“Agar firdaus bar roo – e- zameenast, haminast –u-haminast – u- haminast”.
- Jahangir
When asked on his deathbed about his last wish, ‘Kashmir’, said Jahangir. If we go as per etymology, the word Kashmir is derived from the Sanskrit work ‘Ka’ meaning water and ‘Shimeera’ meaning desiccate. As the legend goes, the valley used to be a lake in the past known as ‘Sati Saras’, consort of Lord Shiva and was abode of a dreaded demon named ‘Jalodbhav’ who used to persecute the Nagas. Lord Kashyap, the father of Nagas was appalled on learning this fact and asked Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu tasked his brother, Balabhadra to help Lord Kashyap. Balbhadra pierced the mountain around the lake resulting in the desiccation of the lake. The demon emerged from the lake and Balbhadra killed him. There is also a belief that Kashmir is named after Lord Kashyap.
This verdant valley is actually a paradise on earth gifted with idyllic landscapes, salubrious climate and home to exotic fruits and dry fruits. The valley is world famous for its handicraft products especially the Pashmina shawls and hand woven carpets. Till mid 80’s the valley was the first choice for all honeymooners and a favorite destination for Bollywood shoots. But a curse fell upon the valley in the late 80’s when Pakistan sponsored terrorism began expanding its roots in the valley. Rest is history. But the abrogation of the sectarian Article 370 on 05 Aug 19 was a watershed moment in the history of Kashmir and has paved way for restoration of normalcy in the violence ridden valley.
Ever since India gained independence on 15 Aug 1947, Kashmir has been a casus belli between India and Pakistan. But the victory for India in 1971 ushered in a period of peace and prosperity for the valley. It was during this period that tourism in Kashmir valley boomed with local economy thriving and flourishing with increase in number of tourist footfall.
The actual ‘Kashmiriyat’ was so vibrant and palpable during this golden era that children, women could stroll around the streets of Kashmir at any given time of the day with impunity. The locals were so forthcoming in providing any assistance to the tourists with smiles on their faces. The warmth and the hospitality extended by the ‘Awaam’ made Kashmir the most sought after tourist destination in India. The ‘Sufiana’ culture of the valley attracted many renowned musicians and artists from all across the world. The valley became the center of arts, drama and concerts and a source of epicurean delight to the lovers of art and music. Cinema halls screening latest Bollywood movies always went houseful and were one of the prime source of entertainment for the locals. Under all this hustle bustle of a hill station, lied a calm and a peaceful Kashmir valley impervious to violence, hatred, bloodshed, religious fundamentalism. The Kashmiri society with its syncretic nature always welcomed different culture and ideas representing a truly accommodative mindset.
The 1987 election held in the erstwhile state of J&K which many believed to be have been rigged was the turning point in the history of Kashmir. Repression of public opinion gave rise to resentment amongst the masses and the ill managed political situation resulted in proliferation of the anti- India sentiment which was till then unheard of. Unfortunately this coincided with the end of Russian misadventure in Afghanistan and the end of Iran – Iraq war. The expanding crescent of radical Islam was seen as an opportunity by the dictator of Pakistan Zia-Ul-Haq, to mobilise religious sentiment in Kashmir and target the Kashmiri Muslims resulting in their mass exodus. Turbulence in the state made the situation volatile with the youths picking up arms against the government. The withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989 acted as a catalyst to further exacerbate the situation. Trained militants supported by Pakistan’s ISI to fight Jihad in Afghanistan were rendered jobless. It was the most opportune moment for Pakistan to divert this ready made material of terror towards achieving their everlasting goal of severing Kashmir from India and they made the best out of it. Pakistan found the situation prevalent in Kashmir most conducive to futher its aims and could not have asked for more. Propagating a false sense of Azadi to the Kashmiris, Pakistan started exporting terror to this peace loving valley.
Infiltration by terrorists in hordes started taking place all along the LoC and the situation went out of the control of the police and the CAPFs. The Rashtriya Rifles was raised in 1990 to counter this menace and has been deployed in the valley ever since. Since the last three decades the verdant valley of Kashmir has turned red by the blood of security personnel's who got martyred while fighting the terrorists, innocent civilians to include children, women and young boys who lost their lives in various terrorist incidents, the minorities to include the Kashmiri Pandits,Shias and Sikhs who were brutally murdered by the terrorists for not supporting their cause. Generations have lived and grown in fear and oblivion, not knowing what future holds for them. Such precarious situation in Kashmir has been leveraged by the corrupt politicians for their vested interests. The pot has been kept boiling and the situation kept alive to gain traction in the international arena and to garner support of other nations who espouse the same cause as our adversary.
The only section of the society suffering the most in this entire gambit is the youth of Kashmir who have been brainwashed by the OGWs working for various terrorists tanzeems. ‘Catch them young’, has been the motto of these tanzeems who find it easier to recruit and manipulate the unadulterated minds of these teenagers with impressionable age. With the lack of employment opportunities in the valley and the glamour associated with brandishing a weapon, the youth tend to take the easier path. Whenever a terrorist is killed in an encounter he is given a status of a ‘Martyr’ and the funeral is attended by thousands with an aim to vent out their pent up emotions and tread the same path as these terrorists. This false notion of death has attracted many youths who have got themselves killed during encounters with the security forces leaving behind their poor parents at the mercy of no one. The atmosphere at such congregations is quite nerve racking and volatile and presents a difficult tasks for the security forces to maintain law and order. The past three decades have been the black era in the history of Kashmir and have left ineffaceable impressions in the memories of Kashmiris which will haunt them for a long time.
The abrogation of Article 370 was a historic moment in the history of Kashmir. The much awaited decision was welcomed by the entire nation especially by the native Kashmiris. Decades of oppression and sufferings endured by the Kashmiri population at the hands of these corrupt and putrid politicians ended with the blink of an eye. The sectarian article had not only given rise to resentment within the masses but was also tool through which the politicians had maimed these locals and emasculated the law.
But with the abrogation of this article a ray of hope has emerged from within the dark clouds which have been hovering the valley since the last three decades. The stone pelting incidents have reduced considerably with the incarceration of many OGWs and the political leaders who instigated violence in the valley. Development projects are continuing apace. Better health facilities in the times of COVID- 19 has reaffirmed the faith of the population in the government. People can step out of their houses without fear and have started living a normal life. With ‘One Nation, One Constitution’ rule equally applicable to Jammu & Kashmir, the women of Kashmir will now have equal rights as their male counterparts. The status of Pakistan Refugees who since independence have been treated like an outcast will be legalized. With the police forces now coming under the direct control of the center, greater accountability and fairness can be expected from them. Speculations about likely unrest in the valley on the anniversary of abrogation of article 370 were put to rest with no untoward incident taking place and the day passed just like any other normal day in the life of a Kashmiri. This speaks volumes about the paradigm shift that transpired in the valley in the last 12 months.
“Let your Hopes, not your Hurts, shape your Future.” Nothing else can describe the situation in Kashmir any better than this phrase. The government is leaving no stone unturned to restore normalcy in the region and the security forces are going all out and providing every possible assistance to help the government in achieving this aim. It is now incumbent on the population of Kashmir which side they opt to support. The future of their generations is in their own hands and its time they start taking responsibility of their actions and become accountable. The population of Kashmir is the center of gravity in this entire gamut and forms the bedrock of a healthy democracy. It is the ‘Awaam’ which holds the reins of future and it is only this Awaam which can bring back the lost
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