Edward Colaco
Demographically, Kashmir consists of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus who are proud of their heritage and culture and also take efforts to blend into the diverse national mosaic of culture.
Since 1947, Kashmir has been in a state of continued conflict the effects of which have percolated down to the local population. Demographically, Kashmir consists of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus who are proud of their heritage and culture and also take efforts to blend into the diverse national mosaic of culture. The beautiful state of Kashmir is blessed with picturesque surroundings and fertile soil making it the closest you can get to heaven.
However, the numerous perfidious separatists constantly try to further their own agenda by creating divide between the populations on the basis of religion and fueling xenophobic sentiments.
Realities of Kashmir
Kashmir has always been an integral part of India. However, our western adversary strongly propagates the two-nation theory which is used as the foundation stone for their claim on Kashmir. There have also been attempts at ethnic cleansing of the Kashmir valley like the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir.
The planners and perpetrators of these attempts have repeatedly been made to learn that Kashmir and the Kashmiri are irreplaceable parts of India. A testimonial of this fact is the numerous soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Armed Forces.
However, since a section of elders and religious clerics do not agree with displayed open support to India, the youth of today silence their views towards nationalism. A sad fact about the Kashmir valley is that most children are being told about Pakistan and the life there, at times something which they know nothing of, with great enthusiasm. That India is forcibly punishing them and the same will not happen in Pakistan. It goes without saying that these are baseless attempts at moulding the minds of children into having blind faith in something without backing these with facts. They are made to believe in the unknown and unseen. This needs to change.
A similar situation can be seen unfolding in the aftermath of the abrogation of Articles 370 and
35A. The youth are being painted a tarnished picture about why the Special Status of the state has been revoked instead of propagating facts on the matter about how this step will help speed up the development process. However, the fact remains unchanged that the population of Kashmir desire for progress and development and the abrogation of the said Articles was a major step in mainstreaming development in Kashmir. This needs to be understood and accepted for its face value.
Longing for Development
The population of Kashmir is tired of constantly being caught between the militant and the military and desires peace, progress and empowerment. Apart from a major contribution in terms of personnel in the Armed Forces, major in-roads in all spheres of life are being created by the civil population. From entrepreneurs like the Wani twin brothers from Kokernag who eased everyday life with their inventions, to sports-persons representing the country at the highest levels like Gul Dev and Parvez Rasool, Kashmiris are leaving an indelible mark on the pages of history.
There are also individuals in the education sector who have opened schools in their locality who desire to bring about education reforms and change the narrative being propagated to the children. These individuals strongly believe that the children of Kashmir should be educated with facts rather than tainted fiction. This is an indication that all Kashmiris long for development in terms of standard of life and infrastructure. The voter turnout in most polling stations during the recent DDC elections in Kashmir is in excess of 50% and the same is expected to continue for the polling stations yet to undergo polling, which is a testimonial to the fact that Kashmiris have faith in the political system and want to do their bit for the betterment of society. They want their leaders to emerge from among themselves and are tired of the hegemonic trends that have had to bear for years on end.
Since time immemorial, Kashmiris have always identified themselves with India and have taken great pride in the tri colour. They celebrate when India wins a cricket match and feel pain for their countrymen when the nation is gripped by a tragedy like 26/11. At times they are made to silence their sentiments by the numerous separatist elements to further the nefarious anti-national design.
With the recent abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, Kashmir is now at the cusp of a progressive revolution. This fire which is currently building needs to be fueled to enable Kashmir to reach the pinnacle of its glory and shine as the Crown of India.
Commentaires