Kashmir – The Burning Valley

Kashmir – the place famous for its flora and fauna, conjuring natural embellishment and finest kind of embroidery. Dal Lake and Nagin Lake of Srinagar with their multi-faced ecosystems and grandeur can make the person to stand still mesmerized by the picturesque of Kashmir. However, the same pleasure is in abeyance with lots of ado in the valley since 1988. Kashmir has always been the centre of attraction for all the right and wrong reasons possible. Apart from the terrorism which is undoubtedly disturbing not only in Kashmir but in the whole world, there are prepetual wars, development issues, poverty and unemployment. Adding to the abasement of Kashmir’s is the poor standard of education in the valley.

The dispute of Kashmir started in 1947 when Pakistan strangled West-Kashmir with the hope to occupy the valley and so called Nehru government refusing to rescue Kashmir until the then maharaja of Kashmir asked for their help. But by then half of Kashmir was abdicated to Pakistan better known as Pakistan occupied Kashmir. In 1948, the UN suggested a plebiscite for the people of Kashmir which can be implemented after Pakistan vacates the occupied province which never happened. After the war of 1947 India fought another war with China in 1961 resulting a defeat and hence losing some part of territory to china which now is iterated as “illegally captured by China”. At this span of time Pakistan regrouped and attacked India in 1965 which ultimately proved fatal to them. After the number of wars that both countries fought, the loss was only of people living in those countries as war not only caused casualties but consequently leading to price rise and some unforgettable wounds.However, the hidden aim was to sabotage the peace that prevails in Kashmir. Though it proved to be unsuccessful at that time but it later came back in 1988.

Before 1988 Kashmir was peaceful but there was always anti-India feeling among them. The by product of this hate was the formation of Huriyat conference which demanded for autonomy for the state. The Shimla pact done between father of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Father of Benazir Bhutto was also condemned by this organisation. The reason why I stressed on father is peremptorily on the fact of the involvement of ‘fathers’ in this dispute. Not to mention the present dispute is viewing son of Dr. Farooq Abdullah as the culprit of the blood shed violence. However, at that time the Intent was inevitable, there was the need of the support and the catalyst to the whole agitation. In 1988, the support came from Pakistan supported organisations and Catalyst was the murder of the Huriyat Chief in his house who was also the “maulvi”. These events were further exaggerated by the firing of the police personals on the burial cavalcade of the deceased. It created the panic and peril of riots was on everybody’s mind. And Hoping agaisnt Hope, the riots between Hindu (“kashmiri pandit”) and muslim occured in the valley which petrified the whole country. As a result, many kashmiri pandit left the valley and migrated to other places.

Not only the agitations but abject poverty in kashmir has left the children to leave the education and face the starvation like condition. No industry can dare to venture into Kashmir because of the terrorism and frequent wars and hence hampering the industrial revenue. The youth has become inept because of the falling standard of education. The unemployement has increased to such a magnitute that the youth is addicted to drugs and alchoal even if they are not earning a single peny.

This is a vicious circle of all the malignant events and the responsiblity lies on various state and non-state actors. The incendary statements made by several religious groups which led to arson and halt the peaceful life of people.The selfish interst of those parties and persons whose sole aim is to score a goal on the cost of several innocent lives.

Those voilent episodes of 1988 are brewing today with over 100 people killed in police firings, curfew on streets of Kashmir and stone pelting incidents. Though India is always considered to be a secular state even after an accord of two state theory i.e. Pakistan for Muslims and Hindustan which in itself is quite contradicting. However, the solutions to this abominated problem are to respect the sentiments of youth, religious sentiments and look for alternatives of the war with rational and honest mindset.

Sagar

Guest