Kashmiris have a peculiar sense of humour. They have been executing it over centuries. Nick names are one aspect of their humour which they have been using to derogate the people, particularly rulers, whom they did not like. Not only that but places have been nicknamed in reference to ones being in news, particularly for wrong reasons. During and after 1971 Indo Pak war many places were nick named as Bangla Desh .Such places which were on lower contours and would get limited access would be called Bangladesh as the country in making was surrounded almost on all sides by India and the Bay of Bengal. Nick names like Tora Bora were given to places which got devastated by floods. Jaffna was in news for wrong reasons of fierce battle between Sri Lankan army and the rebels led by the Tamil extremist Prabhakaran .Down town areas of Srinagar saw blood shed and armed skirmishes during early nineties and one such spot was nick named as Jaffna.
Mir Khalid ,a medico from the down town grew up in the area and has titled his book as ‘Jaffna Street’ memorizing the area he stands witness to the gory incidents taking place there. Paperback book is spread over 287 pages and details the story of Kashmir, partly through memoir and partly through extended first hand information. The author has used rich vocabulary to portray the details of the events which include bloodshed, bigotry, personal vendetta, political exploitation and even superstition.
Migration of Kashmiri Pandits in 90s has always been a bone of contention between two factions who lived in perfect camaraderie for centuries with minor abrasions. A pertinent question is asked by the author (Page 47) to Veer Munshi the renowned artist. “Being an admin guy rather than a visionary his(Governor Jagmohan) setting up of migrant camps in Jammu seemed to be as over whelming attractive invite to a happy exile. The migration could have been averted if administrative will existed, but there was a state of flux.”
Muslims, across India, have been accused by the extremist elements of Hinduvta forces and some analysts of playing the victim card. Though it is a fact that minorities across India have been subjected to persecution, humiliation and even torture yet some people see it through the prism of communal color. The Gujarat pogrom is one such example to describe the scenario. Mir Khalid refers to the victim card on page 51 when he appreciates the efforts of Veer Munshi and rejection of playing the victim card by him. Many Pandit writers have used the victim card in their write-ups not only while writing post ninety episodes but over the history of hundreds of years of their motherland. In comparison to likes of Rahul Pandita, Veer Munshi rejects the victim card and denounces the persecution of Muslims by ravaging mobs in Gujarat to justify what happened in Kashmir in early 90s.
Kashmir witnessed so many unaccounted deaths, destruction, during the years . A profile in words has been created of the situation on page 112. “It wasn’t a tussle for imaginary turfs defined by big money. It was crony capitalism breeding on dangerously criminal enterprise dealing blood that had seeped into every sphere of the society. It was these cabals that were responsible for many deaths unaccounted for by political and insurgent participation and it was what led the many motivated insurgents still in fray and already under pressure to act in a trigger happy manner.”
How Kashmir issue was solved, Kashmir sold and resold by its own “well wishers” is aptly described through Aziz Mamu who struggled till the complete turnover was effected by “popular leadership” . Aziz Mamu getting handcuffed by the people at the helm, his colleagues till yesterday, ends up rechristening the freedom struggle and the dream of long cherished ‘Naya Kashmir’ as the ‘Naya Kashmir Harissa Shop’. The irony is the long yearned dream of prosperous Kashmir now resembles the Harissa shop. Mehjoor’s poem “Azadi” is the poetic description of the plight .Nabir Sheikh, the poor man’s wife delivers in other’s home till he looks for her whereabouts.
Mir Khalid seems to have made a few mistakes while detailing events. One such is recorded here for his reference. On Page 103 he refers to the bus burning a result of protest against rechristening women’s college after Nehru. The bus was actually burnt after students and members of KMD Association resorted to violence against each other over a trivial issue. However, burning of the bus forced the two sides to reach a peaceful agreement and ,subsequently, take out a joint peace march.
Mir Khalid raises important and direct questions and rightly so. Dilly Dallying Role of Pakistan may tantamount to its political and Pak specific policies, India’s ‘dry and tire them away’ approach reeks filthy. Pro freedom conglomerate and the Pro India political groups have to answer in equal measures. Recurrent massacres like in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 are part of bloody history and steps taken by the rulers to stop recurrence has to be explained without political hegemony and finger raising.
Kashmir remains on stoking embers and needs someone to douse. Mir Khalid has done an excellent job by penning the details .Someone shall have to come up with a lasting solution.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Reviewer is the author of “The Half Widow” and “Shadows Beyond The Ghost Town , can me reached at wanihafi999@gmail.com)
