A Free Kashmir: Random Thoughts- 41

Curfews and Polls in Kashmir

Since the days of Nehru when Jammu Kashmir was forcefully annexed in 1947 by India, India has continued to militarize JK and hold polls. India has forcefully converted the freedom loving Kashmiris into a category of slaves which a few Kashmiris have accepted but majority of have rejected foreign forces and resented the Indian occupation. Curfews, repressions and genocides have become a standard Indian norm in Kashmir to terrorize innocent Kashmiris.

Kashmiris reject Indian Poll

Equipped with terror forces and supported by a few pro-India leaders in Jammu, a farce poll is being imposed now by occupying India on unwilling Kashmiris in the name of upholding "democratic" traditions when Indian terror forces butcher the innocent Kashmiri Muslims day in and day out. Not only the freedom seeking Kashmiris reject any Indian poll in Kashmir, but several pro-India Kashmiri leaders have developed cold feet at the fast growing resentment of Kashmiris against polls,  and Indian occupation.  

Indian open policy of containment of Kashmiris seeking sovereignty back from India stems from mischievous Indian assumption that Jammu Kashmir is already a part and parcel of India and many pro-India paid Kashmiris are happy with Indian state terrorism. Once stolen and credited to Indian Union account, the Indian strategists and their media agents argue, Jammu Kashmir is within Indian territories and they would not give "an inch" of occupied Jammu Kashmir to Kashmiris. Of course, one can see through cynicism on the part of Indian strategists in stating absurd things like this. Indian state also presumes that it is its prerogative to kill any Kashmiri Muslim any where in the world, not just in Kashmir. The pro-India elements seeking favors and special privileges and eager to come to "power' with India support, seem to support that argument too.

Kashmir has witnessed the biggest pro-independence and anti-India marches and rallies in August this year and the trend continues till day and likely to continue until the freedom leaders achieve their truly legitimate objective.  Obviously, the protests have been met with a tough crackdown by Indian terror security forces. The authorities have clamped down on freedom leaders and arrested most of the top leaders under infamous PSA to prevent them from campaigning against polls and leading pro-freedom and anti-India rallies. Most of top leaders of Coordination Committee, formed by freedom groups to spearhead the agitation, have already been arrested and booked under infamous Public Safety Act.

Pro-India leaders are worried that freedom leaders are going to thwart the Indian polls in JK. They feel their dream is getting disillusioned with a possible cancellation of the polls even criticize the move by the freedom leaders to campaign for the boycott of the polls in strife ridden Jammu Kashmir. Indian terror forces have done sufficient destruction and genocides in Kashmir since 1947. Indian Governor in Jammu Kashmir, a strategist himself, has invoked the "relevant Indian law" to keep freedom fighting Kashmiris curfew bound. This tactics has added more miseries to already hard-hit Kashmiris from every ankle.

Perpetual Curfews in JK

Official or unofficial curfews remain a regular feature in Kashmir. After keeping Kashmir under a curfew regime for so many decades, Indian regime has now resorted to a new strategy of keeping the Kashmiris under terror and tension without in fact declaring curfews. This is the newest tactics of India in Kashmir. The undeclared curfew imposed in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley to scuttle the "Jamia Masjid March" called by freedom leaders (pro-India media shamelessly call them "separatists")  to remember "˜Jammu Martyrs' who were slain in "˜ethnic cleansing' during 1947 riots across Jammu. Amidst heavy concentration of Police and paramilitary forces Kashmiris stand together to boycott the poll. The Shops, government offices, educational institutions, banks and other business establishments remained closed while traffic was off-the roads. All the entry points to Srinagar were sealed by police and paramilitary personnel to prevent people from marching towards historic Jamia Masjid.

Indian terror forces reign in Jammu Kashmir and Kashmiris have no control over them. Most of the employees dealing with Kashmir affairs, unfortunately, are Hindus and pro-India Muslims elements. The freedom leaders had also planned to announce anti-election campaign program from Jamia Masjid. Restrictions were imposed by the authorities to scuttle the "Jamia Masjid March" of separatists to protest the massacre of Muslims in Jammu on this very day in 1947. People living in Jamia Masjid and its adjoining areas were not allowed to move out of their homes.  As usual, the JK authorities had deployed thousands of police and CRPF personnel in Srinagar and other major Towns to thwart any attempt of people to march towards Jamia Masjid. Freedom movement is on and the leaders seek full freedom from India. The undeclared curfew remained imposed in Baramulla, Islamabad, Pulwama, Bandipora, Kupwara, Sopore and in district HQs also. Huge barricades were placed on the Sumbal-Srinagar highway and no one was allowed to move ahead of Sumbal. All the roads leading towards the Jamia Masjid were sealed by the police and paramilitary personnel with concertina wires, blockades and other hurdles to prevent any public and vehicular movement.

The authorities had deployed police and paramilitary in strength in almost all district headquarters to Valley to prevent people from moving towards Srinagar's Jamia Masjid. The security measures were further tightened in the evening and undeclared curfew was enforced strictly. The residents of Nowhatta and adjoining areas said that they were not allowed to offer prayers in the mosques. Police official said that no curfew was imposed and maintained that security was beefed up in the city to prevent any law and order problem.

Repression is the hallmark of Indian misrule in JK. Almost all freedom leaders including Hurriyat (M) leader Zafar Akbar Bhat, Moulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Gani Lone, Aga Syed Hassan Al Mousvi, Javed Ahmed Mir and president of Kashmir Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom have been placed under house arrest. Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who was scheduled to lead the "Jamia Masjid March", was placed under house arrest. Apart from Mirwaiz, the head cleric of Jamia Masjid was also put under house arrest. 

Freedom Movement Needs English media

It seems Kashmir freedom movement at present is being supported only by a couple of Kashmiri vernacular media. Role of English media to spread the freedom message to the world and Diaspora and gain support and sympathy form world powers is of paramount importance. But, unfortunately, Kashmir does not have an English national daily to support the cause of freedom movement exclusively. Since the Indian newspapers and on-line news agencies are anti-Kashmir and ant-Muslim, only a media dedicated to the cause of Kashmir freedom would serve Kashmir better as it is English which carries views internationally and shape the world opinion in favor of the just cause of freedom leaders. A couple of Kashmir dailies give news about Kashmir freedom struggle, but do not actively support the cause. Thy serve the Indian cause and are invariably contacted and pulled up by New Delhi if anything is published favoring freedom struggle. There is a strong Indian network operating across the globe watching who writes what and track the editors who don't support Indian cases in any respect. (It seems, many editors have stopped, for good, publishing my articles precisely for this main reason) By supporting the Indian case, these media magnets make money and are in the good books of Indian leaders whom these editors keep meeting for pursuing their narrow interests. So much so the editors in Kashmir, Muslims at that- expect the contributors to be "broad-minded" and not to be entirely pro-freedom, but also support Indian case some how.

Kashmiri freedom movement, therefore, needs it sown media exclusively to focus on its issues so that freedom leaders don't have to depend solely on the fluctuating moods of the pro-India media magnets running media in Jammu Kashmir. 

An Observation

It is high time India realized a crude fact that it cannot rule over Jammu Kashmir with terror forces by imposing recurrent curfews any more, because freedom seeking Kashmiris just spun them. Indian illegal polls in Jammu Kashmir under military occuapion has no logic and justification.

A few misguided Indians do argue that Kashmiris are insincere and are engaged in double-speak and they really want Indian cash and other privileges, they can also steal if circumstances allow, and if they had the military equipment they would have even annexed India. Needless to state such arguments are atrocious and malicious in nature. India cannot occupy Jammu Kashmir under any fictitious pretexts.

Ever since Nehru initiated the secret state terrorist agenda in JK, the conditions of Kashmiris have worsened with thousands of them getting killed by Indian brute forces occupying their lands. Indian leaders have managed to influence the world powers to support its illegal occupation. All these years Indian media and missions abroad successfully spread the rumors against defenseless Kashmiris in favor of India and cleverly used the farcical polls in JK to legitimize its misrule. Unfortunately, the Pro-India elements served as henchmen to kill the fellow Kashmiris. Indian and Kashmiri media supported Indian occupation, oppression and genocide.  

The so-called mainstream political parties, focused on New Delhi's favors, have no role to play in the resolution of Kashmir freedom issue and the inclusion of freedom leaders is essential for meaningful dialog aimed at resolving the longstanding issue. The pro-India political outfits can still facilitate peace process between the New Delhi and the freedom leaders led by senior freedom leader Syed Geelani.