The whole nation was outraged over the deadly militant attack in Pulwama, which lead to the killing of 46 CRPF jawans and causing critical injuries to the survivors. Since the eruption of militancy in 90s, this attack is being considered as the worst and deadliest one.
Few kilometres away from Srinagar, in Lethpora, Pulwama, Adil Ahmad, the suicide bomber who was associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed, detonated a set of explosives in the path of a CRPF convoy.
Before the ghastly attack, in a pre-recorded video clip he is seen making appeals to the youth to join militancy. This poses a major challenge for security forces because militants today seem to not care about making public appearances, unlike in 90s, when militants feared making their identity known.
The attack, which is being considered to be nothing less than a massacre, is really painful to even think about. We, the Kashmiris, dont celebrate killings. We feel pained, whosoever dies. In the video clip, featuring Adil’s father (bombers parent), he is seen beseeching people for peace. This gives a clear message to the world outside Kashmir, that no one wants bloodshed here.
Personally, I feel pained to see the CRPF jawans, drawn from impoverished parts of India, losing their lives in such type of attacks, but at the same time, I havent forgotten the bloody sight of Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq’s funeral or of the Gawkadal massacre when scores of civilians were butchered by men in uniform.
This grave incident could have been averted if India had taken serious steps to resolve the Kashmir issue, which has been languishing for several decades. TV debates, political visits, empty threats and media hullaballoo arent going to solve this in any way. Retired army generals, politicians and journalists conjure theories which dont reflect the prevailing ground reality of Kashmir. Hearing them promulgate these bombastic ideas is sickening because they politicize the misery.
What happened is to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, some politicians are talking of revenge. This might be the most ironical kind of statement to make in this reign of terror. Instead of making such bloody and muscular assertions, the government should act in a matured and responsible way and take serious steps to stop these kinds of brutal and painful assaults.
The person couldnt have been more right when she/he said, “Those who want war, never fought and those who fought never wanted war.” Its a beautiful thought and suits our system. While our power-hungry politicians are busy whipping up public frenzy with their rhetoric, the wounds remain untreated. Like it has happened in the past, in a week or two, the Pulwama incident will be forgotten but the sufferings of the common masses endure, will not cease.
Every Indian is conscious about the fact that the common Kashmiris have no hand in this gruesome attack, but still innocent students, drivers, doctors, and traders have been asked to vacate homes and professional positions that they hold in other Indian states.
How can innocents, who are only working to make ends meet, be held responsible for the violent acts of a few? A question, I cant seem to find an answer to.
Let hate not blind us and lets rise to the occasion and tackle the germ of the problem!
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
ACT NOW |
MONTHLY | Rs 100 | |
YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |