Straight Lines: Crisis Of credibility
And Hope!By Firdous Syed
12 July, 207
Countercurrents.orgSeparatist leader, once immensely popular along with his ideological paraphernalia, is completely unpopular today. Now is this an indication that masses in Jammu and Kashmir too have abandoned the cause for which they have endured a violent struggle and with it massive loss of life and property? A dichotomy indeed, but the answer to the question is that even when the separatist leadership of all hues and colours has lost much of its appeal today, the cause of Azadi (freedom) is as popular as it used to be. In fact given the immense sacrifices including indignities braved by the common people in the Valley, the sentiment of Azadi is more deep-rooted today than ever before.
Now if the idea of Azadi continues to be popular, then why is it that the advocates of such an idea have gradually become redundant? The answer does not lie in the so-called irrationality of the dream or otherwise, but in the deceitful nature of dream-merchants. In any circumstances, any idea or longing is a notion, an outline without colour and features on the broader canvas of life. To dream is the creative instinct of the poet, philosopher and the thinker; to put life to the dream is the work of a statesman and a committed leadership.
Dream, howsoever pious, and beautiful, and scared made by sheer sacrifices, will remain to be a dream unfulfilled, unrealised without the institution of sincere leadership and committed organisation of men and material. Seed in the bosom of life, requires nourishment through pangs of labour, blood, and single-minded dedication to grow into a fruit-bearing tree. Inspiration, howsoever passionate and full of life will remain to be mere inspiration if it lacks a proper delivery mechanism.
A longing or inspiration full of zest but not having a delivery vehicle is like a young mind entrapped in an old body; mind seeking to fly but body unable to takeoff. This variance of capability of body and mind in the end proves to be painful for both. Longings of the mind unable to find outlet gets stifled due to the incapacitated body unable to deliver. Such a state of
mind is an ideal breeding-ground for hopelessness, ambiguity and disarray in the rank and file of
pro-change forces.The militant uprising of 1989 in Jammu and Kashmir has many dimensions of its own and many more shall continue to be cause of debate about its intended final objectives. Even as some may argue about its main source and point of take-off, but there cannot be denial of the fact that it virtually caught the imagination of masses wherein they were hopeful of triumph in a very short span of time. A question thus haunting the minds here is: what happened to such a mass based movement; why it fizzled out leaving a trail of blood, anguish, distrust and dismay? Detractors of the movement may brand the mass-upsurge of 1989 as a short-lived spurt of emotions that too
due to the outside-infused militant revolt. But this analysis is more or less derivative of one's own political leanings rather than of an actual and logical academic inquest. Normally a movement of right of self-determination consists of a palpable cause, widespread acceptance among the masses, international recognition or empathy, an effective organisation and a committed and capable leadership. The people with even a little bit of knowledge of the situation here will vouch for the fact that the uprising in Jammu and Kashmir in its initial phases had all the ingredients required for making of a peoples' movement; the only deficiency was (and still is) in the area of infrastructure and leadership. The dearth was (and is) not of ideology or popular mandate, but strikingly of a viable delivery mechanism. The leadership failed the people and that made the big difference between victory and defeat.Some people may argue to put the blame on external factors like India and Pakistan. Even as there is some merit in this line of argument, but it cannot be of primary nature; for all practical purposes it's of secondary nature. If the immune system of the body is weak, then only the disease can attack. A rational mind will not blame the disease for the attack but the weakness of the internal systems of the body. A disjointed, meek and self-centred separatist leadership has perpetuated real crises of hope and credibility. Momentary distortion of facts and disorientation of mind has caused a condition of despair. Dissemination of crises of hope and credibility is also the instrument of anti-revolutionary forces, for the despair and confusion serves best the colonial mindset. The journey of anguish and frustration will come to end only if the body gets rejuvenated to match the energy of youthful mind; or the longings are somehow put to rest forever.
But the experience of human existence since time immemorial is amply indicative of the fact that longings cannot be suppressed or dreams destroyed endlessly. The hope is eternal to human nature, and to dream, to aspire, and desire for a change is born out of this natural attribute of human psychology. Who else could understand and explain this as succinctly as the legendary Urdu poet-philosopher Faiz Ahmed Faiz:
Dil Say Payeham Khyal Kehta Hai, Itni Shirean Hai Zindgi Eis Pal
Zulam Ka Zehar Gholney Waley, Kamran Hu Sanken Gey Aaj Na Kal
Jalwa Gahey Visal Key Shamen, Wooh Buhjey Bhi Chukey Agar To Key
Chand Ko Gul Karyen To Hum Janey.(Heart is conveyed all the time. So sweet is life at the moment.
That those who spread the poison of tyranny will succeed, no, never.
Yes they may darken all the households. So what, let them put off the Moon.)Tailpiece: What is a rebel? A man who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunciation. He is also a man who says yes, from the moment he makes his first gesture of rebellion. A slave who has taken orders all his life suddenly decides that he cannot obey some new command. What does he mean by saying "no"? He means for example, that "this has been going on too long", "up to this point yes beyond it no," "you are going too far" or again "there is a limit beyond which you shall not go". The rebel, in the etymological sense, does a complete turnabout. He acted under the lash of his master's whip. Suddenly he turns and faces him. He opposes what is preferable to what is not. Not every value entails rebellion, but every act of rebellion tacitly invokes a value. Or is it really a question of values? ... The part of himself that he wanted to be respected he proceeds to place above everything else and proclaims it preferable to every thing, even to life itself. It becomes for him the supreme good. Having up to now been willing to compromise, the slave suddenly adopts ("because this is how it must be.") an attitude of All or Nothing. With rebellion, awareness is born. A passage from the book, "An essay on Man in Revolt" by, Albert Camus, Noble Prize winner for literature in 1957.
*(The writer can be contacted at
firdoussyed@ yahoo.com).
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