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Monday, September 20, 2010

Indian Interpretation of 'Quit J&K Movement'

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‘Quit J&K Movement’ continues to dent the occupation despite distortions and will continue to do so with the help of its cyber crusaders who remain more than matches to the Indian agencies, Dr. Sheikh Showkat comments


‘Quit Jammu and Kashmir Movement’ was apparently conceived during Amarnath land row agitation (2008). Shopian double rape and murder case (2009) and its mismanagement provided Hurriyat Conference (G) an avenue of experimenting it. The plan was executed in 2010. In terms of its intensity it surpassed Quit Kashmir Movement of 1946 and Quit India Movement of 1942. The level of mobilization which Kashmir is experiencing remains unparalleled in Kashmir History. Moi-e-Muqadas agitation (1963) and Amarnath land row saw a mobilization but not as determined prolonged and widespread as Kashmir is experiencing today. In Quit Kashmir Movement of 1946 the centre of activity remained Khanqah-e-Maula and Pather Masjid. Every mosque of Kashmir from Kangan to Kishtiwar reverberates with slogans of Azaadi nowadays. There were twenty two recorded deaths during Quit Kashmir Movement mostly in Srinagar. Nowadays, police firing is causing death everywhere from Trehgam to Kulgam. The movement refuses to die down despite 104 deaths and arrest of thousands of youth and political workers. This huge mobilization has invoked a lot of media attention. It has triggered a Kashmir centric discourse both within Indian Parliament and its mass media. The projection however, instead of acknowledging it as a mobilization for freedom and reflection of peoples aspiration of self determination manipulates it and tries to give it varying interpretations conducive to protection of Indian interests.


In the early phases of this movement the mobilization was attributed to power politics between National Conference (NC) and its rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Early debates relating to Kashmir situation saw Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti pitted against one another on talk shows. One elaborating it as mechanization of an irresponsible opposition, while other describing it as fallout of administrative mismanagement. Essence of the discourse surrounded around the idea that an opposition party PDP is doing it in order to see the Chief Minister out. Syed Ali Shah Geelani pricked this propaganda balloon soon after his release by stating that resistance perceives everyone ruling Kashmir as puppet of New Delhi and is least bothered about the power politics between pro Indian parties. Recent discourse of Farooq Abdullah attributing stone throwing to funding of PDP is an attempt to give a new lease of life to this interpretation. 

The next projection of ‘Quit J&K Movement’ came from Indian home minister himself who ascribed the stone throwing to foreign hand operating in the form of ISI and Lashkar-e-Toiba. The pathetic situation of Pakistan on account of unprecedented floods nullified this interpretation and none in the world was impressed by it. Strong exception taken by foreign minister of Pakistan to similar statements emanating in context of Hotel Taj attack of Mumbai 7/11 and subsequent snub that Indian home secretary received from PM office put the last nail in the coffin of this discourse. In his next statement before Indian Parliament home minister acknowledged that J&K state was experiencing Quit J&K Movement and people are demanding Azaadi. 

The acknowledgement however, did not halt the campaign of misinterpretation launched by Indian media against ‘Quit J&K Movement’. The movement was described as an outburst of anarchic stone throwing youth which were not under the control of anyone and bent upon a senseless rampage and devastation. This interpretation too fizzled out as soon as the spree of arson came to an end by a single statement of the ailing Hurriyat Leader. Syed Ali Shah Geelani who withstood Indian oppression and General Musharraf’s manipulations made it clear that he can’t tolerate the deviant behavior of those who are involved in the freedom struggle. Next elaboration was much more nefarious. Indian media tried to exploit and experiment age old divide and rule colonial tactics. Some misplaced utterances of Moulana Abaas Ansari were highlighted as if there was a substantial divide between Shias and Sunnis. For a day Indian news channels continued to telecast “good news” from Kashmir that Shias are going to create their own Hurriyat Conference and there is an emerging divide between different sects of Muslims relating to the freedom struggle. This “good news” turned out to be a nightmare for the colonial mindset when people from Shia dominated Zadibal area asked Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to organize a rally within the area and Shia population gave vent to their aspiration for Azaadi in an unequivocal manner. The interpretation of division within Muslim Community thus doomed. State sponsored Media had to invent a new campaign against the ongoing uprising. 

Sikhs in Kashmir lived here during peak of militancy and shared the ordeals of the conflict along with their Muslim neighbours. Apart from the agency managed incidents of Chattisinghpora no Sikh ever experienced any problem during whole era of militancy. Despite attempts of the state to motivate Sikhs to migrate from Kashmir, the community refused migration out rightly and tied its destiny to the fate of Kashmiri society as a whole. They were not motivated to leave Kashmir even by luxurious packages 
showered upon Kashmiri Pandit migrants by the Indian state. Kashmiris remain grateful to this community and have no reason to get pitted against it. Some mysterious letters written to members of the community were blown out of proportion in order to portray Kashmir resistance as a communal movement. It is unfortunate that the politicians who have failed to penalize perpetrators of a carnage involving massacre of thousands of Sikhs in the aftermath of Indra Gandhi’s assassination in 1986 started to shed crocodile tears for the community in Kashmir. Sikhs sensing the mischief instead of invoking state protection reached out to Hurriyat leadership, thus, foiled this distortion of Kashmir resistance as well. 


Having failed on this account media version of Kashmir resistance got reoriented. Aspiration of Kashmiris for Azaadi was acknowledged but Kashmiris were portrayed as a divided lot. The Azaadi sentiment was projected to be the sole demand of Kashmiri speaking Muslim majority without any endorsement of minorities. The talk shows provided disproportionate space to miniscule Kashmiri pandit population and some dissenting voices from parts of Ladakh and Jammu. Unanimity of all segments was projected to be indispensable for any demand and unless that is achieved Indian state can’t be expected to respond to it. This despite the fact that unanimity of whole population has never been a condition precedent for freedom anywhere in the world, we may have such dissenting voices to Indian Independence even after 63 years of its achievement, this nevertheless didn’t disentitle Indian majority to have state of its choice. What is true about India same holds true about all those nations which have achieved independence in recent past? Twenty two percent Muslim dissenters to freedom of East Timor were made to accept the decision of the majority. Forty five percent opponents to freedom of Montenegro submitted to the decision of the majority for freedom. This is a universal rule and Kashmir cannot be an exception to it. While majority cannot be denied state of its choice minority too can’t be deprived of its right to equality and identity within this state. Kashmiris have never been averse to these rights for the minority and cannot remain so. At the same time they can’t allow the minority to hold them hostage to status quo on account of difference of perceptions. The latest attempt is to portray the movement as violent by implicating Mirwaiz in a fake case of instigating arson of a building half a kilometer away from the rally he was addressing. ‘Quit J&K Movement’ continues to dent the occupation despite distortions and will continue to do so with the help of its cyber crusaders who remain more than matches to the Indian agencies. 

(For your comments author can be mailed at: showkat_hussain@rediffmail.com) 








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