Kashmiris, have for decades, not been able to emerge out of the deep morass of anguish which the conflict-torn region has thrust them into. The killing of twelve-year-old Atif Mir who was taken hostage by militants as well as the custodial death of Rizwan Asad, a 29-year-old teacher, in Cargo detention center, has once again called into question the brutal tactics used by the Security Forces and militants alike.
According to an initial post-mortem report, Asad’s death may have been the result of the loss of blood caused by multiple injuries. The report further stated that “a roller may have been applied over his legs causing the veins and arteries to rupture.” His family believes that Rizwan was killed in police custody after looking at his body which betrayed gruesome torture.
Rizwan’s case is just one of the many stories of torture that live within the walls of Kashmir’s detention centers. History has been a testimony to the fact that military occupations give birth to violent insurgencies. In this context, the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 would be a befitting example. At Abu Ghraib prison, the US military brutally tortured hundreds of Iraqis, many of them completely innocent. However, torture creates a thirst for revenge which culminated into scores of Iraqi prisoners later joining the ISIS, the most notorious extremist group in the world.
David Kilcullen, one of the leading experts on counter-insurgency said: “There undeniably would be no ISIS if we had not invaded Iraq”. What policymakers and the military occupation in Kashmir fail to realize is that torture, instead of being a solution, is actually a painful and humiliating experience which the victims draw strength from, and turn into impassioned insurgents. These detention centers act as terrorist manufacturing units where inmates are tortured, become vengeful and finally radicalize. A person may not have been tortured himself but he may join an insurgent group to protest against the torture he saw.
Therefore, instead of resorting to methods that yield no favorable outcome, policymakers need to address the real aspirations which underlie the wrath of the Kashmiris. During a gunfight with the Army, the decision of militants to use Atif Mir as a human shield in spite of the desperate appeals of his mother has brought the notoriety of these extremist groups screaming to the fore. Caught between the insensitivity of the Army and brutality of militants, is an ordinary Kashmiri whose pleas for a dignified life have fallen deaf on the years of the nation.
The deliberate silence of the government and media alike, over the killings and abuse of hundreds of civilians, is in my view, sub humanization of the entire Kashmiri population. Rizwan’s torture and subsequent death, has ironically, escaped the notice of those who were fervently citing Geneva Conventions a month ago when IAF’s Wing Commander Abhinandan was in Pakistan’s captivity. What is even more ironic is how a regime which prides itself on being intolerant towards terrorism, unapologetically turns a blind eye when it comes to saffron terror.
The arrest of innocent civilians in Kashmir(many of whom are not even given a fair trial) contrasted with the recent acquittal of people like Aseemanand and more, makes me wonder whether we need to redefine terrorism as acts of violence perpetrated exclusively by Muslims. The regime has, apparently, proven itself to be highly selective in the crimes it chooses to condemn and take action against.
It distresses me to see how most of us are not bothered when the blood of a Kashmiri is spilled. However, blood leaves behind stains. The pain subsides but the memory remains. One of the gravest mistakes that the Indian Army keeps making is to pretend that the gross mistreatment and torture of Kashmiris plays no role in inciting insurgent tendencies.
Rizwan and Atif are the unfortunate victims of this vicious cycle of violence, for whose families, justice remains an elusive dream. Are the horrific tales of life in Kashmir, a reflection of our own immorality? Or perhaps some lives are so worthless that their gruesome treatment is well within the realm of humanity? Whatever the case may be, I hope that the ruling regime keeps the word ‘justice’ alive in its conscience even when the victims are people it does not seem to empathize with.