Kashmir continues to deal with violence after Burhan Wani’s killing.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
The valley of Kashmir is reeling under violence in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani.
So far, 32 people, including a policeman have died in the violence targeting the military for killing Wani who was known as the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen.
Despite being a militant, Burhan Wani was a popular figure among the people of Kashmir, especially the youth. He had used the power of social media to reach out to people to share his views and gather support for his efforts to liberate Kashmir.
While, everyone is using social media to express their views on the issue, a Facebook post written by a Kashmiri woman Shazia Bakshi is making waves online mainly due to the way she condemns the attack and takes on the central and state governments.
Bakshi says that she had taken pride being an Indian. But, she doesn’t want to get identified as an Indian anymore as the criteria for being an Indian has changed.
“Today the criteria for being one has been changed by the collective conscience of the majority of residents of the mainland and the government that heads it. There is a good Indian today and then a traitor,†she wrote.
“A good Indian by default is a born Hindu, nonbeef (meat) eating, khaki shorts-clad, holier than thou saint who never questions the actions or the thought process of the state whatever they may be. Who worships the ground the Prime Minister walks on, never mind the fact that he is more out of the country than in. Who gives a carte blanche to the armed forces for any and every action they take,†said Bakshi.
Read the full text here:
“I am a Kashmiri.
Now that must come as a surprise to many, most of all me, as all my life I have strived and endeavored to be an Indian. Taken pride in fact in being one. Not anymore.
Today the criteria for being one has been changed by the collective conscience of the majority of residents of the mainland and the government that heads it. There is a good Indian today and then a traitor.
A good Indian by default is a born Hindu, nonbeef (meat) eating, khaki shorts-clad, holier than thou saint who never questions the actions or the thought process of the state whatever they may be. Who worships the ground the Prime Minister walks on, never mind the fact that he is more out of the country than in. Who gives a carte blanche to the armed forces for any and every action they take. He is more patriotic than the next man, never mind that he always has a ‘jugaad’ for paying the taxes, if at all, which may actually benefit the country. A good Indian definitely must possess the mob mentality of going with the dikat of the State and whatever the present government believes to be true.
Unfortunately, this does not go with my belief of being an Indian. My belief was based on a bigger picture laid out by the founding fathers of my country- My constitution, my Preamble – and let me repeat it to all what you have conveniently forgotten:
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.
Secular (?)- the Prime Minister and his good men have no time to give lip service or attend an Iftaar thrown by the President . A man is lynched because the mob thinks there is beef in his fridge.
Democratic (??)- What a laugh …ask this to a Hardik Patel, Kanhaiya (Kumar) or an Umar (Khalid).
Justice (?)- 30 young kids shot in last two days in the madness of killing a FaceBook Terroriser (not a terrorist)…the guy was yet to fire a bullet! Think about it logically, every young angry man with a radical idea and a fan following does not need to be eliminated!
Liberty (?)- yes, I need to post this from a city which has been under curfew for the past 4 days, with net available in select pockets.
Equality (?)- Anybody but a right wing Hindu, in today’s India, is a child of a lesser God.
Fraternity (?)- My fellow Indians you do not even acknowledge let alone protest against the carnage and terror that has been unleashed on my state and people.
Because we people choose to voice our dissent on this treatment we cease to become Indian in your eyes. Because we refuse to die, you by turning your face away from us try to obliterate our existence. Because we mourn a Burhan Wani and other 2 lakh young ones disappeared or slaughtered, we automatically become terrorists. We mourn the idea of an India lost, a promise from none other than the first Prime Minister of the country yet to be fulfilled, we become anti-nationals. Because we demand a retribution for a Kunan Poshpora or a Tufail Mattoo 2010 we become “Pakistani”. Because we ask for revocation of AFSPA we become in your eyes an enemy of the state. Because we refuse to be the present day Indians like you, we become Kashmiris.
So I have become a Kashmiri today.
I refuse to be like you.
I have a conscience and I have a voice.
You may stifle me, but you will never silence me.
There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people not even the Indian Flag.”
1 Comment
The Indian State has made mistakes,the police has used force more than needed,Burhani may not have fired a bullet,but he was encouraging others to take up the militant cause.Why do not the Kashmiri people fight for Kashmir,but allow people like Geelani propogate Pakistan’s agenda.A Kashmiri should wave the Kashmiri flag if he do desires but not the Pakistani flag.Ask the people of Baluchistan who are living in Pakistan what the state of affairs is there.Atleast in India the Kashmiris have the right to elect a government of their choice,but if they play into the hands of people like Geelani then no Indian will support them.As for beef eating being banned,there is a lunatic fringe in every religion,atleast some among the Hindus protest,but do the Muslims show any protest when their lunatic fringe shouts.Have these leaders have the future of the Kashmiri youth in mind,when they encourage them to become just stone throwers,instead of pursuing education etc.The children of the pro Pak leaders study live elsewhere in India or abroad,these leaders have the best of the world,security from India,for which the Indian taxpayers pay through their nose.But they shout for Pakistan,if they want freedom from India let them shout for that,but not for Pakistan.