The central government’s claim that the present unrest in Kashmir is instigated by a few people who don’t want peace to prevail in the valley is far from the truth. In reality the seeds of this struggle have been sown long back in 1931.
Kashmir has been long since been subjected to multiple atrocities and oppression. The people of Kashmir, be it the elderly or the young, all have witnessed the brutalities of the Indian forces. While the Government at the center is busy blaming Pakistan and the Separatists for what is happening in Kashmir, they are completely oblivious to the new generation of rebels their oppression is giving birth to. A country’s history is its biggest weapon. It passes from generation to generation and determines the path of the freedom struggle of that country. Kashmir’s history is a history of bloodshed, injustice, violence and oppression. As it passes down generations, it only makes our resolve for freedom stronger and firmer.
Our sentiments have been offended time and again. We have been subjected to inhumane and innumerable brutalities. Therefore it is only natural that we are outraged. Humans can’t be oblivious to what happens around them. We absorb things and then emit response. As Kashmiris, we have seen our loved ones being killed and tortured. How are we not expected to react and hit back? We have been victims of dirty politics for too long now. How long did they expect us to not raise our voices? We are deprived of our identity and divided by different ideologies. We are beaten for no reasons and jailed for no crimes.
How does the Government expect us to not feel alienated? The government slaps PSAs on our youth because they believe that picking up a stone is dangerous but they have no qualms about using live ammunition and pellets on unarmed protestors. Security forces which are considered the most disciplined in our country, unleash havoc and terror in Kashmir but how can we expect anything different when they are headed by arrogant and illiterate lots.
What justice can we expect when our leaders are busy hosting splendid parties and worrying about office attendances and exams while ignoring the blatant violation of human rights in Kashmir? Of course we need amenities, education, jobs and development but not at the cost of our precious lives and dignity.
We are being caged physically, mentally and emotionally. The world doesn’t care about us or our stories. They have their own worries to tend to. For them Kashmir is an ‘Internal Issue’ that can only resolved by India. India’s influence over foreign diplomacy has kept everyone tight lipped about Kashmir. For international bodies, India’s prestige matters more than the atrocities happening in Kashmir. It has been rightly said that God helps those who help themselves. If we are to free ourselves from the chains of oppression, we have to be ready to sacrifice our comforts.
We have to stop electing people who have betrayed us time and again. We have to stop voting for tyrants. We have to stop being fools and getting trapped in their web of lies again and again because the story of Kashmir is a story of betrayal by our own leaders. All endeavours by our honest, hardworking patriotic men have been nullified by treachery. Our Kashmir, was yet to be developed fully and we started vandalizing our resources and forgot our traditions. Even in our current difficult circumstances, we, openly and shamelessly, indulge in black marketing and start encroaching our precious land. We continue to fight a fight which had been rendered impossible by various ideological stupidities.
When will we wake up and redeem ourselves? Which democracy are we believing in, when it doesn’t exist? The beauty of democracy is that everyone can express their opinions yet, our right to life has been taken away from us and our freedom of expression has been massacred. It is time we became united and started a crystal clear struggle to free our Kashmir. We need to muster courage and we need to start being our own heroes. Our love for our motherland is our most precious armour and our faith is our greatest weapon. When we decide to fight the oppressor as one, an unseen hand will rest on our shoulders, pat us and help us take back what is rightfully ours.
Email:farhanateli@gmail.
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