Shopian Tragedy

Entire nation has been in deep shock and anguish over the deplorable incident of Shopian in which two women were allegedly raped and murdered. While the relatives of the victim and people blame C.R.P.F stationed in that area as the Culprits involved in this shameful act government despite promising quick action has been callous towards taking any head way in the inquiry of this incident as reportedly even F.I.R hasn’t been registered yet in the concerned police station. The probes called after such kinds of gross human rights violation have miserably failed to punish the perpetuators of these dastardly acts and this has been the prime factor that people have lost trust over these inquiries. And more so the unbridled powers enjoyed by troops under different draconian laws have make them to behave above the law of land.

There have been protests over this incident and it is quite natural, but the way authorities have dealt it with brute force resulting in killings and injuries to hundreds of youth can prove disaster for the government as this can pave way for the mass agitation on the pattern of last year. So it is better for the government to come up with truth and take stern action against the culprits in their own interest and restrains from putting restrictions on the pro-freedom leadership.

This heart rending incident has provided ammunition to the opposition part P.D.P to fire at the government. but the memory of people is no so short that they will forget the gory incident of similar nature of Badra Payeen, Handwara where in November 2004 troops raped mother daughter duo and then government led by Mufti Sayed at first even denied the reports and then tried to hush up the case. Then in opposition N.C had also led demonstrations against it. Kashmiri people have no trust over these sycophants who do this political gimmickry just for power and to enjoy the perks and privileges. These regional pro-India parties who are collaborators of New Delhi in their every heinous crime have been rejected and subjected to disgrace even in Jammu last year when they were kept hostage at airport for hours and on sangarsh samiti protest were made to sit outside on Aug 9. If at all they are sincere they should stop running with hare and haunting with horn and stop running passive “separatism” when they get out of power to gain public sympathy. Rather they should work for the realization of national aspirations of people of Kashmir, which is complete independence of Kashmir.

People of Kashmir have proven time and time again their full commitment towards the struggle for independence and sovereignty and it is up to India to shun the obduracy and rigid stand and cooperate with Pakistan and pro-freedom leadership of Kashmir in working towards finding a durable solution to the vexed issue of Kashmir. The rejection of India towards the offer of talks from Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has putted spanner in the efforts of building a stable atmosphere in the sub-continent but India can’t run away from fulfilling its international obligations on Kashmir forever. As due to its domino effect Kashmir turmoil can engulf the peaceful areas of India. Soon India understands it the better for her.

Kashmir solution and role of our intellectuals

Some political analysts and commentators are of firm belief that this is the ideal and fully ripe time for the resolution of Kashmir dispute. After the Mumbai attacks Kashmir dispute has once again hogged the lime light and all the key global powers and players have felt the dire need of solving it as it is the key to the permanent and sustainable peace in south Asia. American president Obama all along his election campaign highlighted the need of resolving this vexed issue, and similarly British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made some rational comments which irritated India and recently U.N Secretary General Ban Ki Moon described it as world’s most dangerous place and Susan Rice described it as one of the hot spots.

India may have got some relief from the Obama administrations move to appoint special envoy Richard Holbrooke with his mandate ‘limited’ to Afghanistan and Pakistan only, which many believe was done on Indian governments request as it would have created major hiccups for them as elections are just few months away in India. But it would be impossible for Holbrooke and Obama administration to overlook the lingering Kashmir dispute in their broader assignments in south Asia which has potential to disturb the whole equation of events and Americans know it that road to peace lies through the Kashmir and the basic cause of contention between India and Pakistan is Kashmir dispute and that is why despite Kashmir being not on Holbrooke’s “Plate” he said “ we have to understand that to get the Pakistanis to focus on the west, we have to have a reduction in tensions between India and Pakistan”.

Back home pro-freedom leadership doesn’t look prepared to gear them selves to meet the changes and challenges which may come into effect after the loksabha elections in India will be over, they need to come out of illusion of defeat and set back after the good voter turn out in 2008 elections. If they analyze recent elections properly they haven’t suffered any defeat as the “mainstream” camp got forced to toe their line and they had to leave the pro-India cloak to seek the votes from people hence the stand of pro-freedom camp stands vindicated. And people didn’t voted for any ideology but only for developmental issues and de-linked Kashmir dispute from elections and forced the “mainstream” leaders to do the same. Pro-freedom leadership represents the sacred sentiment which is deep rooted in the hearts and minds of people of Kashmir, so there is no question of defeat or of any setback to them.

Our intellectuals should come up with innovative ideas and present them before the pro-freedom leadership rather than criticizing them only and they should stop questioning the commitment of people towards the freedom struggle as people are wedded to the cause of complete independence and sovereignty of Kashmir. Yes criticism is necessary but only criticism won’t do anything, our intellectuals should put their heads together and present suggestions before the leadership and guide them to empower them with new ideas constantly so that they can carry on freedom struggle with renewed vigor and impetus. Recently many pro-freedom leaders admitted that due to lack of any strategy they failed to capitalize on the popular agitation witnessed in 2008 and lost an important opportunity. Now it is for intellectuals to come forward and help them in formulating a clear and workable strategy. Mere criticizing them would amount to hypocrisy. It is the responsibility of everyone to see and check whether the struggle for independence is going on in right direction or not, as we all belong to this soil, hence can’t escape the huge responsibility laid on our shoulders by the lakhs of martyrs who gave their red hot blood to highlight this dispute in international arena. In this regard intellectual class of our society has more responsibility and they should take the lead and discharge their moral and national duty accordingly and it would be better if they will do it collectively.

India has always been in denial mode in accepting Kashmir as the core dispute this has impinged the peace, progress and security of entire south Asian region, this dispute has led to the arms race in this region due to which it has become a big drainage to the sources of India and Pakistan and of Kashmir as well hence its resolution is must and in the interest of all. So it is imperative for the pro-freedom leadership that they exert themselves like conscientious protagonists of the cause of independence of Kashmir and it is for our intellectuals to add more subjectivity to it which will prove a deterrent against the trends of war in South Asia and will act as buffer between India and Pakistan.