anything at all, it was the deportation of two foreign nationals who were working for the larger good of Kashmir valley. In many ways, it was a public display of contempt for cultural pluralism and hospitality for which the people of the state are known across the globe.
In a place like Kashmir, the semantics of the conflict make it very difficult for a non-local to adjust to the heavily politicized work culture. It is also necessary to be in the good books of political masters. Making an exception, going against the culture, one has to pay the price, as the cases of Usmaan and Marcos show.
Usmaan Ahmad Rahim, an entrepreneur from the US came to Kashmir to create new opportunities for the unemployed youth. Claiming ancestral roots in Kashmir, he formally came to the valley in 2005 through an NGO to help the earthquake victims. He soon realized the need of the environment and started various projects with the help of state as well as central governments and launched the Kashmir chapter of Mercy Corp.
With the onset of 2008 and 2010 unrest, Usmaan trained the educated, skilled but unemployed youth to make their own avenues. Started in October 2010, the program was aimed to promote economic development and offer job opportunities. The project was funded by the Scottish government’s South Asia Development Program. Usmaan also worked to promote chief minister Omar Abdullah government’s flagship employment program, SKEWPY.
There was hardly any person in Kashmir who was not happy with the developmental work of Usmaan. He became a prominent figure among the young people after he organized a week-long youth conference in SKICC, where, for the first time, youth discussed ideas and deliberated upon the issues including the Kashmir problem.
Usmaan also brought Kashmir into the domain of Google by launching G Kashmir project and, for the first time, a team of Google visited Kashmir. The steep rise of Usmaan halted abruptly when he was asked to leave Kashmir without any reason in March 2012. Initially, the authorities claimed all international NGO’s are under scanner but as soon as Usmaan was deported, no other NGO or foreigner was touched. It still remains a mystery why Usmaan was deported. Usmaan had first visited Kashmir in 1996 to survey old monuments and temples for his graduate course in Kashmiri archaeology. As he graduated in 1999, he became a member of the ‘Council for Independent Kashmir’ which is affiliated with pro-freedom JKLF group.
Following Usmaan, it was the turn of Juan Marcos Troia, an Argentinean footballer when he was asked to leave the valley after living here for six long years. Marcos came to Kashmir in 2007 to give his voluntary services to Jammu and Kashmir Football Association (JKFA). He was received warmly and got recognition by promoting his own club, ISAT (International Sports Academy Trust). Soon afterwards, he started sending young players and coaches to the different countries to learn the game which made him an eyesore for many.
While the media portrayed Marcos as a ‘messiah’ for the Kashmiri football players during the unrest of 2008 and 2010, the hype didn’t go down well with JKFA it finally resulted in a tussle between the association and Marcos.
Marcos used all his contacts in the state and Delhi but of no avail. The first shot was fired when JKFA alleged his involvement in converting some of his players to Christianity. It was followed by claims by JKFA that Marcos did not possess any valid degree for becoming a coach. He was accused of not training even a single player who could play at the national level. The association also charged him of creating a chaotic situation, conducting tournaments and other activities beyond his mandate, sending boys abroad without JKFA’s permission and not disclosing his financial resources. ISAT was banned by JKFA. Players were warned of having any association with Marcos which almost sealed his fate.
Despite the intervention by Omar Abdullah and union home ministry, Marcos could not stay in valley. When he was deported in August 2012, nobody talked about it. Marcos was reportedly in the personal contact list of Omar but when he left, there was not a word of assurance or condemnation. Both Usmaan and Marcos had the patronage of Omar but even he could not change their fate!
I want to clarify that I was not deported. I left by my own desicion the country. About Kashmir essue, who pressurized me lo leave was the militancy through the many media people and with JKFA who is associated with them. They make death threats to my family and to my students. So I came for developtement and Profesional football program not fight with terrorists. About my credentials the allegations of the ignorant people not change who I am and what I can achieve as a Profesional. I left Kashmir with my heart broke yes, for the people of Kashmir. For the youth of Kashmir. But the own authorities have give me not another choice. Central governement try to help, but in Kashmir government there space only for corruption infortunatelly. As a entity, as a Profesional, I should focus in bring developtement where people really need and want change. What’s happening with me and my family was the decision not done by the communes Kashmiris but by the high level of the Kashmiri government. Hope one day kashmiri people found the peace !!! Khuda hafiz. Juan Marcos Troia.