More than seven decades have passed since formation of the Union of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The two South Asian countries formed after the British colonial rule came to an end in 1947. Since then the two countries have shown little progress in resolving their key “territorial dispute” on Kashmir region. Not only have they fought wars but progressed on to become the states with nuclear capabilities, thus ensuring the balance of power remains consistently in equilibrium. The efforts of global community in resolving the dispute have been discouraging rather guided by their respective national interests. The situation on ground reflects the failure of all the three players. Perhaps, their underlying assumption of “territorial dispute” is horribly wrong and fails to recognize the pain, sufferings and the aspirations of the people living within the disputed region.
Since 1947 not less than six million people have been killed and an equal number of people have been left disabled in the Indian administrated state of Jammu and Kashmir. This year has been the deadliest year in about a decade. More than 550 people have been killed so far. With every passing year the conflict on the ground is getting uglier and there seems little effort by all the three parities in providing relief to the inhabitants of the region. Thus reinforcing their notion; this is a territorial dispute not a humanitarian crisis.
The assumption may be valid at the macroscopic level. However, Kashmir’s imbroglio makes more sense only when the issue is viewed at the microscopic level. It is essential to recognize that the Kashmiri’s are humans. Not a herd of cattle to be driven according to anyone’s likings. Humans are beings of sentiments, aspirations and free will. Every attempt to derecognize this reality therefore is bound to escalate the conflict. More than any of the players in the conflict, it is the people who always tend to be on the receiving end. This is perfect reflection of the situation Kashmiri’s are facing on the ground.
Take for example the recent case of an 18 month old toddler, Hiba presumably left blinded by the pellets used by Indian government forces. Hiba is not alone victim of the lethal weapon but the youngest among the thousands blinded by the pellets during last three years. In 2016, 16 year old Insha Mushtaq was both eyes blinded when a volley of pellets hit her while she was studying in her room. Interestingly, both the cases made headlines across the globe but there was no attempt made by the international community or Indian establishment herself to ban the use of weapon in Kashmir.
For Indian establishment the weapon might be an instrument to contain the mass agitations but in their attempts of containment they are creating symbols to shape the psychology of the young generation of Kashmiri’s who tend to see the situation through the eyes of fellow youngsters blinded by the pellets.
Rebellion against the India rule in Kashmir is not a recent phenomenon. But unlike past the current rebellion is more Kashmir centric rather than Pakistan centric, something India has always been vocal about. Evaluate the psychology of the recently killed 14 year old rebel, Mudasir Rashid. What prompted him to pick up the arms against the nuclear state? Alongside Mudasir, 232 young and educated rebels have been killed alone this year. All these young Kashmiri’s had almost no resources to put up a fight against the professional army in the world’s most militarized zone. Yet they choose the path knowing its outcome is only death. Is it actually this simple? Shall we assume these educated rebels are so naive? Of course not! In this continues struggle between the state apparatus and the rebels. The rebels are winning the losing battle. How?
It is essential to recognize that current rebellion has no military objectives. Nor is it in a position of achieving anything militarily. It is more the product of a psychology and thus its objectives and success must be evaluated psychologically only. We mentioned earlier that Indian establishment in their attempts of containment are creating symbols. Similarly, the rebels by their “sacrifices” are also creating symbols. 14 year old rebel is the powerful symbol. Symbols you see are essential to keep the mass movements going. Symbols can manipulate the political notions. Symbols have an ability to interact with the psychology of people. Recall, Hitler and Stalin, who made use of symbols to mobilized masses to eventually make them embrace totalitarianism. Here, we don’t need to debate about the totalitarianism but the power of symbols.
In a scenario as such the psychology of Kashmiri’s is constantly interacting with these symbols. As a result of this interaction there exists no scope for elimination of sentiments and aspirations. Any attempt to derecognize or to crush them by force will only escalate the trouble. Besides making the state apparatus look uglier. The careful observation of all the events unfolding in the Indian administered Kashmir will prove this right.
It is more likely that the “liberal” and “progressive” world will consider such symbols as dysfunctional. 14 year old rebel is unacceptable to them. Before formation of any such opinion they must ask themselves, what if one good morning they wake up and see all their rights being stripped off? India knows the Kashmir is the only Muslim dominated region in India. It is easy to confuse these symbols with terrorism. Evidently, Indian narrative on Kashmir is constantly trying to debate Kashmir on these lines. But Kashmiri’s essentially don’t need to be rebels to create symbols.
Take for example the case of 12 year old Wamiq Farooq, a class 7 student killed by Indian forces in 2010. His death sparked wide spread mass agitation against the Indian rule. In pursuit of justice more than 100 people were killed by the Indian forces including 53 teenagers. As Wamiq Farooq still waits for justice, Kashmiri’s seem to have psychologically shifted the goal posts. The fear of death doesn’t exist anymore. Like never before there is a value of dignity associated with the death. The dead are welcomed home like bride and bridegroom. It is not a hallow claim. The images and the media content emerging out of Kashmir speak itself. To be more concrete consider the psychology of unarmed youth who gather around the encounter sites to assist the rebels against the state forces knowing it is suicidal.
Such psychology is indeed dangerous but the product of the collective failure of all the three players – India, Pakistan and global community. The Kashmiri’s are not the ones to be blamed for the trend. They are not seeking roads, infrastructure or other developmental packages. There is an urgent need of a political package that recognized them as humans insuring basic rights. Such a political package must be endorsed by all the three players spontaneously. Any veneration will further heighten the psychological shift. There is every possibility that the conflict will spill into the other parts of the region. Nobody tomorrow wants to see a situation when these youth will start blowing themselves up in public places with an absolutely rational justification.
Fida Firdous can be reached at fidafirdous8@gmail.com
