Kashmir 2020, a year later
Peace, despite enjoying the luxury of freedom, remains evasive for the state is still treated as Hindustan ka zaamtur (son in law)
To define Kashmir has always been an issue, as such to solve Kashmir continues to be perennial. A year ago, however, a bold effort was made with the abrogation of Article 370. It felt the first right step towards the (new) solution. But as a year closes in, looking back into time the boldness remains imprinted on paper while reality is far damning than before.
Yes change does not come in a year and a change in the mindset does not grow overnight. But a year later to continue hearing “Kashmir Hindustan ka zaamtur hein” needs some deep thinking. Zammtur is the Kashmiri word for son in law and since time immemorial it has been seeped from the conscience of the Kashmiri elderly’s, Hindus and Muslims alike, that Kashmir is India’s son in law. And we all know the meaning of son in law in the Indian culture. I never understood the why of it; do the parents feel the man has done a great service by marrying their daughter? Nevertheless he is considered a ‘revered’ figure wherein efforts are always made to please him, appease him. He is always showered with respect and all his faults ignored, his purgatory mistakes overseen and no expense is spared to keep him within the family.
So, for an outsider like you and me, how does the analogy fit Kashmir?
Rewind and consider all the news, the views of Kashmir which we have read and witnessed in all the years Pre abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. Separatists were allowed to flourish, religious propaganda allowed to thrive, Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus forced to be uprooted and moved, whilst the Kashmiri Muslims continuing to be given the freedom to do everything and anything they wanted, both within their state and outside. They were allowed to buy properties easily and readily anywhere in the country. They were given the choice, the access to gain education and jobs, government or private, anywhere in the country. They were given passports bearing the Indian Republic without any questions or intervention thus enabling them to create a ‘safe haven’ abroad, which was then used to implicate the country by creating demeaning narratives. They kept shouting (still do), repeatedly, that they were being brutalised by the India forces, but that same Indian force was reprimanded for taking any excessive action. They were given the freedom of what they wanted to write, how they wanted write, what to speak, who to speak to and at the same time also given the freedom to pick up stones whenever they want. Action against terrorism was allowed to be repressed while their noise of presumptuous wailing, of gun salute to a terrorist/ militant was allowed to reverberate throughout. Kashmir was allowed to go about to do its business in whatever form and structure while the rest of the country was expected to just sit and turn a blind eye. Intervention by the central government was always frowned by the local politicians and separatists with empty threats of ‘we will leave you if you interfere in our domestic affairs’. Intimidated the government could not do much except bow down to the demands of its ‘son in law’. And peace, despite enjoying the luxury of freedom, remained evasive.
You could argue that this was Kashmir in the times of Article 370 for it were the faults of the old government which allowed such culture to thrive and jiggle.
But has anything changed in this year that has gone by?
Once again lets rewind. Orders and circulars have been passed for building highways, infrastructure, bringing in business from outside, change in the bureaucratic order and providing freedom to an ‘outsider’ to now have the option to settle in Kashmir with a house, land and a job (albeit they clear the 15 year rule of staying in Kashmir). But besides action written on paper has anything else changed? Kashmiri Muslims continue to dominate the landscape in bureaucracy, judiciary and civic. Newspaper though struck down have given rise to more online platforms with the journalists continuing to demean the government and its efforts, and pen a picture of brutality, horror and repression. The rich Kashmiri Muslims however continue to stay away from the valley, freely and safely while continuing to scrape a hole in the plate that gives them that luxury and freedom. Tourists continue to stay away and out for terrorist infiltration has quadrupled with security high and tight, encounters have become a daily routine, death of the militant, terrorist is still cherished, the handful Hindus of the valley continue to kill their time in fear and trepidation, the temples remain forgotten and in ruin and Pandits still ambivalent towards their return to the valley. But despite all that the government has rolled out a budget of Rs 1-lakh crore (for the first time ) in the Budget 2020–21 towards making J&K a ‘model of development’. Ladakh, also the newly minted Union Territory however gets Rs 5754 crore.
Yes, in the times of Modi and Shah Kashmir (continues) Hindustan ka zaamtur hein.
Somebody once told me there is no other place in this country which enjoys the same level of freedom as Kashmir. Of course the Kashmiri’s don’t feel that. But if you sit down and stare at Kashmir and its piercing beauty, its invigorating charm but with its people stubbornly crying for something that they already have — freedom- why should we then continue to fuss over this particular son in law? Why can’t Kashmir be treated as any other Union Territory? Why can’t same principles, attitude be levied on the Kashmiri Muslim as it is on a Delhi Muslim or Bangalore Hindu? Why is Uttar Pradesh police not shocked to see a Kashmiri Muslim residing in Noida, but the J&K police at the Lakhanpur border can refuse to accept and agree that a Hindu Pandit continues to have a place of residence in Srinagar.
“Aap kaise Srinagar mein reh sakte ho, aap ko toh nikal diya tha”. (How can you continue to live in Srinagar, you were thrown out)
No changes don’t come in a year. Mindsets don’t overgrow in a year. But till the time the zaamtur is not shown its rightly place on the table with the rest of its family members, it is you and I who shall suffer more in the future.
