SRINAGAR: The latest image of Kashmir’s agitated street is different than the usual. The masked men upholding or unfurling black flags with white inscriptions of Islamic faith have, of late, become fashionable for any anti-India street campaign in Kashmir. This flag belongs to the globally feared Iraq-Syria insurgent group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, now rechristened as Islamic State ? IS. This puritanical extremist Sunni force has managed to secure territories straddling Iraq-Syria border.
A stream of IS flags dotting Kashmir street has evoked a variety of concerns including the threat of IS fever spilling over to Kashmir. “There’s general sympathy for misery in Palestine, Syria , Iraq or Afghanistan. The police and intelligence agencies know better whether IS has had any footprints in Kashmir but the fact is Kashmiris feel threatened and trapped. They look to world powers for help against India. They used to appeal the U.S and the UK for intervention but now they see a new brand of Muslim power rising against America so they want to rediscover their struggle as an offshoot of a global struggle,” says Ghulam Rasool, a local historian and newspaper columnist.
He, however, asserts that the state’s unofficial approval of such flag-waving sounds intriguing. “If someone would raise a Pakistani flag he would be prosecuted for waging war against the state. The IS is a globally feared force and Police here stays a mute spectator when the IS flag is raised in front of the twist-hungry Indian and international media,” Rasool adds.
Many have already bought Rasool’s theory. Plenty of social media posts have alleged that the government of India was keener to see Kashmiris as the off shoot of Al Qaeda or IS. “The state does not allow Friday prayers when there is call for some protest against a killing. But the Police stands guard when people march through streets holding IS flags. People may have genuine sympathy but we have to understand who will benefit at the end? If Kashmiri is projected as Osama’s or Baghdadi’s cousin it will fetch the international legitimacy for any future crime against humanity here,” says an analyst who terms these made-for-media displays in favor of IS as “anti-Kashmir”.
Meanwhile some Indian newspapers have reported about Jihadi groups from India fighting in both Iraq and Syria. These reports suggest that some of these would eventually return. “They would then become the link between the Middle East outfits and the Indian subcontinent. That is a time India needs to prepare for,” a Times report says. But, it is not yet clear whether the Indian security establishment view IS as a threat to in the context of general anger among Indian Muslim or as a Pan India phenomenon including Kashmir.
“Whether the government is happy over pro-Palestine or pro-IS demonstrations is a hypothetical question. The real question these flags have tossed up is whether Kashmiris are increasingly feeling let down by Pakistan and as a result grabbing to every straw, including the faraway IS,” Ghulam Rasool adds.
Black Flags A Concern: 15 Corps
The army on Friday said the surfacing of ISIS flags during street protests and clashes are getting highest concern from the force.
Talking to media persons on the sidelines of a function, the GOC 15 Chinar Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha, said: All I can say is in a forum like this, it deserves and is getting the highest security concerns from all of us.
Since last month, the youths in downtown Srinagar have displayed the black flags of Al Qaeda inspired group, ISIS, during pro-Palestine and anti-India protests and clashes.
On July 11, Friday, the ISIS flag made debut in Kashmir during a pro-Palestine protest outside Central Jamia Masjid in downtown city. Since then, the flags have been displayed at least five times including once in city centre Lal Chowk during pro-Palestine protest by students.
On Eid day, besides ISIS flags, the flags of Al Qaeda and Taliban were waved by youth in Eidgah area of old city during clashes with police and paramilitary.
At several places in Srinagar, the pro-ISIS graffiti have appeared. In Batamaloo neighborhood of Srinagar, there is a graffiti, which read: Welcome ISIS.
A defence official said there is no presence of Qaeda, ISIS or Taliban in Kashmir. But many youth in Kashmir are embracing their ideology. A large number of youths are getting radicalized.
Last week, the Northern Command General, also expressed similar concern over surfacing of ISIS flags in Kashmir and said: such things bother us.
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