Past few days have been traumatic for me to say the least as something so precious just crumbled beyond repairs within me. And this crumbling was so sudden and almost evil that it left me gasping for answers. This dichotomy of right and wrong just rumbled me upside down. Some well-wishers advised me to overlook things and continue with my ‘comfort zone’ as my country, the idea of which I had nurtured all my four decades of life, was not the same anymore. But I had to face myself—my existence. And I asked myself why I didn't have the liberty to question the rulers of this country, and why my fellow citizens have decided to put wool over their eyes!
Article 370 which was binding us with rest of the country celebrated the uniqueness of our state of J&K, for our leadership had a vision beyond the religious guidelines of those times and decided to shake hands with secular India and not Islamic Pakistan, tearing away Jinnah’s two-nation theory. In fact, when Pakistan sent the tribal raiders to take over independent Kashmir (before accession with India), it was a local by the name of Maqbool Sherwani who guided them on a wrong way so that they could not reach Srinagar. The tribals, realising that they had wasted precious time, came back and pierced every part of his body with nails. He was a martyr though, ironically, never celebrated! How many of the countrymen do know him?
Article 370 was kept in tandem with the federal structure of our country which has a diverse group of people on its land, each keen on maintaining their ‘identity’—be it new states like Telengana, carved out due to this basic emotion of a being. Here was a state of J&K which had shown a character and faith in a vibrant democracy of India. I was proud of it and this piece of history was sacred to me. However, slowly and steadily Article 370 had been almost made hollow. Almost 94 out of 96 clauses in the Union list were applicable to J&K, including the presidents’ rule. There were outside investments as land was given on lease for 99 years as could be seen in the tourism sector around—be it Hotel Lalit or Taj. Most importantly there was a mainstream which continued to be hung to the little chord of trust which, too, has been trampled upon by the present regime. Thousands of mainstream politicians and workers have been killed by the hands of militants for keeping the democratic norms of the country alive. Now, by putting those leaders and workers behind bars, you have blurred the line between the separatists and the mainstream!
The abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A, converting our statehood into a Union Territory, and delimitation in one go with brute military power is nothing but a showcase of arrogant power. The entire population, ironically on whose behalf they are taking decisions, is under lockdown and that too preceded with lies and deceit with the leaders at the helm of the affairs crying hoarse over the sniper rifle and a land mine found on the route of Amarnath Yatra, asking the yatris to call off their yatra citing threat and also asking the tourists to vacate the valley. Does that web of lies with its own citizens speak worthy of a democracy?
I want to ask my countrymen: you say now Kashmir has totally acceded to India, so all these years, was it wrong when I was told that we were the crown of our nation? They continue... 'now you will be developed'—really? In spite of Kashmir being a conflict zone, it has a below poverty line (BPL) population of just 10 per cent and mind you, Gujarat stands at 16.2 per cent! Then I see people having an audacity to say, “it is upto the Kashmiris whether they want another Gaza strip or abide as to what we say”—it is like a juvenile kid threatening! Another thing which disturbs me is the cold world of statistics which people bring about—“have you forgotten killings of Kashmiri pandits? Have you forgotten machail encounter, gowkadal and kunkanposh rapes?.” The other side retorts giving credence to religious divide which one day is going to consume us all. We just want to make a point and keep on quoting thousands of wrongs done against our own! No one wants to correct the wrongs! The barriers of religious divide are glittering with evil dance!
While the netizens rejoice at the prospect of marrying “fair skinned” Kashmiri women, we laugh along forgetting the emotions and the dignity of our fellow citizens whom, they say, have now officially become their own! What a way of welcome. This is like scratching the fresh wound again and again not realising that it has become fatal now. Imagine, people don’t have a right to decide how their affairs should run, so you put them under a ruthless force and put the leaders once you shared your power with in jails. People don’t have a liberty to celebrate Eid which falls on Monday and you say they are your own people and what you are doing is for their betterment. Then, why do you need to crush them under the force? Why, I ask, they couldn’t be got on board? Are they kindergartens who have to be led by their teachers?
It rips me apart to see the idea I believed and reposed trust in—the idea of secular and liberal India—being crushed under the RSS ideology while the rest of us are being led blindfolded towards a magical mirage which is nothing but a morass. But I will ask questions as a worthy citizen of the nation till you decide we didn’t need a voice as well.
God Bless us all!
Sabeen Beg Wani is a freelance journalist from Kashmir.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK