marching into the past

Kashmir Observer

Your Window on Kashmir                                      Friday Dec 09th

Marching Into The Past

Niloofar Qureshi

 

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
                                                                                                                          – Nelson Mandela

In the recent months, attacks from various quarters on the education curriculum and other sports and cultural activities in the state have become more pronounced. The basis of this criticism is the belief that this is a deliberate attempt to destroy the ‘cultural identity’ of Kashmiris and to ‘divert’ the youth from their ‘national duties’. While those espousing this thought may have their reasons, I have failed to find any substance in their arguments.
I do not protest merely for the sake of protesting nor do I show any person or organization in poor light. Knowing that strikes cause loss of revenue and livelihood as well as hardships to the public, I never protest. This is because I know these effects are transitory. But when it comes to education, I feel it to be my duty to protest against any attempts that promote introduction of changes based on antiquated thoughts. I protest because this will have adverse end results which are irreversible and permanent. Kashmir is not an island and if we have to progress, then one cannot confine education to ‘structured’ academics only. Education should be all encompassing- it should result in overall development of children so that they acquire the capability to face challenges of the future.
Half a century ago, a BA degree was all that was needed to get you a plum job. There was no need for including extracurricular activities in the syllabi then because there was enough time available after studies to play games, pursue hobbies and partake in cultural activities. But things have changed. Today, text books by themselves consume all the available time and academics alone does not suffice. A well developed personality and good communication skills are what prospective employers look for and this is why extracurricular activities have to be an integral part of the syllabus.
To use education as a tool of protest is a prescription for ruin. Myopia will make us fall into a morass from which there is no way out. We have to be more pragmatic. One may find fault with New Delhi for its failure to resolve the Kashmir problem, but then does the education curriculum deserve to be shelved solely because it has been formulated in New Delhi? Yes, this should be so if there was a ‘special’ curriculum only for schools in Kashmir, but that is not the case.
It is surprising sadbhavana activities, creation of Youth clubs and conduct of various tournaments and cultural programmes have come under criticism. Here again, the logic appears to be skewed because the criticism is primarily due to the fact that these schemes are the initiatives of the army and police. I hold no brief for New Delhi, nor any liking for either the army or the police. Yet, I feel that to label the education curriculum as an attempt at ‘cultural invasion’ and sadbhavana project as a plan to distract the children from the ‘freedom struggle’ by involving them in “amusement activities.” does not convince. Sadbhavana was started many years ago and if it was really meant to ‘distract’ the children, then how is it that the youth came out in such great numbers during the summer protests last year?
Whatever be the aim of sadbhavana, the fact is that it provides a good opportunity for self empowerment, gives some of our children the chance to visit places which they would have otherwise never seen and provides medical assistance to our people residing in remote areas. I have not seen any change in the thinking of the children who come back after sadbhavana tours. Parents are the most concerned about their children and should there have been any attempt by the sponsors to mislead the young, then there would certainly be no takers for these tours. Yet we find these tours are very popular.
Are the detractors those who wish that our children remain ‘frogs in the well’ so that their innocence can be exploited? Is it not more beneficial to have a generation which has a broader outlook as they would be able to carry on the ‘struggle’ more effectively? Today we say that to save our ‘cultural identity’, we should not send our children on sadbhavana tours or participate in cultural programmes. Tomorrow, we will say that we should not send our children outside Kashmir for higher studies for the same reasons- where will all this end?
Next is the issue of the school curriculum. Mr Geelani has made an accusation that New Delhi is “using educational institutions to implement its policy of cultural aggression, and state machinery is also being utilized for the purpose.” He goes on to say that “Instead of education, attention is being paid towards cultural programmes and sports. This too is a conspiracy to blight the future of Kashmiri students, and divert their attention from “national duties.” What are the ‘national duties’ that the curriculum is diverting the children from? Is it not our ‘national duty’ to ensure that we have an appropriately educated generation which is capable of meeting the complex challenges of the future, or is it that we are content with creating a generation proficient only in stone pelting?
I know that these thoughts may upset some. I also know that this piece may never find a place in print. Yet I write since I feel strongly that we must be more discerning when it comes to the future of our children. Let us not blindly impose those thoughts which prove detrimental to our children’s future. By tradition, Kashmiris have, for times immemorial, been connected with commerce which makes them travel far and wide and spend considerable time outside the state. Yet our culture has endured. Why this hue and cry now? Let us not ruin the future of our children by making them bonsai plants which are of ornamental value only. Instead, let us allow them to grow up into Chinars- tall and magnificent!
As for preserving our cultural identity, ‘deprivation’ or ‘denial’ is a regressive method to achieve the same. Such an approach breeds contempt and inculcates negative thoughts in young minds. On the contrary, ‘exposure’ facilitates unbiased evaluation which forms the basis of introspection and leads to the realization of the richness of one’s culture.  It is my firm belief that it is only through broad based education and exposure that one can be made to realize the richness of one’s own culture; otherwise it is just like “ghar ki murgi daal barabar!”

---The views expressed in the write-up are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kashmir Observer

Rising Kashmir

Walking the road alone

Wednesday, 14 Sep 2011 at 09:55

Niloofar Qureshi

We rejoice when we are told that the Kashmir problem has received world attention. We are euphoric when non-entities and maverick support our cause; we are ecstatic when Amnesty International acknowledges that atrocities have been committed on innocents Kashmiris; we are elated when the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) refers to Kashmir as "Indian-occupied Kashmir." We believe that international pressure will help us get ‘azadi.’


While it is good to be optimistic, we have unfortunately pinned a hope too many on others coming to our rescue.
 Our cause is just and so is our demand. Yet, since 1948, not even one resolution has been passed by the UN in our favour! Yes, we do have UN observers still present. Yet, this is no more than a sham because the Indian Government refuses to recognise their mandate and the UN does not seem to mind this blatant defiance of its resolution. So, any expectation of active international involvement in resolution of the Kashmir problem seems rather remote. Various theories for this sorry state of affairs have been fed to us from time to time.
Today, the issue of human rights and liberty is an important ingredient of international policy. It is also a serious matter of concern for civilised society worldwide. So, why is it that all those cases of arbitrary confinement, inhuman treatment, ‘enforced’ disappearances and unmarked graves in Kashmir only draw occasional criticism from the international community? Why does it fail to fructify into any concrete measures? What has made the world so indifferent to our sufferings? The answer is in front of us and though we all know it, we continue to feign ignorance-and it is this that has hurt our struggle the most. So, we must introspect honestly and attempt to remove any anomalies or impediments which are retarding our movement.
Presently, our movement is being spearheaded by three distinctly divergent groups- one espouses the cause of ‘complete independence’, the second advocates ‘merger’ with Pakistan, while the third comprises a host of armed outfits propagating ‘jihad’ or the use of violence to achieve goals ranging from ‘ending illegal occupation of Kashmir by India’ to the more complex objective of ‘creating an Islamic space.’ Though every group publically professes solidarity with the other, in reality, there is virtually no meeting ground and the fissures are evident to even a casual observer. It may sound odd to many, but the fact remains that we have today, ‘too many players in the field’. While difference of opinion as regards the future of Kashmir may be acceptable, the position adopted and role being played by those who seek resolution of the problem through violence is considered ‘repulsive’ by the world community at large. Today, justification of violence as a means to achieve the desired objective has virtually no takers. Even many of those who in the past accepted that violence was ‘justified’ when all other means of re-dress had been exhausted, now feel otherwise. The case of Norway, which has one of the most emancipated, tolerant and traditionally accommodative society being subjected to an unprecedented massacre of innocents by a person inspired by religious fervour, serves as a warning to the international community of the inherent dangers of religious ‘extremism.’ Some of the issues which have blurred the perceptions of the international community are:
•    The migration of the Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir Valley has been viewed by the international community as the subversion of the secular struggle for self determination into a communal movement. The ‘quit’ notice purportedly issued by outfits in the nineties has been widely accepted as evidence that the Kashmir problem is communal in nature and not ideological in character.  Though the exodus of Pandits may well have been orchestrated by New Delhi, failure of this militant group to deny issuing such a warning has reinforced this belief.
•    The introduction of violence into the Kashmir struggle has alienated the influential nations as none want to be associated with supporting a cause in which the aims are sought to be gained through the force of arms. In addition, the fact that a Pakistan based terrorist group which is active in Kashmir stands implicated for its role in the Mumbai attacks (in which some foreigners were also killed) has seriously undermined the image of Kashmir struggle.
•    While those leading the Kashmir movement may have impeccable credentials, they have unfortunately exhibited a discernable lack of authority and assertiveness. Their insistence on using Pakistan as a mediator or facilitator in negotiations with New Delhi, as well as their muted reactions to violent acts perpetuated by militants on innocent civilians  has given the international community the impression that they are the ‘puppets’ of Pakistan and ‘subservient’ to militants, not the people. This has eroded their credibility and they are seen as opportunistic individuals, with whom no responsible government would officially wish to associate. (The recent visit of Senator McCain to Srinagar during which he avoided meeting the Hurriyat leaders and the ‘Wikileaks’ cables are but two of the many examples).

So, in case we wish to accelerate the pace of our movement, then it may be prudent to build up the courage and explore the option of ‘walking the road’ alone. It may not be an easy task but with confidence in our hearts and determination in our minds, I am sure we can do it. And for inspiration, we could use the couplet which Shaheed Maqbool Bhat quoted in his letter written to Azra Mir from Camp Prison in Lahore, Pakistan in 1973:
“Kudda Ney Aaj Takk Uss Qaoum Ki Hallat Nahein Baddlee
 Naa Ho Jiss Ko Khiaal Aap Appni Hallat Kay Baddlane Ka.”
Feedback at niloofar.qureshi@yahoo.com

KASHMIR-A MOVEMENT BETRAYED!

KASHMIR-A MOVEMENT BETRAYED!

The Abottabad and PNS Mehran incidents have claimed an unusual victim—the Pakistan army! It was indeed rather surprising to see this hither-to-fore ‘holier than thou’ force facing scathing attacks not only from the media but also from the public. And no one seems to be in a mood to either forgive or relent- every conceivable weapon is being hurled at the Pakistan army--critical articles, sarcastic blogs and comments as well as jokes galore. A sample—notice board outside Pakistan army establishments —“please do not blow horn—Pakistan army is sleeping.” In short, the Pakistan army never had it so bad since 1971.

While on the Facebook, I found an intriguing post which had yet another accusation against the beleaguered Pakistan army – accusing it for ‘sabotaging’ the ‘azadi’ movement in Kashmir! This accusation I found rather novel and so I decided to investigate. On the face of it, there seemed to be no substance in this allegation. The Pakistan army has consistently maintained that the Kashmir problem is an ‘unfinished agenda’ of partition and has opposed every move of its political leaders which could end in any compromise. In 1948, they did send raiders across to free the Kashmiris from the Indian yolk and in 1965 the Pakistan army did try its best to ‘liberate’ Kashmir through use of force. Even in 1971, despite its ignominious defeat, the Pakistan army made no concessions on the Kashmir issue. In the 80’s it took upon itself the onerous responsibility to train, arm and send mujahideen into Kashmir. In order to not only sustain but also to give further impetus to the ‘armed struggle’ in Indian occupied Kashmir, the Pakistan army even invoked the services of its own citizens as well as mujahids from other countries and organizations like the Lashkar-e-Toiba came into existence. So, the report card of the Pakistan army as regards its support for the Kashmir cause appears to be fairly impressive. Yet, hidden beneath these laudable efforts, lurk some disquieting questions which beg for an answer. So at a time when the credibility of Pakistan’s army is suspect in its own country, it must also come out clean on its commitment towards Kashmir.

  That the army has been calling the shots in Pakistan ever since its creation in 1947 is like stating the obvious. Yet, no one ever objected to this as the Pakistan army served the nation well and measured up to the expectations of the people. In 1948, unable to decide upon the future of his kingdom, Maharaja Hari Singh entered into a ‘stand still’ agreement with the Pakistan government. However, the Pakistan army thought it more prudent to ‘liberate’ Kashmir rather than await final decision of this monarch. And speaking purely from the military point of view, it was the right choice since there was always the danger that this vacillating Maharaja could well choose to accede to India. Using tribals to overwhelm the miniscule forces of the Maharaja was an ingenious plan which not only assured success but also ensured that Pakistan could not be singled out for criticism by the international community.

Yet, the question which arises is that why did the Pakistani Generals fail to complement these tribesmen with regular units even after the Indian army had set its feet on Kashmiri soil and entered into the fray? Did they feel that the raiders would be able to defeat a trained army? Surely not! The Pakistani Generals were veterans of World War II and not novices-they would have certainly known that the rag-tag band of tribesmen, despite being led by army men stood no chance against a regular army. So, was it that they were scared of fielding their army against the occupational Indian army due to the fear of a defeat? Here again the answer is-surely not! Till about a year back, both armies had belonged to the same British Indian Army and being similarly trained and equipped were equally matched. So, why did the Pakistan army, in the first place initiate the move to ‘liberate’ Kashmir even though it meant disregarding the ‘stand still’ agreement, and then abruptly back out?

Some attempts at justification for this inexplicable behavior of the Pakistan army have been made in the past. Most explanations don’t give any convincing reasons and seek refuge in the argument that through this a UN resolution on Kashmir was extracted. But the world well knows that the credit for this should rightly go to India’s inept handling of the situation rather than Pakistan army’s sudden volte-face by abandoning the raiders and those poor Kashmiris who had revolted against the Maharaja to their own fate. The rest is history- the controversial accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India gained acceptability- thanks to the firm resolve of the Indian leadership to let its writ run even if it was through the barrel of the gun! So, this was to be the first betrayal of the Kashmiris by the Pakistan army-they had sent ‘raiders’ and not ‘liberators’!

During the late 80’s when the Pakistan army decided to infuse weapons into the struggle in Kashmir, it did its initial home-work well. A large number of boys, some barely in their teens were collected from the valley and put through arms training. While the plan was good, the execution unfortunately was not – though the boys were provided with sophisticated weapons, their training unfortunately was wanting. It appears the Pakistan army was too much in a hurry to commence their ‘jehad’ and our poor boys paid the price – the ill trained boys though full of zeal and valour were no match for the Indian security forces and thousands perished. This was the second betrayal of the Kashmiris by the Pakistan army.

Today, there is a large following of people in the Kashmir valley who espouse the cause of armed rebellion against the ‘illegal occupation’ of Kashmir by India. Many still feel that violence is the only solution to resolve the Kashmir problem and the gun will get us ‘azadi,’ by driving out the Indian army. While it is not intended to debate the pros and cons of this approach, it cannot be denied that after the gun came, Kashmir become a much more dangerous place where nearly every second day, someone or the other gets killed—be it by the security forces or ‘unidentified’ gunmen. It is not likely that the Pakistan army would have been so naïve as to think that by sending the gun into Kashmir, the Indian army would be driven out of the State or that an armed struggle would force New Delhi to let go of Kashmir.

 So, why did the Pakistan army embark on ‘jihad’ in Kashmir? What have the common Kashmiris gained from the gun? Nothing expect a rich harvest of young corpses, wailing mothers, shattered families and orphans! Even as the gun battles enters its third decade, the end is nowhere in sight and one generation has already been wasted out. The gun has changed the very character of the struggle in Kashmir from a peaceful movement for self determination which the world community could not ignore, into an insurgency which has caused considerable loss of goodwill for the cause. The gun has proved to be the bane of Kashmir!  

Coming to Pakistan army’s role in Kashmir - it has become amply  clear that they were never actually serious about it and the large scale loss of life and property due to the introduction of the gun in the valley has never really bothered them. They appear to be happier when someone is killed by the Indian army since it helps the propaganda machinery. It is thus evident that Kashmir was never really a ‘core’ issue. A festering Kashmir and not an independent Kashmir is what suits the Pakistan army for two reasons- first, it serves as a rallying point to muster public opinion in Pakistan which helps the Pakistan army to justify its bourgeoning budget  and second, it helps in marginalizing the  Indian army by ‘bleeding it through a thousand cuts’!

                                                                  

FROM ABBOTABAD TO ARTHUR ROAD

In the dead of the night, while the whole world slept, Ajmal Kasab could not get sleep. It was not a sense of remorse for the killing of innocent people or the fear of the gallows which kept him awake, but the mutton biryani and sheek kababs he had for dinner- these Mumbai people were certainly the worst mughalai cooks, he mused as he helped himself to yet another generous dose of Diegene. He was not the only one awake that night. A crack team of Pakistani commandos were on their way to Mumbai in helicopters gifted by the Americans for anti-terrorist operations.  Swooping down on the Arthur road jail compound, the Pakistani commandos whisked away their quarry before any could even say, “a la Laden”! For those who had earlier dismissed ISI chief General Pasha’s warning that Pakistan had identified targets in India for an Abottabad type action, the raid on the Arthur road jail must have come as a rude shock. But our Home Minister later claimed that our intelligence agencies had prior information as they had painstakingly  ‘broken’ a complex Pakistani code which contained a brilliantly concealed reference to the target- ‘A’ for Abottabad, and ‘A’ for Arthur road (Pakistan’s ingenuity is phenomenal, but still no match for our sleuths, after all)! On being asked why did they not warn the police of this, the Home Minister replied that it was just another ‘inadvertent human error’ so there was really no need to apologize.

Nevertheless, the Home Minister immediately called for an emergency meeting which had the intelligence chiefs, the heads of the army, navy, air force, para military forces, members of the most important national policy making bodies such as the CWG, BCCI and IPL as well as some highly responsible people. The meeting commenced within ten minutes of it being called for – this was not due to the rapid emergency response system put into place after 26/11, but because a meeting was already in progress to evaluate an appropriate response to the response of Pakistan to our response after the American response in Abottabad which gave us the courage to seek response from Pakistan to respond by handing over India’s most wanted. So, since the agenda for this meeting was “response,” all the ‘responsible’ people were also present- Kalmadi, Raja, Kanimozhi, Balwa ect. The meeting however ended without any decisions being taken as Sonia and Rahul were pre-occupied with a problem which was far more serious- Mayawati!

In Islamabad, a visibly proud General Kiyani met the media. He told the media persons that Abottabad was a thing of the past and Arthur road jail was the ‘in’ thing. When asked if the reported absence of the jail staff in the Arthur road compound had contributed to the spectacular success of this operation in which not even a single shot was fired, the General rubbished this suggestion. He said that the success achieved was due to the high level of expertise of his commandos and that history bore testimony to his assertion- didn’t his old commando friend Musharraf too capture the President’s chair without a single shot being fired? Meanwhile in India, TV channels got hold of a copy of a Top Secret memo which confirmed that the Arthur road jail staff was indeed absent during the raid. They were busy attending a lecture on how to ensure ‘fool-proof’ security of the jail till the contractor who had won the bid for installing the state-of-art security system (but had subsequently been booked for a scam) got bail and resumed his contractual obligations.

The Pakistan Interior Minister too called for a press conference and confirmed that the ISI had ‘got back’ a prisoner back from India’s Arthur road jail compound. A reporter asked whether Pakistan was worried of the international condemnation this brazen act to secure the release of Ajmal Kasab would invite, the Interior Minister shocked everyone present by disclosing that it was not Kasab whom they had got back but someone else - it was a person on India’s ‘most wanted’ list given to Pakistan. He said that since India could not find this fugitive, Pakistan as a good neighbor had decided to help. When asked if such actions which undermine the sovereignty of India could derail the dialogue process between the two countries, the Interior Minister gave a reply that will  probably go down in the annals of history as the most inspiring statement on combating the menace of terrorism ever made-Pakistan stands firm on its ‘commitment’ on the war against terror and in future too will not hesitate in helping India by hunting down India’s ‘most wanted’ who are on Indian soil!    

    

TRUE LIES

People often wonder as to why, we are always acting so very shy-
Of sitting down for talks, and instead act like incorrigible hawks)-
By flatly refusing  to negotiate any accord,
So we'll tell you( but strictly off the record)-
That the whole "issue" is nothing but a big fraud!

Our call for 'azadi' is is just too fool, and convert simple people into a tool,
To further our unscrouplous aims- of making enormous pecuniary gains!
As long as we create problems of law and order,
Our mentors from across the border,
Will provide us lot of funds-and that's our frequent call for bundhs!
And in the process of stone- pelting, if some get killed,
It's not our fault because that's what our creator his willed!

Our call for 'struggle' is for the sentimental breed-
Whom we compensate with the title of 'shaheed'
We tell them that their life, is our 'azadi's' price-
And if the boys go out and die,without evening asking us "why?"
We should not be put to blame, since its all part of this game!

Our talk of 'self determination' is for the emotionally weak,
Whose support is so very easy to seek.
And though we always call for 'sacrifice' when we preach,
Our own children we always keep out of harms' reach!
So if your children believe us and are ready to die,
Why blame us and raise such a hue and cry!

Now to make our stand very clear- we're hounded by a genuine fear,
What if they actually accept  our demand
And put us on the seat of power to command-
You people whom we have given hopes and put to sleep
With promises we really never meant to keep!

To accept the crown and rule, would only be the choice of a fool!
Since its a vey dangerous game-
And we're sure Omar and Mehbooba will agree with the same.
So why put our necks into the noose, by killing our golden egg laying goose!

We're saying nothing new-we want the present state of affairs to continue-
So that we can not only have the cake but eat it too !

                                                                                        -- niloofar qureshi