Three minutes, that’s all it took to get Burhan Wani in the crosshairs and eliminate the long-standing ranger of terrorism operating in the valley. But little did we all realize on the day of this newsbreak that this death would engulf the valley in a death pool and ring of chaos for the coming 16 days and counting.
At 21 years of age Burhan Wani, son of a professor and well educated himself showed keen creativity when he took to the social media to not just idolize the notion of wielding the AK 47 to demand freedom for all he even posted video’blogs’ to perpetuate the ideals of his demigod like role model Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the chief or amir of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah, which operates mainly from Pakistan.
His death at the hands of the army though hailed initially soon spiraled into one of the most volatile public outrage lasting almost till date.
Before accessing the choices Kashmiri youth have been making for the last decade at least it would be heartening to know that for a state which cribs the most about being neglected and ignored by the Union of India, close to 10% of central funding is allocated to J&K every year. This is more than what Uttar Pradesh gets (8%) even though it hosts 13% population of the country.
Even if one is ready to ignore the law and order situation of UP no one can deny the productivity of the state in terms of agricultural output industrial growth, churning out employable youth and of course adding to our human resource pool of engineers, lawyers and doctors. For a state, which is using 54% of the central grants to finance 44% of its own state finances, it does little credit to complain of negligence from the Government’s end.
Recently the HRD ministry has released 75 crores for the purpose of enhancing educational opportunities in J&K wherein more than 3500 students from the state will get scholarships and a chance to study in premier institutes of the country. The government can only provide its people with options, they can create and present the infrastructure for development for the people but weather or not the people accept it and take it further with their hard work is something no government can control.
A lot has been written about the excessive force of the military and the paramilitary forces and the ‘draconian’ AFSPA act as well. On the front it won’t be too harsh to say that if one gets to see Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan looking all splendid in the backdrop of the Gulmarg valley, without a worry about a bullet piercing through their sets… the credit goes to those thousands of behind the scene olive greens who have once again made the interiors accessible to people from across the globe. They have been crucial in the restart of the almost dead tourism industry in the state and in establishing a sense of growth in the locals who see the influx of tourists increase every year.
As Indians maybe it is easy for us to forget 2014 in the year 2016 but I am surprised that Kashmiris who were so close to death and destruction during the 2014 September floods would be the first ones to develop amnesia. Had it not been for the focus and dedication with which ‘Operation Megh Rahat’ was launched committing close to 30,000 troops all available medical aid, ration and food supply and not to mention the relief boats manned by NDRF and army jawans who brought countless Kashmiris to the shores of safety despite their own cantonment being completely inundated with flood waters. The same uniforms and the men in them were then the beacons of hope for these same drowning people who today pelt stones at them by the dozen. Where were the separatists and their loyalists then? Where were the rally organizers keeping safe and dry then? How can a generation which claims to know its best interest not see such blatant cowardice unfolding in front of their eyes?
While there is no end to the welfare the armed forces have brought to the state, it remains in the shadow of the fierce and blind rage behind which most Kashmiri youth love to hide these days.
It must speak for itself that the same state can produce two kind of sons of the soil with similar backgrounds and yet so contrasting in their sense of the motherland. Tushar Mahajan, the young dynamic captain from the elite 9 Para SF regiment too belonged to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, his hometown a 100 kms away from Burhan’s home.
Kashmiri’s must truly be blinded in their hate and in their conviction of having being wronged if they fail to see the lives lied down for the sake of their safety. They must be ardent in their vehemence for us all if they fail to realize that it is the same country which is holding their hands in their time of need that they love to pelt and abuse.
Kashmiriyat, Jumooriyat aur Insaniyat… does not mean refusing to take back 59,000 displaced pandit families into the folds of the valley or supporting Pakistan while you hold on to Indian passports. How can you demand reservations in all educational institutes and then turn around and use the same knowledge against the very country which gave you a chance at learning? How many times have you heard a Kashmiri leader or a youngster apologise for murdering the panchayat leaders of their villages or causing grave injuries to CRPF personel ? maybe never. Out of the 120 injured people on the 6th day of the protests in south Kashmir this July, 96 were CRPF men. On the 7th day of the protests a grenade attack killed 5 police men while injuring one. I haven’t heard an apology from the crowds yet… but our determination to appease these belligerent crowds knows no bounds for DG CRPF meekly apologized to the Kashmiris for the injuries caused due to the use of pellet guns.
We don’t yet understand the extent of our over indulgence with Kashmir yet but soon enough it will be a matter of concern for the ordinary citizen of this country if they even want their tax money being sent out to a state which only takes the best resources but gives back only stones as returns.
