Kashmir...

Well, I find myself having a lot of time on my hands and a lot of thoughts in my head. When this happens I suppose it is the most natural thing in the world to start a blog.. and so I have.

This being the first post, I thought I desperately need to vomit out what I have seen, heard and what I feel on India's most disputed piece of real estate,Kashmir(whether it is really India's or not is a debate for another day).

Having not travelled any further north of India than Delhi, these views of mine are purely based on what I have seen, heard and read on TV , newspapers,websites and some blogs. It is prudent to start off by giving a quick background of the situation in the valley. The Indian armed forces currently are placed throughout the valley in a measure to curb the unrest that has plagued the state since independence . The Kashmiris take up stone pelting as a form of protest against the army and the police for their alleged atrocities of rape and torture against the muslims that reside in Kashmir. Further adding fuel to the already blazing fire is the coming to the fore of militant elements(who may or may not be from across the border) , which are recruiting young men/women into making a societal struggle into a Jihadi one. The trust deficit between the common Kashmiri and the Republic of India grows everyday.

It is obvious to note that there are several intertwined issues constituting this problem ,the sum of which is a deadly Indian cocktail (religion + politics )in the mind of the Kashmiri adding to his/her anger(and confusion) over the atrocities being committed in the region. The latest judicial committee constituted has its work cut out separating the strands and understanding each issue in its entirety , which is the only way of coming up with anything that will remotely resemble a solution. Obviously , this is much easier said than done and any remedy will have to be holistic taking into account corrupt politicians, tons of bureaucratic red tape not to mention chargesheeting senior army officials who have let happen unpardonable acts of shame by men within their ranks.

From what I have read on various blogs/websites, the debate is a fiery one taking place over who hit whom first, who started the fight and who the actual victim is. This is something that will continue for a long time and I suppose that in a democracy,we should be happy that so many people seem to have a strong opinion that they are willing to advocate ,albeit on a forum that maintains their anonymity. My only feeling is this, there have been so many blows dealt that it doesn't matter any more, who was the first provoker. Yes, my views are naive and yes, the issue is more complex than just two players hitting each other but the point I am trying to make is that forgiveness is the only way forward. Once the esteemed panel comes to an understanding as to what the exact issues are that plague the state, the government will need to act quickly creating an atmosphere where even top officials are held accountable for their follies and the common Kashmiri can feel that he can get justice. Only when the common man feels that there is a govt. working for him will he reject these militants' ideas and send them scurrying back into the hole from where they came. Militancy is a natural by-product of the failure of governance.

To sum it all up, the only way to bring normalcy to Kashmir is for the government to show its hand, come clean and issue an unquestionable pardon to every Kashmiri asking him/her to come to the table once the core issues are recognised. In this regard, the government will need to go the whole distance instead of expecting the separatist elements to come half way. Seeing the quality of politicians that exist today(both from the government and the opposition), I don't think we can expect a solution any time soon.