Thoughts on Kashmir by an ordinary Indian
The writer of this article says that what he has to say about Kashmir will turn a lot of people against him, perhaps even his own father. But, he feels what needs to be said must be said - that Kashmir is not the jewel in India's crown.
FOR MANY Indians, Kashmir is like the jewel in the crown of India. They are not entirely sure why but it is. It could be because at least two governments want to claim it as their own. It could be because its a beautiful region, so they've heard. The question is, what about the people of Kashmir? Does their opinion matter? Will their voices ever be heard?
It is a fact that since the insurgency in 1989, around 80,000 residents of Kashmir have died. These are Indian citizens. The Indian government spends a sickening amount of money maintaining our Army's presence there. However, it is unclear whether our Army is protecting Kashmiris from Pakistan or attacking protesters. Ever since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks press coverage showed Indian commandos charging into the Taj Hotel, people all over India have come to admire them. Do the children in Bangalore know that the soldiers they are idolizing shoot their Kashmiri brothers in the head mercilessly?
Indians all over the world pride themselves on the fact that India is the largest democracy in the world. When anyone claims India is inferior to China, we immediately hit back with our democratic freedom. Yes, we enjoy liberties that the Chinese don't. What, then, do you say about the fact that these same liberties are not being extended to the people of Kashmir? If a political group in Mumbai can protest against petrol prices and shut down the entire city, why can't the people of Kashmir speak out against what they believe is unfair? Why is our government silencing its own subjects?
At the world stage, India obnoxiously denies the fact that Kashmiris do not want to be part of India. No one disputes this because India is an economic superpower with nuclear weapons. The U.S. needs India and Pakistan as allies. In a global perspective, Kashmir is a timebomb waiting to go off. Every time there's any regional or political unrest between India and Pakistan, the world prays that we don't reach for our nukes. It is irrelevant if the insurgency is backed by Pakistan. What deserves attention is that the people we are fighting to call our own don't want to be one of us. I'm not proposing that we hand over the "deed of Kashmir" to Pakistan. In the same breath, I am not suggesting that we let Kashmir be an independent state. All one is saying is that we should listen to the people of Kashmir.
I hear many Indians say that Kashmir is ours and Pakistan "needs to back off." I defy all of them to go spend 6 months in Kashmir. If you are so hell-bent on the issue, why don't you go live there? Any sane person would not come back the same after seeing firsthand the pain of the Kashmiris. The quality of life in Kashmir is despicable. Curfews last for months at a time. Schools are closed and courts aren't in session. Exams are postponed, which further delays graduation. Recently, an 18-year old boy was shot in the legs by an Indian solider. Why? Because he tried to attend the funeral of a protester. I, for one, would be too ashamed to face a Kashmiri. It is very easy for me to shout about India's right to Kashmir from my very comfortable life in America. Same goes for the people in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi who whine incessantly about the traffic. Just imagine that your sister falls ill and needs to get to a hospital. You call for an ambulance and before it gets there, your sister dies. Why didn't the ambulance come even though the roads are empty? Because the Indian Army stopped the ambulance and tore up the driver's curfew pass. This is an incident that happened this summer in Kashmir.
So to me, Kashmir is not the jewel in India's crown. Kashmir is a scar on India's face. Indians shouldn't scream ignorantly about Kashmir; we should instead demand that our fellow citizens be heard. The true spirit of democracy lies in the fact that the rights of the minority should not be voted on by the majority. If not for our fellow countrymen, do it for the sake of our country's reputation. Because when the history books are written, someone somewhere will realize that India did not stand by her people.
It is a fact that since the insurgency in 1989, around 80,000 residents of Kashmir have died. These are Indian citizens. The Indian government spends a sickening amount of money maintaining our Army's presence there. However, it is unclear whether our Army is protecting Kashmiris from Pakistan or attacking protesters. Ever since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks press coverage showed Indian commandos charging into the Taj Hotel, people all over India have come to admire them. Do the children in Bangalore know that the soldiers they are idolizing shoot their Kashmiri brothers in the head mercilessly?
Indians all over the world pride themselves on the fact that India is the largest democracy in the world. When anyone claims India is inferior to China, we immediately hit back with our democratic freedom. Yes, we enjoy liberties that the Chinese don't. What, then, do you say about the fact that these same liberties are not being extended to the people of Kashmir? If a political group in Mumbai can protest against petrol prices and shut down the entire city, why can't the people of Kashmir speak out against what they believe is unfair? Why is our government silencing its own subjects?
At the world stage, India obnoxiously denies the fact that Kashmiris do not want to be part of India. No one disputes this because India is an economic superpower with nuclear weapons. The U.S. needs India and Pakistan as allies. In a global perspective, Kashmir is a timebomb waiting to go off. Every time there's any regional or political unrest between India and Pakistan, the world prays that we don't reach for our nukes. It is irrelevant if the insurgency is backed by Pakistan. What deserves attention is that the people we are fighting to call our own don't want to be one of us. I'm not proposing that we hand over the "deed of Kashmir" to Pakistan. In the same breath, I am not suggesting that we let Kashmir be an independent state. All one is saying is that we should listen to the people of Kashmir.
I hear many Indians say that Kashmir is ours and Pakistan "needs to back off." I defy all of them to go spend 6 months in Kashmir. If you are so hell-bent on the issue, why don't you go live there? Any sane person would not come back the same after seeing firsthand the pain of the Kashmiris. The quality of life in Kashmir is despicable. Curfews last for months at a time. Schools are closed and courts aren't in session. Exams are postponed, which further delays graduation. Recently, an 18-year old boy was shot in the legs by an Indian solider. Why? Because he tried to attend the funeral of a protester. I, for one, would be too ashamed to face a Kashmiri. It is very easy for me to shout about India's right to Kashmir from my very comfortable life in America. Same goes for the people in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi who whine incessantly about the traffic. Just imagine that your sister falls ill and needs to get to a hospital. You call for an ambulance and before it gets there, your sister dies. Why didn't the ambulance come even though the roads are empty? Because the Indian Army stopped the ambulance and tore up the driver's curfew pass. This is an incident that happened this summer in Kashmir.
So to me, Kashmir is not the jewel in India's crown. Kashmir is a scar on India's face. Indians shouldn't scream ignorantly about Kashmir; we should instead demand that our fellow citizens be heard. The true spirit of democracy lies in the fact that the rights of the minority should not be voted on by the majority. If not for our fellow countrymen, do it for the sake of our country's reputation. Because when the history books are written, someone somewhere will realize that India did not stand by her people.
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