Daily Times

Fear of death is horrible; many die of it. But there exists a vale on this globe where strange people live who do not sound terrified in the face of death. Cruel death growls at them just in the front, and they, having known the outcome, step forward and hurl vigorously helpless pebbles that carry the least capacity to hit hard but speaks volumes of the hardihood that dwells in young bosoms. This is the dale of Kashmir where you cannot buy anything, as for last 80 days, the shops and bazars are closed; but the ‘courage’ is available everywhere.

The denizens of this beauteous valley of Kashmir are suffering, yet the sufferings have not blunted their spirit to live. The Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar relates the sad tales of the brutalities of the Central Reserve Police Force of India. Almost 100 civilians have been killed by the Indian forces whom the Pakistanis deem the occupying forces. Around 12,000 people have been injured; many of them would not be able to use their legs again, and many others have been blinded by pellet shots. Sources reveal that more than one million pellets have been fired by the Indian forces in just 80 days. Pellet guns were also used by the Indian forces to quell the protests in the Indian-held Kashmir in 2010; but this time around, doctors have told the Indian press that they have observed “sharp and more irregular shaped pellets,” which have caused “more damage.”

The current discontent in the valley started with the killing of Burhan Wani, a local Kashmiri who grew up in an environment where Kashmiris were daily abused and assaulted. His elder brother, Khalid, was beaten to death by the Indian troops in 2010; and that was the year Burhan joined the lines of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Amidst the clamorous tones of ascending agitation in the valley, Harindra Baweja, a well-known Indian journalist, went to interview the father of Burhan Wani, Muzaffar Wani, who has lost his two young sons at the hands of Indian forces. The father looked proud and content as he eulogised the martyrdom of Burhan. The proud father told Miss Baweja that not only his son, but he and others also wanted ‘freedom’ from the Indian occupation of Kashmir.

New realities have emerged in Kashmir since July 8 — the day when Wani was shot. Widespread protests are spilling out of each nook and cranny of the Indian-occupied Kashmir. Children ranging from the age of four to adults of every age join the protests to pelt stones at the forces. Making and hoisting Pakistani flags carry severe retribution in the Indian-occupied Kashmir, yet fear doesn’t seem to have the capacity to shrink them back.

The question germinates as to what impels these naïve citizens to pick up arms against the forces that are supposed to protect the inhabitants of a state. Even the educated brains of the valley are resorting to arms against the Indian troops. A known Indian daily narrates the story of the 21-year-old Zakir Rashid Bhat. Bhat lived in Noorpura, and had just completed his civil engineering. One morning, his father, Engineer Rashid woke up to a note that read: “Don’t try and look for me. Jihad is the only way forward. It is the only way to deal with the atrocities faced by Kashmiris.”

Different trends have emerged in the valley. Songs and slogans of ‘azadi’ (freedom) waft down the towering hills and penetrate deep into settlements. The walls of Kashmir bear words evincing hatred against the Indian forces. Loud speakers of mosques in far-off hamlets echo with the freedom taranaas (anthems), and sermons extol the ones who have laid down their lives in struggle against the Indian troops. All major mosques in towns have big locks on them; people could not offer Eid-ul-Azha prayer in most mosques of the towns — Dargah, Jamia, Makhdoom Sahib and Sayeed Sahib.

Another new reality in the valley is the increasing realisation in Indian officials — leave alone the war-savvy Indian media — that the movement for freedom of Kashmir has gone indigenous. This comprehension now exists in the circles of Indian army, too. The most senior Indian army officer in the valley, Lt Gen Satish Dua, Corps Commander, 15 Corps, said: “The new strategy is to recruit locals and give them the rudimentary training in the hinterland because the adversary [Pakistan] is not able to push terrorists across the line of control.”

When the well-informed sources in the Indian-occupied Kashmir say that terrorists from Pakistan cannot get across the LoC, how does the Uri terror attack is blamed on non-state actors in Pakistan? Kadayam Subramanian in Asia Times says: “The assault was probably masterminded by discontented elements of the Kashmiri population.”

In the wake of the new emerging ground realities on the turf of the Indian-occupied Kashmir, it is high time that Pakistan raised the political, historical and humanitarian aspects of the conflict of Kashmir at significant international fora. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cogently highlighted it at the 71st session of the UNGA. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ra;ad Al Hussein has already noted the excessive use of force by the Indian forces in the Indian-administered Kashmir. Moreover, careful and vigilant diplomacy at regional as well as international levels is the need of the hour. The countries on the OIC must be taken on board, and they must be convinced to raise voice, individually and collectively, on the conflict of Kashmir that has eaten away generations.

The writer is a lecturer of English, and can be reached at tahir_iqbal87@hotmail.com