You can’t kill people at will and expect them not to protest. Protests are the strongest tool of democracy and no power on earth can stop that. Similarly silence does not help anyone but addressing the cause does. It’s time for India to get over its obsessed notion that they can get things done by a bullet but in the bargain they are creating more anger and hate to the extent never seen in Kashmir. People in the country are answerable to their conscience, if they claim to follow Ahimsa and internationally try to stand on a high moral ground. How hallow it is, has to be witnessed in Kashmir of today. If you remember that during the trail of Jassica Lal’s murder case the whole of India including the media went into frenzy to get justice for her. Similarly when the Mumbai attack happened in which innocent people died, people from different walks of life including Kashmiris stood up to condemn the killings and same was with the Nithari murder case and numerous such examples where Indians have been united to get justice for their people. Then why this double standards when something more barbaric happens in Kashmir where 11 people are mercilessly killed in one week including a 9yr old boy. Not even a single voice was raised from the length and breadth of India condemning these horrendous killings. To rub salt on the wounds the paramilitary comes out with the most bizarre statement saying they fired in self defense only to retract later, saying they never fired. Was a nine year old kid strong enough to challenge the whole Indian military might that he was killed? Do you approve of it? Aren’t we humans or its only about the land that you love. Why is it that when it comes to Kashmir Humans rights have no value? I am surprised with the statements of the CRPF trying to tell us that they are the only righteous people around and all others are lying. The comment of the Home Secretary G.K Pillai, that CRPF has shown restraint in not firing and that all these people who were killed are not innocent is, to say the least, ridiculous. He commended his forces for doing a great job. This shows how insensitive they are to the sufferings of the people. He says that the Nine year old kid was kept in front to be killed. Either he is too naive to the actual happenings or maybe they are up to something.
The past few days rumors were rife that Omar Abdullah was to resign and lots of social networking sites asking for it, which the CM empathetically set aside in his press conference. I can’t speak on behalf of Omar nor do I have the right to do so. I condemn the killings as all others do. No civil society would approve the use of brutal force against people. As I had said in my earlier article that killing should never be an option, but having said that I don’t understand how it would help to calm the situation if Omar Abdullah resigns. Can anyone please tell me? and who after him? The one who is responsible for bringing armed forces including the demon Jagmohan to Kashmir or the other who started the whole Amaranth controversy and the Chalo phobia or are you talking about the one who was more interested in his pillion rides, or are we talking about the turn coat who cannot set his house in order and doesn’t even know why is he, where he is. Name one person worth his salt to head the state. Why would we oppose someone who is clearly the most 'no-nonsense' CM Kashmir has ever seen in recent times. I do not want to be a loudmouth who opposes just because conventional wisdom dictates that. Wasn’t It on his intervention that the Machhil fake encounter surfaced? Was anyone aware of it ? Did anyone protest or demand an inquiry? Things would have been long forgotten had he not put his foot down and asked for all encounters to be re-examined. Now that an unfortunate incident like this has happened you can’t blame him for this when the force in question is directly under the control of the centre. Even then the CM had asked the CRPF in clear terms that no fire arms should be used, but even then they disobeyed. In such a situation if someone has to resign then it should be the Home Minister P. Chidambaram. If he offered his resignation when 73 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoist in West Bengal why doesn’t he resign today when the same force has unleashed a reign of terror against the innocent citizens of his country. If he cannot tame his forces he has no right to head them. It’s under his direction that these forces work here. These armed forces are armed with impunity under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and their acts are beyond the purviews of the judiciary or the state government. The readers are intelligent enough to understand this. I know it’s difficult to comprehend the fact that young people are getting killed and we have all the reasons to get emotionally charged up and condemn the killings but blaming Omar without knowing the reality is being dishonest.
As Omar said in his press conference I also feel that the political parties have become traders of death. They look out for someone to get killed so they would get an opportunity to exploit the situation. They are equally responsible for the situation that Kashmir is in now. And finally, if you want to help, come up with some concrete ideas about how to stop this. Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.
Abou the author : Tanvir Sadiq an be found at www.kashmirleader.blogspot.com or mailed at tanvirm123@yahoo.com. )
