Kashmir has been in news frequently after the 2016 unrest but this trend has increased after the by polls were held for Srinagar parliamentary seat which saw only 7% voting with 8 people getting killed and more than 100 being injured.This day saw unprecedented violence which shook everyone from government to the civilian population.Security forces were caught in a situation which they never expected atleast at some places where voter turnout in previous elections used to be high,It took everyone by surprise.
While situation was tense in Kashmir due to 8 deaths some national news channels were focusing on the low voter turnout and how these mobs who disrupted the elections were paid by Pakistan to disrupt polls but those 8 dead,they didn’t find a place in these high charged debates.Nobody among them condemned these deaths.Everyone was not a stone pelter .Its sad that they still see Kashmir through a law and order problem and Pakistan sponsored one.They don’t understand that dealing with Kashmir through a prism of law and order will keep kashmiris alienating more and more.Infact this denial has lead to the current situation in Kashmir and proof of this alienation is the low voter turnout and while some people will try to counter this arguement with that the people were scared to come out to vote due to violence at some places,what about the other places were there was no violence, voter turnout was low at those places too.
People of Kashmir have still not forgotten 2016 unrest,the miseries it bought to Kashmir and how government dealed with it,people haven’t got over it.Memories of 2016 killings are still fresh and their is a sought of anger towards the government both in state and centre.Government hasn’t even tried to reach out to the people of Kashmir after the 2016 unrest.More than 100 people were killed and many were blinded due to the ruthless use of pellet guns,government haven’t even ordered a thorough probe.
People in Kashmir mostly young are angry,they have become more frustrated with what they are witnessing daily.Killings,pellet guns,violence has become a normal day talk in Kashmir and it has made the population fearless mostly young ones who are seen rushing to the encounter sites in order to save the militant.They now have came to a conclusion that no one from the mainland india is listening to Kashmir and this somewhat is true most people have turned up a blind eye to the miseries of kashmiris.
A recent video of a jawan being thrashed by protesters in Kashmir was condemned by a large section of people and yes one should condemn these acts of violence.People of Kashmir were also seen condemning such acts but when a video of a civilian tied to an army vehichle and another one in which a protester was seen being shot at a point blank range by security forces started doing rounds on social media some people were condemning it while some people were defending such acts.Their were comments like when an civilian is tied to an army vehichle it will stop stone pelting and even some senior journalists were supportive of such acts.Its hard to believe that some retd army officials were also defending such acts.Lets be clear to them using a civilian as a shield is an human right violation not in india only but all over the world.
One can always see some people just want Kashmir to be handed over to army and by this they think that violence will come to an end.First Kashmir is already under army there are about 8 lakh troops in Kashmir so what some people are demanding is already their.Now some people are asking for the killing of stone pelters,pak symphatizers,now if you want to kill your own citizens then please go ahead.
One can easily predict that government in the centre wont do anything to address people of Kashmir.They will continue to be in a denial mode.Rather talking to people in Kashmir they will again use harsh millitary measures to tackle down protesters and in this some media channel debates will support these acts , it looks like some media outlets are in complete war with people of Kashmir.It has become Rest of India vs Kashmir were some are asking to give free hand to army to tackle kashmiris.It clearly shows that some people never actually considered people of Kashmir as their own and kashmiris have well understood it.
In todays ultra nationalist and ultra patriotic india there is no space for Kashmir problem.It has been made clear either you support Indian army or you are an anti national and if you support Kashmiris then you are a biggest threat to india and you deserve to go to Pakistan.Its sad that these people sell nationalism in the name of solidiers ,people have forgotten that india has a constitution,every body is judged on the basis of nationalism and patriotism and what more bad can happen when even news channels have started nationalism and patriotism war and in this war kashmiris have no space.I wont be surprised tomorrow if some news channels will be having a debate titled as Kashmir vs Rest of india.Kashmiris are now being told either join us or leave and according to some trolls Kashmir right now should be bombed and whosoever is demanding freedom are jihadis and are ought to be killed.
In this nationalism phase one does not see a solution to the Kashmir problem or even addressing the Kashmir issue.Whosoever will try to protest against the civilian killings will be labelled as a jihadi.So one should not hope for a healing touch to the people of Kashmir.Kashmir will continue to burn more civilian deaths and more protests,tv news channels will continue to rage a hateful debate but at the end of the day its security forces and kashmiri people who will suffer.The worst thing is that now kashmiris don’t even expect a healing touch from the government of india.
In the coming days lets hope this bloodshed ends and government of india tries to reach out to the people of Kashmir and try to hold a dialogue with all the stakeholders otherwise situation can go out of control and it will have far reaching consequences.Situation is already tense don’t let it go out of control.