The new Kashmir that has emerged out of the ashes of three decades of Pakistan-sponsored violence, death and destruction after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India is one in which the people of Kashmir have finally come to terms with the fact that their future lies with the Union of India. This means that both people of Kashmir Valley as well as Delhi have to rework their relationship so that they can live amicably, leaving behind the suspicious, rogue, lawless and hateful prism with which they used to look at each other in the past.
The unfortunate incident of killing of two Kashmiri civilians in Hyderpora area of Srinagar in an encounter in which two militants, including one from Pakistan, were also killed raises an important question: how should we deal with such incidents that involve Kashmiri civilians, who at the end of the day are citizens of India. This is important because in new Kashmir, we cannot function with the old mindset that operated on mistrust, suspicion, fear and intimidation. We have to move beyond the old template of acting thoughtlessly and in haste, especially when lives of ordinary Kashmiri civilians are at stake.
First things first, it is really unfortunate that Kashmir, its people and our country are caught in this ugly situation created by Pakistan that continuously puts all three of us in these confrontational situations, which have emotional consequences. Even in this week’s encounter, the main militant involved was Haider, a Pakistani national and a militant of TRF (The Resistance Front), most probably a Punjabi Muslim from Southern Pakistani Punjab province, the poorer part of Pakistani Punjab from where most militants are recruited for ISI-sponsored terrorist activities in Kashmir Valley, Afghanistan and Iran. Most of the Punjabi Muslim elite that run the ISI and the Pakistan Army belong to upper caste and dominant OBC Punjabi Muslim caste families, namely Jats, Muslim Rajputs, Punjabi Muslim Kshatriyas, Punjabi Pathan and Gujjar castes of Northern Pakistani Punjab. They also control the three most important urban centres of Pakistan–Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Northern Pakistani Punjab is the more affluent part of Pakistani Punjab while Southern Punjab is poorer and impoverished and is culturally a mix of Sindhi and Punjabi languages, also called “Saraiki” or “Multani”. The Southern Punjab is also used for recruitment of the so-called “Mujahideen” or foot soldiers who lay their lives for various kind of jihads that anti-Shia, anti-India, anti-Afghanistan organizations based in northern Pakistani Punjab operate. Even in Kashmir Valley, most “Pakistani” militants are actually poor Pakistani Punjabi Muslims from impoverished families of Southern Pakistani Punjabi, who study in various religious extremist schools, where they are brainwashed into hating India, Hindus, Shias etc. and then recruited and sent for terrorist activities in Kashmir Valley, Afghanistan and Iran.
The people of Kashmir are unfortunately caught in this conundrum. It is a situation they did not choose. Therefore, there is a need to cultivate sensitivity amongst our security forces, especially in dealing with ordinary civilian population of Kashmir. The reason why this is important is because these situations often become trigger points for further grievances and anger–and Pakistani Punjabi Muslim-run ISI and Army are ready to take advantage of such situations to continue vitiating the hearts and minds of ordinary Kashmiri people.
While our security forces must deal with militants with full might, the same standards shouldn’t be applied against ordinary Kashmiri civilians in new Kashmir. We need full cooperation and support of ordinary Kashmiris to defeat the nefarious designs of Pakistan and its evil-intentioned Punjabi Muslim elite, who want to keep Kashmir on boil to hurt India.
Furthermore, even if a section of ordinary Kashmiri citizens gets carried away and supports anti-national elements, our security forces must not apply the same harsh standards of dealing with them as are adopted in dealing with Kashmiri militants and Pakistani terrorists. We have to earn confidence and support of people in Kashmir Valley and win their hearts and minds and inspire them to love and own India. The foundation of new Kashmir has to be built on mutual trust and cooperation between the Union of India and the people of Kashmir Valley.
People in Kashmir Valley have already suffered immense pain in the last three decades, marked by unending death and violence. They need empathy and support of not only our security forces but also ordinary citizens of India, to help them integrate with the mainstream. Contrary to popular perception, people of Kashmir Valley have never betrayed India and have laid down their lives in thousands over the last three decades to maintain the writ of the Union of India in Kashmir Valley.
Both the people of Kashmir and our security forces will have to break the old prism of suspicion and mistrust with which they used to look at each other in the past. There is a need to develop positive communication between Kashmiri people and security forces operating on the ground which, in turn, can lead to trust, confidence and cooperation. It is not going to be an easy task, given the three decades of bitterness, but at least an attempt should be made, by creating more and more opportunities of interactions between Kashmiri people and our security forces. It will be a long-drawn process, but it has to be initiated with urgency and honesty, so that the process of integration of Kashmiri civil society with Indian mainstream can happen sooner than later.
Javed Beigh is general secretary of People’s Democratic Front. He fought DDC elections from Beerwah constituency of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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