With This Thinking We Can't Solve Kashmir Problem...

 ( WRITER IS IIMC ALUMNUS, AND PRESENTLY WORKING FOR CNBC-AAWAAZ) 

DHEERAJ KUMAR

Two days ago, I was talking to one of my friends. During conversation the existing situation in Kashmir was discussed as well. I was astonished as well as disheartened to hear what my friend (and most of we Indians, I should say) thinks about the Kashmir issue. She said that Kashmir problem exists only because this is a Muslim majority region. My friends, this is not only the simplification of a complex issue but a very dangerous way to see the problem which could have serious ramificaitons for our national integrity and harmony. And there is no difference between a Hindu or Muslim, when he is angry. Even Hindus and Sikhs have been engaged in demanding separate states (remember ULFA, Khalistan). So don't see the Kashmir problem with religious spectacles.

 Many of my friends would be of the opinion that we (Indian Union Government) give undue advantages to Kashmiri people and even then they continue to create problems for us. The terrorism's threat is burgeoning day by day and that is also because of Kashmir. Kashmiri people are anti-national and they don't want to live with India. But are these allegation (Yes, I am saying allegations) true? I would say no because whatever we are giving to Kashmiri people, that is not because we are very liberal but we want not to lose the beautiful land ( but which we have almost lost). Our policy makers have been committing mistakes from the very beginning regarding Kashmir and they don't understand how to rectify those.

                                             No one can deny that the threat of terrorism is increasing in the country and Kashmir is one of the major reasons, but are the Kashmiri people responsible for this? Go back to late 90s when VP Singh Government was in power and Mufti Mohammad Said was the home minister of the country. How did he handle the terrorism in valley, which was just in very initial stages? And don't forget that the daughter of same Mufit is the main opposition leader of J&K today and talks more 'separatist' than real separatists. Alos what can you expect from the chief minister of J&K Omar Abdullah, who spent his childhood in London in luxury, who didn't know the gravity of Kashmir problem but got the chair of Chief minister as he belonged to the family who took J&K as its fiefdom? And, if we talk about other stakeholders there, the hardliners are fed not only by Pakistani Government but also by Indian political class as all of them have vested interests in continuation of the Kashmir problem. The major portion of the fund provided by Indian Government goes into the deep pockets of these leaders and we think that the fund is spending on the development work there. So, if the terrrorism is flourishing there, its not because of the Kashmiri people, its because of our political class.

                                           And, so far the willingness of Kashmiri people to live in India is concerned, don't forget that not all of them are demanding seccession. They are just demanding their basic rights to bring back, they want employment, they want peace, they want better education facility for their children in the state only. And since we are unable to provide any one of these three to them, they are coming on street out of frustration, disappointment and anger which is quite natural. Think about the mental stress on the person who sees himself surrounded by batons and rifles througout day and night. When he comes on street, he finds more security personnel than his friends and neighbours. you can't expect him to remain calm and composed as we do. We can't understand the trauma and fear through which the Kashmiri people have to pass every moment and then we expect them to remain as patriot as us. And, if you see the small children and adolescents coming on street throwing stones on security personnel, you can feel the agony and anger in them. I am not saying that they are doing right, but they are not able to understand the difference between right and wrong. Also, they see their interests protected in the hands of hardliners and they don't trust the leaders of mainstream politics. Isn't it the failure of our political class? Think about all these things my friends and don't blame the Kashmiri people for the problem.