Two days after Pakistan lifted its maiden Champions Trophy, the excitement and the jubilation in Kashmir is yet to end. Soon after the Indian wickets started falling like nine pins following a terrific spell by the pacer Mohammad Amir, the streets of Kashmir erupted in a cathartic joy. The crackers started bursting. The celebrations continued till late into the night. Though Valley does celebrate after every Pakistan win against any cricket team, the festivity that follows a win against Indian team is much more intense. And this time, the joy and its manifestation was uninhibited and unprecedented, spread right across the Valley. The state government let the celebrations go unchallenged lest any security intervention lead to loss of lives.
However, the unprecedented nature of the jubilation has taken Kashmir observers by surprise. What caused it? The answer is not that far to seek. The immediate provocation has been the news channels which by their jingoistic programming have presided over a dangerous othering of Kashmir. The television anchors have been working themselves into a frothing rage and rallying public opinion against Kashmiris. Now joined by the sporting and film celebrities, underlining just how normal it has become to demonize Kashmiris. Apart from working up hate for Kashmiris, the channels also simplify the fiendishly complex issue of Kashmir. The result is abetment to revenge in Kashmir than a search for solution to the deepening crisis in the state. There is thus deep anger in Kashmir and the celebration over Pakistan win is in part an outcome of the backlash against the media portrayal of Kashmir.
Another major factor is the deep sense of political disempowerment in Kashmir. One way of looking at it is that Muslims in J&K are a majority community with a minority syndrome. There is a growing sense of siege and a perception that New Delhi harbours sinister designs on Kashmir. In its extreme it borders on the fears of an impending demographic change. Deepening it further is the BJP-led government at the centre. In the three years that this government has been in power, there has been no political outreach towards Kashmir. Government response has been invariably militaristic in nature. The language has become aggressive. Nuance has given way to a literalist reading of the situation. This has brought the people in Kashmir to bay. In Kashmiri imagination, New Delhi has become an enemy with dark designs on Kashmir. So anybody who seems to stand up to it is seen as a saviour and a friend. Hence the joy over the defeat of Indias cricket team by any world team. But when the team is Pakistan, it becomes more special because the country is seen friendly and enjoys a considerable support in Kashmir. People tend to draw a vicarious please and some sense of empowerment in the loss of India, the country they are a part of and have now come to see as arrayed against them. The only way New Delhi can hope to win some confidence in Valley is by stopping to act and appear compulsively hostile towards its people.
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