The world’s largest democracy is scared. The irony of it, it isnt scared of armed gunmen, but of unarmed peacefull protestors who would just want to go out in the streets and tell the world that they want “Azadi” or freedom from India.
And it is the fear that has forced India to deploy hundreds of armed men — in addition to the existing thousands that are in the valley, to stop civilians from walking into the streets under the banner of freedom. And this is the curfew that forced men and women into their homes. Anyone who walks out has to face the bullet.
The local TV channels have been closed — sending of sms from mobiles is disabled — soon I guess even access to the internet might be closed.. and who knows this might be my last post…
Kashmiris want their right to freedom. That is what they wanted to tell the world and that is what the curfew imposed stopped them from doing — partially, for there have been men who dared the gun and got gunned.
Not just that, there were others who were killed even when they werent talking of azadi, but just wanted to get the bare necessities — the access to which has been rendered impossible by the curfew. Yesterday, a son and father were shot dead in Dalgate area of Srinagar. The fault was just that the boy had gone out to get milk and when shot dead by the Indian armed forces, the father came out to question and got shot too. This is a story that I heard by word of mouth. There are many others that I do not know of. And many many of these will go unreported.
The Indian media unfortunately is downplaying the whole issue by screaming out loud and inhumanely that it is India’s internal issue. I wonder why the wolrd community has shut up.
We have seen intervention in other countries where people were repressed. And now that the issue is of a disputed territory, why is the world quiet.
Maybe the world is scared. But what makes me glad for once is the fact that India is scared. Scared that the truth will come out…
There has been lot of unrest in Kashmir now a days. People are gathering in lakhs to discuss and protest. There have been calls are “AZAADI”. What is this “Azaadi” ?. Do some Kashmiris really know what they have been asking for ?
Some leaders leading the agitation says that they have natural religious attachment with Pakistan. Pakistan – a failed state who even after 60 years is struggling for democracy. A state who has become a alternative term for “terrorist state”.
We kashmiris really do not know what we want. We have been facing terrorism for around last 20 years. We have lost our lives and still we are asking to embrace violence.
Why are we asking for guns again ? Why now we do protest to be a economic super power ? Why we did not expect our children to be well educated and respected. Why don’t we want our children to be doctors, engineers or software professionals ?
Is religion only basis for the state to be formed?. India has more Muslims than pakistan. India has more resources and one of the most fast growing economy. Why now be a part of future rather than being part of a failed state.
One day your children would question your wisdom and ask why you made the decision.
I thought the son lived, did he succumb to his injuries later?
India is a farce, it has no spine..
The Indians will continue these curbs until they think Kashmir has tired. The people of Kashmir must show the same kind of resolve until we achieve aazadi.
@Tajamul
Both the son and father were shot. The son survived.
@The Voice
It is rather interesting that you seem to have taken pains to pen down your feelings about this AZADI that you fail to understand. Let me respond to each of your musings one by one…
Do ‘we’ Kashmiris know what we want?
Obviously we do know what we want when it comes to the main idea of separation from India. If we didn’t know what we wanted, we wouldn’t be out in tens of thousands marching with the slogan of Azadi.
If we weren’t sure of our affiliation with India, over the so many years of Kashmirs occupation by India, the anti-India sentiment wouldn’t have changed.
Take note that when you say “we” kashmiris, remember that “we” Kashmiris do know what we want. We are united in saying that we don’t want India. We are united in saying that we want Azadi.
Pakistan being a failed state?
Why does it bother India so much that the Kashmiris choose Pakistan — the so called failed state — over India? Obviously the Kashmiris saw something there that ‘your’ India failed to give it.
Even though I am not exactly a great proponent of Pakistan, but the fact remains that the decision of what Kashmiris want is not to be decided by the “khojas” who sit at their homes and talk about what Kashmiris want, without facing the bullets and the torture that the “KASHMIRIS” who say they want Pakistan.
To me it makes sense that what Kashmiris want is loud and clear in what the people who have walked into the streets in tens of thousands say.
And then again, talking of Pakistan as a failed state is pretty much a subjective idea. The terms and labels that have been attached to this country are given by the media that is held bent on being anti-Pakistan.
To put things back in line, I would say that India is a failed state. Failed in its very essence. You boast of India having more Muslims… True enough and we have seen what India has given them in your so called democracy. The world shouldn’t forget the Babri Masjid episode, or operation blue star of Punjab, or the Gujrat massacre to name a few… Just because the media didnt sit and label India as a terrorist state, you fail to see the terrorist in India.
And if you truly are a Kashmiri, you should have seen through the lies that the media has been telling you of recent. They tell you that the blockade from Jammu is nothing but a lie, but facts speak of how essential commodities including medicine is not sent across. They would like to tell you that Kashmiris are being treated fairly, but they fail to tell you why they have imposed curfew for past so many days — to stop the ‘civilians’ who wanted to have a ‘peaceful’ demonstration.
Doctors, Engineers, Software professionals?
Ofcourse Kashmiris want all that, and we want this and more with dignity that we deserve. There is more to living with dignity that just joining India — a terrorist state — because it is economically stronger. That economic strength would be of no use to us, while we are colonized, while we are subjugated..
We Kashmiris want Azadi…
But then you chose not to understand…
Real azaadi is not achieved by getting together and chanting slogan, it should come from our deeds. Stop using anything that’s coming from India. Let’s quit our government jobs, pull our kids from government funded public schools and colleges, take the sick and old out of public hospitals, the electricity, the clean water, lets shun from using it all, it smells Indian. Let’s create our own place in Kashmir that involves our money.
Let’s boycott India all together, let’s stop sending our children to study and work in a country which we consider a failed state and so despise, even better, let’s ask Pakistan to supply these facilities for us. All they have been doing so far is speaking about our rights but only sending terrorists that killed our own. Can we do that ? On one side is a country that nourishes us, develops us and on the other side is a country that’s a hot bed of terrorists and has only given us death and despair.
🙂 I agree. Let’s boycott India. Let’s have buy local. Isn’t this what Indians did when they were fighting British?
Dear Skooter,
Excellnt Job. Keep up the good work. Tell the Voice that even Doctors want Azaadi from the clutches of India.
Also plz visit the blog kashmir-burning.blogspot.com and leave ur comments. we r trying to get the exact info out.
Jehangir
http://www.petitiononline.com/jk2008/petition.html
May Allah reward you. Ramadhan mubarak.
I dont want pakistan coz that would be a bad idea..
I want India!
Unlike most of u..
I say that lets protest against the injustices and cruelty of the Indian army! and lets just insult India by doing so!! Forget about azadi now!! We must have a planned approach! India will never let go of Kashmir!! We must always remember that!! So if we cant beat them lets join them!! Lets start a movement against the Indian army; the crpf! and lets not just beg for azadi.. its a gone cause neway.. India will prefer to kill us than give us azadi.. but ppl dont understand.. like u ppl who been commenting here!! Well read ppl but having the voiews of the homes behind them!! Prejudice and all that..
“Apni Azzadi ko Hum Hargiz Mita Saktey Nahi ”
“Sar Kata Saktey hain Lakin Sar Jhuka Saktey Nahi”
Yes India …Its the turn of kashmiri people now.Slogans stay forever only people change.If yours was Inkilaab this one for sure is a ZalZala !!!It will rock the entire world.
sakoooooter is backkkkkk .c my blog too
Asalamualikum,
I used to talk about politics of Kashmir with my dad and the answer was simple yet quite profound.
” Hata khai kath…Kashir haa aes gode pethai golaam.. Bakshiyas wanukh che seet katiya lookh ..dopnakh 40, lakh ..sheikh Abdullah’s wanokh che seet kehtai lookh ..doopun 40, lakh …Hata peawa taawan..Kasheeri ha chi total 40 lakh”
Recent mass uprising had my heart racing, thinking Kashmir has finally awaken from deep slumber but fate had something else in destiny…The blood of the martyrs was not dry yet, we could still hear the cries of the people who had lost their loved ones and people were out to vote for the same murderers who are responsible to rape, ravage and plunder the whole populace of Kashmir.
I am not in favour of defeatist mentality neither do i propogate one.
What i am trying to convey is; We are in need of youth like Ibn Farooq Kathwari and Inayatullah Khateeb rahimuallah Ajmaeen. I think, it will take generations to shape the future of Kashmir provided we instill the right aqeedah and right values in our budding knights.
When i was in Kashmir, I remember one day, a child was who was accompanied by his mother was crying profusely and her mother told him ” keep quite or else i am gonna tell molvi sahab” and the kid froze. How are we gonna produce the likes of Abdullah Ibn Zubair (ra) whose first words were bi saif??? Brothers/sisters, only way we can and we will, bi ithnillahi ta’ala win against the mushrikeen and oppressors by following the foot steps of prophet as. Majority of the people in Kashmir are lost in the maze of mystisim/sufism and then we rav and rant about ” sabeeluna sabeeluna al jiha al jihad” what kind of Jihad? It is mere chaos and confusion.
Time to ponder over, Time to think and time to act.
Wa Salam.
@sakootar, Sorry for going off topic, a little bit but i have been looking for your blog for past month. Very good platform to retaliate intellectually. keep up teh good work.
Ma salam
Hi,
I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be very good.. u write well.. Why don’t you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘The Sakooter Speaks’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;
……
This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows.. 🙂
Cheers,
I am an Indian Muslim. I am not sure if you are an Indian or a Pakistani. I have sympathy for Kashmiri people and every Indian has a lot of sympathy and want to help you all. I always see that you all keep on blaming India and trying to be anti-India.
I agree that there is some injustice often done to some Kashmiris. But I would like to inform you that from what I can see in most cases Kashmiris are also to blame to some extent.
I dont understand why some bustard Kashmiris act like India is anti-Islamic or anti-Kashmiri. I am a Muslim too born and brought up in India. I love my country from the depth of my heart and we all Indians are brothers and sisters. But I see most Kashmiris acting as if they are not Indians. Why do you do that? It really makes people angry and I also get angry at many Kashmiris for such behaviour. You all should act like proper Indians and not act as if you are away from India.
I even see Kashmiris supporting the Pakistani dogs in cricket matches etc. At first how the hell can you support a terrorist country like Pakistan and especially the terrorists. And own country comes first. So, you have to respect and honour India above any other country in the world.
Act like Indians and I am sure every Indian would be more than ready to help you all and work for your developement. If you say that there was some injustice done to Muslims in Kashmir then the fact is also that the way in which Kashmiri Pandits were treated in the valley was not right. Our religion teaches us peace and humanity and if you all follow our religion properly too then you would be liked a lot more in India.
We Indian Muslims are an integral part of India and have been successful in all spheres of public life. Hope that the Kashmiri Muslims also get their share of support and success in the great Indian democracy. But please behave properly and stop acting like Pakistanis in order to be respected and liked all Indians including Indian Muslim.
May Allah open all your mind towards India and bring peace, stability and success to your lives. India is the best country in the world and we all are lucky to be born in this great nation. Hope you also understand this and stop supporting terrorists and behaving anti-India.
You $%$^^ invaded Kashmir and threw away the Kashmir pandits from their own lands and occupied Kashmir !!!..now you are saying that – Kashmiris ( only muslims) are the deciders…
KASHMIR DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU..IT BELONGS TO INDIA..IT CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM INDIA..IF YOU DONT LIKE INDIA ..THEN GET LOST TO PAKISTAN..stop this idiotic slogan of Azadi..our Indian army will crush you to death..JAI HIND
U Indian, you mind your language first, as your language speaks your cheap personality.
You are not aware of what is happening in Kashmir on the grass root level. You always rely on Indian Media which is 100% fake.
Well its not being anti Indian here, it is about how cruel and coward indian army is being with innocent kashmiri people.
Let me tell you one short example;
God Forbidden, If your innocent brother or any family member will be brutually killed in interogation or your innocent sister will be raped by the Indian Army who are supposed to protect the people. How would you feel?
I think that answers your question why the people of kashmir hate indian administration and the politics. Because they are cowards and don’t care what is happening with us.
One more thing: We don’t hate indian’s as individuals, we hate the indian constitution which has given the special powers to Army in kashmir to do whatever they want to.
Hope that answers your question.
@Anonymous Kashmiri I am not sure to whom did you reply. Some part of your reply seemed to be for the next part while some seemed to be in reply to my comment.
Regarding Indian Media, I would not say that it is not 100% fake nor 100% true. In fact, any media in the world is always a bit in favor of the country it is serving and so Indian media would naturally be in favor of India. You can check CNN, BBC, Pakistani channels and all those are biased. But I do not believe or listen to anything blindly.
It might be that there might be some cases of some problems with the army. But if you see from their perspective too, then they will also be pissed off when militants attack them suddenly almost every other day and many Kashmiris support the militants. As I said previously too, there might be some problem with the army but you have to accept it that Kashmiris are also to blame to some extent.
You might accept it or deny it but it is a fact that the way in which Kashmiri Pandits had to leave their homeland was also not justified. Kashmiri people are also to be blamed to some extent for the situation in Kashmir. But I accept that there are several other reasons too.
And regarding Indian constitution, I would like to inform you that our constitution does not give special powers to army in normal circumstances. Army has special powers only in case of volatile situations, terrorism, militancy etc. But the reason that terrorism, militancy etc. is prevalent is Kashmir is also because of the fact that many Kashmiris are supporting the bloody terrorists. Stop supporting them and behave like other Indians and I am sure this problem will be resolved to a large extent. I am sure that once this terrorism ends, there would be a lot more stability and development in J&K
Anyways there is one more thing. Have a modern outlook of life and work for your development and success. It will help in Kashmir’s development and also in India’s development. Make the world a better place to live in and everything would be fine.
And one more thing. Every Indian irrespective of religion, caste, creed, region etc. hates people who are citizens of India but support Pakistan. Hope that all Kashmiris stop doing that and it will be a lot better place to live in.
And a stable Kashmir would be beneficial for everyone including India. We can promote Kashmir as one of the world’s best tourist destinations and it will give employment to local youth and revenue for state and central govt.