Nadimarg
and Kashmiriyat
By Akhila Raman
7 April, 2003
Massive solidarity demonstrations
by the Kashmiri Muslims following the brutal killings of Pandits at
Nadimarg reveal that Kashmiriyat continues to flourish. They also highlight
the alienation and plight of the Kashmiris who continue to be brutalized
by the militants and the Indian forces
In a dastardly act, unidentified
gunmen massacred 24 Kashmiri Pandits including 11 women and two
children in Nadimarg village in Indian-administered Kashmir, on March
24. Kashmiris rallied in solidarity with the Kashmiri Pandits, voicing
their outrage against the carnage. No militant group claimed responsibility;
India promptly accused Pakistan-backed militants, while Pakistan also
condemned the killings. Some local villagers besides militant groups
have in fact accused Indian authorities of masterminding the carnage
to undermine their freedom struggle [Kashmir Times, March 25]. What
is really going on?
The pattern is all too familiar
and is reminiscent of the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chattisinghpora by
unidentified gunmen in March 2000 when India had promptly
accused Pakistan sponsored foreign militants. Following
the massacre, Indian forces killed five persons in the nearby Panchalthan
village and portrayed them as foreign militants responsible
for the massacre; However, DNA test results released on July 16 have
established that the slain persons were indeed innocent civilians, thus
exposing the deception. Despite repeated demands by the Kashmiris for
an impartial inquiry into the seed incident at Chattisinghpora, no inquiry
has been conducted as of date. Similarly, the 1998 massacre of 23 Pandits
at Wandhama went uninvestigated despite repeated demands by the Kashmiris.
The All Party Hurriyet Conference, the leading separatist umbrella group,
observed a protest strike demanding an inquiry; Amnesty Internationals
request to investigate Wandhama carnage was refused. This raises doubts
about the credibility of the assertions of the Indian State.
Let us take a snapshot of
the chilling human rights record in Kashmir; 2477 civilians had been
killed by the Indian forces during 1990-1998 according to conservative
official estimates (which mostly exclude thousands of custodial killings);
6673 civilians had been killed by the militants in the same period which
include 982 Hindus and Sikhs. Besides, thousands of renegade militants
in the employ of the Indian forces have perpetrated excesses. In 1999,
Gurbachan Jagat, the Director General of Police admitted that there
were 1200 renegades in the payroll of the government. Renegades are
believed by the locals to be behind many unexplained killings by unidentified
gunmen such as the killings of human right activists Jalil Andrabi,
H N Wanchoo and Dr Farooq Ashai and continue to be the most dreaded
group.
While it is not yet clear
who perpetrated the carnage, it is clear that the killers were interested
in derailing the peace process initiated by the State Chief Minister
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The killings have been a devastating blow to
his efforts to bring back the minority Pandits who fled the Valley in
a massive exodus in 1990. The killings also come closely on the heels
of the disbanding of the dreaded SOG (Special Operations Group) which
has committed massive human right violations in the past. As part of
the healing touch policy, he is also considering releasing
hundreds of those Kashmiris under detention who are not involved in
militant activities; There are concerns that the Centre may be planning
to wrest security matters from the State government following the massacre,
which will reverse the healing touch policy. The motive
of the gunmen is clear: To prolong the Kashmir tragedy, terrorise the
minorities and taint the Kashmiri freedom struggle with a communal colour.
It is heartening to note
that thousands of Kashmiris rallied in support of the Kashmiri Pandits
and held protest demonstrations. The entire Valley shut down on March
25 in response to a call for a strike by the Hurriyet, thus sending
a clear signal to the killers that Kashmiri Muslims do not approve of
killings of their Hindu brethren and that Kashmiriyat the composite
culture with the glorious traditions of communal amity, tolerance and
compassion is still flourishing.
It is also clear that the
Hurriyet enjoys immense support across the Valley; the strikes called
by the Hurriyet are observed in near-total. The 42 per cent voter turn-out
in last October elections in Indian-administered Kashmir has been misinterpreted
by some, as a sign that Kashmiris are happy with India. It should be
noted that, in response to Hurriyets poll boycott call, the turn-out
was only 11 per cent in Srinagar district and only 29 per cent in all
of the Valley, where insurgency is concentrated. Those who voted were
in fact voting for local issues such as electricity, hospitals and employment
and voted in favour of a better administration. The larger issue of
the resolution of the Kashmir issue remains unresolved. For instance,
last October 27 the 55th anniversary of the arrival of Indian
army the Valley observed a complete shut-down in response to
a call by the Hurriyet. Every year, this day is being continually observed
as the Black Day on the call of the separatists since 1989
when the militancy erupted in Kashmir. The writing is on the wall for
India to see.
Unidentified gunmen
are often interpreted in Indian circles as a monolithic group of Kashmir
militants while in fact, there is a significant presence of renegades
and self-appointed/Pakistan-backed foreign militants fighting for their
Muslim brethren, who end up undermining the cause of the latter. There
is an urgent need to order an impartial investigation by an independent
agency to identify the killers in such incidents of communal killings
and bring them to book. Kashmiris have long demanded impartial inquiry
into such communal killings and India must address this grave matter.
There is a greater need to
address the larger problem which sustains militancy and alienation,
namely the non-resolution of the Kashmir issue. As Moti Lal, one of
the Nadimarg survivors pointed out, such killings cannot be stopped
unless Kashmir issue is resolved. How can our Muslim brethren ensure
our security when they are themselves dying? Kashmiris, without
doubt, are crying for peace, but certainly not for a peace on the terms
dictated to them. India needs to recognise their legitimate grievances
long-denied self-determination and erosion of autonomy
and engage them and their representatives, namely the Hurriyet, in unconditional
dialogues. The present carrot and stick policy has devastated
the people in the past decade and must be abandoned. Any attempt to
integrate Kashmir into India needs to be an emotional integration; Winning
the hearts and minds alone can lead to lasting peace.
Akhila Raman works as a software
consultant in California, USA, and is a researcher on the Kashmir Conflict.
References for above article and further writings can be found at: http://www.mindspring.com/~akhila_raman/