South in Shambles

-
By Daanish Bin Nabi
The situation in south Kashmir has remained beyond government’s reach since last year. The south which once was the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) bastion and vote base has turned against the same party. This piece is part of my visit to various areas of south Kashmir, which I undertook last week to know and understand the peoples’ perception about the party which once they identified with. 

“We want independent Kashmir,” this was stated to me by one of the youth in Qaimoh area of Kulgam while I was on a visit to south Kashmir for the first time after the death of Hizb-ul-Mujahhidin commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani. The statement from a 21-year-old-chap amply shows the alienation among the youth in Kashmir is complete.
The area right from Panthachowk, on outskirts of Srinagar, upto Anantnag town is cramped with soldiers, many of whom wore black uniform. Maximum concentration of forces can be seen from Pampore to Lethpora stretch, were militant attacks have taken place in last few months.
A massive build-up of soldiers donning the black uniform can also be seen in the home town of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as well.
Travelling to south Kashmir is like travelling to a war zone. Pro-freedom, anti-India graffiti, missing you graffiti, painted Pakistani flags and poster of Burhan Wani and his other associates is a common scene in almost every village of south Kashmir.
While we stopped for a brief period in main town Anantnag, a youth after purchasing some goods asked the shopkeeper:“Provide me goods in a Pakistani color carry bag.”As we stood in astonishment; the boy looked at us and said “Kabi Pakistani color nahi dekha kya?” (Haven’t you seen the Pakistani color) while showing us the green color carry bag.
The situation in the interiors of south like Yaripora has more resentment against the ruling dispensation Jammu and Kashmir. One of the groups of disgruntled youth in Yaripora had voted for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014 assembly election.
They insisted only for answer: “If we gave them (PDP) votes why they took our eyes away,” (referring to indiscriminate use of pellet guns). “They betrayed the youth of Kashmir. They showed us dreams but did not fulfill them.”
People in south Kashmir have not only angst against the ruling PDP, but against the socio-political party Jamaat-e-Islami as well. Many people accuse Jamaat of siding with PDP by helping them in winning the assembly elections. On its part, Jamaat has always refused these allegations.
An elderly man in late 60s told this author: “Jamaat helped PDP in Wachi constituency of Shopian in 2014 assembly election. Likewise, they helped them in 2002 and 2008 assembly elections as well. Whatever PDP is doing this time to Kashmiri, Jamaat is solely responsible for it. Had Jamaat not helped them, PDP would never have come to power and we would have never seen dawn of RSS in Kashmir.”
Back in Qaimoh area of Kulgam, considered to be the militant hotbed, a group of youth with whom this reporter talked with; think that gun is the only solution to Kashmir problem.
“They (government forces) come and arrest us, blind us and then they think we will remain silent. We also fight back with whatever we have. Islam never teaches to get subjugated. I think now gun is the only solution to our miseries,” said a youth among the group. 
Jammu and Kashmir Government’s social media ban has little or no affect on the ground on the volatile region of Kashmir – south Kashmir. Every youth this reporter talked with was accessible to Facebook and WhatApp on his cell phone.
A government teacher in Hassanpora of Bijbehara who teaches computers in a government school of the area told this author: “Things still are done by the youth whether there is 3G, 4G or no network at all. Kashmiri youth are much advanced you cannot stop them from reaching out to the world in showing the world what is happening in Kashmir.”
The youth want to see an end to the present ruling dispensation which they call as the “Government of Sangis”. Also, it is the same south Kashmir that is ruling PDP’s vote base.
“They only provided jobs to the relatives of ministers and PDP workers. Scores of people who have been recruited for government jobs are directly or indirectly related to PDP ministers. Where will we go? Our entire family has voted for PDP’s vision but where is that now?” asked a youth from Okey area of district Kulgam.
The only positive statement that came from a youth was when we started our journey back towards Srinagar.
One of the youth in mid 20s in Yaripora area of Kulgam said: “Had they (government) come  forward and addressed our grievances and made sure that no human rights violation takes place we would have also seen what could be done and  how to move  forwards. But very unfortunately they come in droves only to kill and blind us.”
Published in Rising Kashmir on August 09, 2017

Popular posts from this blog

Denial of democracy has been the ongoing story of Kashmir: Jalal

-
Image
Newsroom Trial You have to choose your method of struggle intelligently: Bose  Ayesha Jalal  and  Sugata Bose , two noted scholars and historians and renowned academics and authors from America visited ‘Rising Kashmir’ on June 21 to interact with members of the newspaper’s editorial staff and reporters. The duo delivered brief talks which focussed on the politics of identity, regional identity, the question of minorities, intellectual history of ideas in South Asia, the K-issue and the way forward,   ‘rise of religious majoritarianism in India’, and China’s economic expansion, etc .    The session was moderated by  Editor-in-Chief  Dr Shujaat Bukhari . Ayesha Jalal, a Pakistani-born American Professor and Director, Center for South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies, Tufts University, said that Kashmir was not a question of religion for her. Jalal is grandniece of the renowned Urdu fiction writer Saadat Hasan Manto and a recipient of ‘...
Read more

House of Mirwaiz

-
Image
The first family of Kashmir Daanish Bin Nabi Kashmir has a number of religious institutions. One among them is the seat of Mirwaiz —which literally means head-preacher. In contemporary Islamic world this seat of “power” does not exist nor does it exercise so much influence as it does in Kashmir. This ‘Seat of Power’ is almost seven hundred years old and was recognized soon after the Muslim rule was established in Valley. There are no authentic sou rces during whose rule ‘ title Mirwaiz’ was officially introduced. Though many imminent contemporary Kashmiri historian are of the view that the title was introduced during Afghan regime. Conversely, the term Mirwaiz is not mentioned in Sir Walter Lawrence Classic, The Valley of Kashmir published in 1895, which is considered to be one of the authentic sources on modern Kashmir history. On other hand noted writer Zareef Ahmad Zareef says, “Ancestors of Mirwaiz travelled to Kashmir with caravan of Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (com...
Read more

Kashmir has an excellent future: Vijay Dhar

-
Image
Family of   Vijay Dhar   is one among those few who chose to return couple of years after the migration of Pandit community in early 1990 from Kashmir. Vijay is son of well-known Kashmiri politician Late Durga Prasad Dhar. He studied at Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi and has remained active in politics and social life. He came back to Kashmir in 1992 and settled here only after 1998. He decided to set up DP Dhar Trust in the same year to contribute in the field of education. By now Delhi Public School which he established in Srinagar a few years ago has made a mark. In an exclusive interview to  Rising Kashmir's   Online Editor,   Daanish Bin Nabi , Dhar talks about his homecoming and setting up of DP Dhar Memorial Trust. ·          Pandits have to come back ultimately; Valley is safe ·          We should introspect rather than blaming others     ·  ...
Read more