:. Kashmir Unrest

:. Kashmir Unrest


By: Sumera Reshi



It was another intifada in Kashmir and it started with Amarnath Land row in 2008. Since then there was no looking back. Kashmir went from peaceful phase to yet another turbulent and tumultuous period. The year 2008 substantiated a new stage in the history of Jammu & Kashmir. And after amarnath land row came another incident that shook very foundation of Kashmiri society. The episode was none other than Shopian rape and murder case.

On the eve of May the 30th, 2009 a teenager Asia and her sister-in-law Neelofar were gang raped by security personal and were later murdered in cold blood. The event became a defining moment for Kashmir and the reaction a surprise for Indian warlords. Thus Shopian proved a watershed for the polity of Kashmir. People took to streets, protested for gross human rights violations. There is a saying, women rights are the basic human rights and when women are at stake what would be the fate of human rights, especially in a conflict zone like Kashmir.

Asia and Neelofar’s rape and murder shattered faith of common Kashmiri. The incident shook the very foundation of Indian democratic values. In response people resorted to strikes/ hartals but of no avail. The economy of Kashmir smashed to smithereens during these hartals. Until now no justice was done to those innocent daughters of Kashmir. We all still weep and cry over their plight. We still feel the pain and agony but alas we are helpless before Indian supremacy.

Kashmir reeled under various phases. After Shopian incident, Kashmir went to calm and peace for awhile. Again came the chaotic period in January 2010 when a teenager of class 7th student Wamiq Farooq received severe tear gas shell injury. Again Kashmir voiced for justice, Kashmir wept for these young boys but met with resistance by Indian puppets and warlords alike. Again a peaceful resistance was curbs by brute use of force.

But the real chaos occurred on June the 11th 2010 with the death of Tufail Mattoo. With Tufail Mattoo started off chain reaction. One after another young blood fell to Indian bullets. Tufail Mattoo’s murder kicked off rowdy phase in Kashmir. People demanded justice but got bullets and bloodbath as a bonus package from Omar Abdullah government, who are staunch Indians not by birth but by blood.

This time Kashmiris followed Ahima (non-violence) of Gandhi, took to streets to protest against brute use of force, to demand justice. Alas Kashmiris received bullets in response to a stone. Can any nation in this civilized world justify bullet in return of a stone? I am cocksure no nation can justify Indian fatal insurgency tactics in order to cow down ordinary Kashmiris in the name of national interest.

Since June 11, 2010 Kashmir resorted to hartal tactics, the protest calendar given by Hurriyat (G) leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The intentions were to insist India to meet our genuine demands. But as ill luck would have it India resorted to old time pass tactics instead of a lasting K resolution. Dialogue process which is a misnomer so far as Kashmir unrest is concerned; dialogues have been used to buy time, to befool people. Six months have gone now, nothing worthwhile has come up. Economy is in shambles and we have lost our young human resource.

Every eye, every mother, every tear now awaits some reinforcement. Everyone dreams of a peaceful morning, an end to this long unrest. No one in Kashmir wants to rest young generation to rest in graveyards instead everyone over this side of the fence wants to bring an end to Kashmir unrest.

 
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