Yasir Altaf Zargar
Kashmir has turbulent political history. The political history starts from Sheikh Abdullah and his progeny is still continuing it. From Sheikh to Omar, everyone from the Abdullah’s ruled J&K. Before 90s, there was only Abdullah wave or National Conference wave. But today, the old equations stand dissolved. The tables have been turned. And, Abdullahs are no more invincible.
People in Kashmir were once ready to die for Sheikh. But post-accession, Sheikh’s rule left many disappointed. Each of Abdullah always left Kashmir and Kashmiris’ in a lurch. They all carry devastated labels with them. Sheikh is today accused of Indian rule in Kashmir; Farooq as betrayer, besides slayer of Maqbool Bhat. And, Omar stands indicted in peoples’ court for 2010 killings and hanging of Shaheed Afzal Guru.
It was during Omar’s stint as state chief minister that saw Indian paramilitary troops perpetrating the Shopian twin murder and rape. Massive protests broke out in valley. People came out on streets and protested against Indian illegal occupation. They demanded justice. Omar government rather than punishing culprits dispersed protestors by opening fire on them causing many deaths. Fearing public reprisal, Omar brought ‘peace’ in valley with curfew. The third generation Abdullah was fast becoming a symbol of loath.
In between, 2010 dawned. The year saw Machil Fake encounter. Omar failed to bring justice to deaths. A probe followed. And, that’s it. Soon cops busted open the brain of a teenager – and thus began the dance of death in the valley. Omar government took only a few months to pile up 120 bodies in Kashmir.
Curfew followed, that earned him a name, “Curfew CM”. The street force damaged houses, broke windowpanes and arrested hundreds. A draconian Act meant for booking timber smugglers saw rounding up hundreds of young Kashmiris. The year was simply a Faustian bargain. By caging youth for reacting to the situation, Omar maligned the office he held. His act unleashed a spree of ruing over valley, besides mourning. The families of detained youth were simply left devastated. In that din of dilemma, destruction and death, Omar failed to strike sympathetic signals.
The year that followed saw scores of families on tenterhooks. They were making endless rounds before police stations and courts for securing release of their ‘PSAied’ children. Omar promised amnesty, but his government never put its words into action.
By 2013, valley was in the grip of several encounters. Young and educated were reportedly joining militant ranks. No fact-finding followed to surface reasons behind the infiltration of educated youth into militancy. But what was there to enquire about the obvious. The making of rebels was rooted in the rage. And, there are no prizes for guessing as what was the trigger behind the rage.
In the fall of 2014, the flood caught Omar government napping. He was fresh from the ‘summer slam’ that saw his father tasting his first political defeat. It was public anger that voted his party out. And, post-flood, his government failed to provide compensation to people.
And finally when people fell in lines across state this winter, NC ended up securing dismal 15 seats. The verdict against the party was the stroke of collective ire against Omar government. Veterans of his party fell like never before. Such was the idea of justice in peoples’ court.
(Author is Security Analyst from Srinagar and first Kashmiri to be acknowledged by Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Adobe, Apple.)
