War, Conflict Or Tragedy? An Interview With A Kashmiri Professor On What Went Wrong 

Agar firdous baroye zameen ast, hami asto, hami asto hami ast (If there is paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here).

Almost seven centuries have passed since the death of Amir Khusro, a legendary Sufi musician and poet but these words penned by him to describe Kashmir still resonate in our minds and hearts.

Many brave soldiers from across India have laid down their lives to protect Kashmir. The supreme sacrifice of our soldiers has managed to thwart the nefarious designs of Pakistan.

After getting bloody-nosed and embarrassed, Pakistan has realised that it could not match India in a full-fledged war or even think of an operation like what we saw in Kargil.

Now, it is stooping to new lows in its obsession with Kashmir.

The recent incidents of stone pelting against India’s security forces are part of the new Kashmir doctrine that Pakistan plans to pursue from this point onwards.

This article is an attempt to drill down and get to the bottom of what, why and how of these incidents. In an attempt to do so, I wanted to get answers from the horse’s mouth, from someone within the Valley, a credible voice, and I managed to do so.

The person I managed to speak to is from Kashmir, holds a PhD and is an assistant professor who has seen the turmoil from close since many years.

He wishes to remain anonymous and hence I haven’t named him anywhere in this article. At the outset, I have to tell you that he was very forthcoming in sharing his views, whether I agree with them or not is altogether a different issue.

Excerpts follow:

Sadhana Tiwari: What's happening in Kashmir?

Professor: (Sighs) The same, violence.

ST: No no (I shoot back inquisitively). Professor, I want to know everything in detail. Is the situation more serious than it was earlier or is it still the same?

Professor: Sadhana, the situation is very bad as of now. You must have picked it from the news, even the students have joined the protests and it is worrisome. You know how kids tend to behave. Kids are stubborn of what I get, and with them joining the protest, it was only natural that protests will intensify in the Valley.

ST: So can you tell me how did it all start?

Professor: It started with an incident at the Degree College in Pulwama and then all hell broke loose and even the girls joined the protests.

ST: I think there was some confusion that resulted in the clash between the forces and students in Pulwama. What was it?

Professor: You know Sadhana, the reason is never clear in such cases. The forces said that the students pelted stones first and the students on the other hand are blaming it on the forces, saying they misbehaved or physically assaulted the students first.

ST: What do they want? Do they want to go with Pakistan?

Professor: Well they say they want azaadi (freedom). I can give you some rough estimates based on my assessment. I believe only 2-5 per cent of people wish to go with Pakistan. Some 30 per cent believe that their future is safe with India, and let me tell you, I am one of them. There are 65 per cent people, who want autonomy.

ST: Autonomy? Are you aware what’s happening in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) right now? Pakistan is using that land to train people to become terrorists. I fail to understand what would they get by aligning with them or being vulnerable for the rest of their lives where they can get easily attacked or captured by Pakistan?

Professor: We, the people of Kashmir, are aware of everything. If some of us are not interested in India, I am confident that they don’t care about Pakistan as well. “Unki aukaat nahi hai ki hume apne saath rakh lein. Hum un logon se bhi ladenge (They don’t have in in them to keep us with Pakistan. We will fight with them as well).

ST: So Professor tell me, how did this situation became so tense all of a sudden? It wasn't this bad earlier.

Professor: This is going on since more than two-and-a-half decades now. Situation was extremely bad in 2010 and even then it wasn't half as bad as it is now.

ST: What happened in 2010? (Of course, even after reading lots of article in the last few days, I have no shame in admitting that I don't know much about Kashmir).

Professor: Read about Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, a kid who was killed in firing and during a protest against this incident, hundreds of other children were also killed. The tipping point, I believe, was the death of Burhan Muzaffar Wani.

ST: But he was a terrorist, he had a gun, he was in contact with terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed, wasn’t he?

Professor: That I agree, but for the people of Kashmir, he was a hero. Let me reveal to you that he is from my village Tral Pulwama. His father is a headmaster and grandfather is also working in a high position. He himself was a meritorious student, who picked up gun after his brother was killed by police. Three lakh people attended his funeral and that shows his stature in the Valley. After his death, police imposed curfew for almost two months. The internet network was suspended. Police thought people will get tired of agitating and things will get back to normal. They used all their might against the people of Kashmir to oppress the protest. They even blinded our children.

I agree some Kashmiris are misguided but will you blind your own children? Will you kill them? Will you replicate this inhuman treatment in other parts of the country?

(By now I knew I had touched some raw nerve. By now I knew I was talking to a Kashmiri who deep down considered Burhan a hero. I kept my poise and stayed empathetic otherwise he wouldn't have continued the interview.)

Professor: Now the situation is such that even a kid has no fear of getting killed. And let me tell you that all of these kids are not misguided or carrying the gun. These are highly educated people, college and school going kids are now in the fray too and protesting. Anyway, I feel that India and Pakistan are only concerned about the land and not Kashmiri people it seems.

ST: What about Kashmiri Pandits? Are they not part of Kashmir? I've heard they were dragged out of Kashmir by Islamofascists?

Professor: That's not true. That happened because of Jagmohan. We have Kashmiri Pandit families still living amongst us. Burhan too said that Kashmiri Pandits are welcome to the Valley to live the way they were living earlier. He was only opposing the idea of separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits.

ST: Let me cut to the chase now. So, now what is the solution to this issue according to you?

Professor: Talking to all the stakeholders, treating us like their own and advancing the agenda of development. There is no employment and absolutely no development in Kashmir.

ST: What are you saying? The Indian Government did announce a huge package for Kashmir recently ( I couldn't recall the amount then).

Professor: We too keep hearing about it but nothing really happens on the ground level.

ST: What do you think about the Bharatiya Janata Party-Peoples Democratic Party government?

Professor: Ah! Truth be told, people really do not care about any government. In their eyes, they are all the same i.e. opportunists. That's the only reason nobody participated in elections. What is the use of such elections then? People are not very happy with BJP because of the Babri Masjid demolition.

ST: Is this all happening for Islam?

Professor: The Kashmir issue has nothing to do with Islam.

(I am still thinking why did he even mention the Babri demolition then?)

ST: Sorry, but asking it again. What according to you should be done to ease the situation in Kashmir?

Professor: Sadhana, I personally admire Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I believe he is doing good work. I appreciate him. This violence should end. Army and police should stop treating students like criminals. I fear Kashmir will become an Israel-Palestine like situation. I fear that this growing unrest and anger in people does not go to the extent that these bright kids abandon studies and start becoming suicide bombers. Not everything is lost as of now. Things can be changed. We want the government to tackle this situation wisely, and not through crackdowns.

ST: My last question to you is this. You say government should speak with all the stakeholders which include separatists too. Do you think separatists will endorse anything other than azaadi?

Professor: But they have the mass following. They are the people with whom general public connects. It is not Mehbooba or Abdullah whom the general public considers as their leaders. In fact, if presently anyone will stop students to not ask for azaadi they will reject that person, be it anyone. Only solution I see at this point is to let the situation calm down a bit. Later the government can remove the Army and instead give more powers to the local police. Kashmiris want lesser interference and more peace.

[I had nothing more to ask. I wished him a great weekend which he ignored and murmured – Allah, lauta de gulistan e-Kashmir dobara (Oh God, return us our paradise Kashmir again) ].