The Indian government showed its true colours once again as its forces not just enforced a blanket lockdown in the occupied valley, complete with jammed internet and phone lines, but also snatched the body of the late Syed Ali Geelani and buried him against his will and the wishes of his valley. That alone suffices to prove that the Modi government might look comfortable in Delhi, but it is very scared of the passions of the youth of the valley; three generations of whom were inspired by the late, great campaigner. It says a lot that India has now extended the barbarity that it exercises in Kashmir to dead people as well. What other point could they possibly look to prove by violating a person’s basic rights even after his death? It’s unfortunate, especially for the people of Kashmir, that India just refuses to learn any lessons. It has tried everything under the sky, including killing, raping and blinding generations of Kashmiris yet their struggle is as potent as ever. And Geelani, who personified the kind of dignified opposition that will ultimately force the Indians to flee the valley, has completed his mission and done it very well. For he was the voice of pragmatism and resolute defiance combined in what has clearly been a very disturbing and confusing situation. If the Indians really think that their abusive tactics will deter the youth now that Geelani is dead, they will know very soon that such leaders never really die; not when there are hundreds of thousands of people ready to go to the limit to follow their teachings and millions more looking from near and far. So Geelani’s story is far from over. The Pakistani government, in stark contrast to India, has been the very picture of respect and dignity for the departed soul. Everybody all the way up to the prime minister praised the late campaigner for his life of service to the Kashmiri cause, and the country’s flag flew at half-mast for the whole day. Sacrifices that the likes of Geelani and his comrades make never go unrewarded. The road to freedom is always long and hard, but it is made better because of people like Syed Ali Geelani, whose wisdom makes entire nations join hands and act as one. *