Over years several emotional thou equally fractured dialogues have been exchanged in United Nation. Additionally, numerous regional wars between India and Pakistan happened over the matter of Kashmir, but sadly result is nothing achieved. Till date Kashmir is bleeding, civilians disappearing, houses burnt, and women sexually assaulted.
However, from the childhood I know Kashmir is in constant struggle, but with the advancement of Narendra Modi’s government in 2014 and its re-election in 2019 profoundly impacted Kashmir. Casteist and heteronormative TEA BOY selling tea on the railway station of Vadnagar nurture in his heart the same disease that British planted in 1857.
Modi lead government incorporates the notion of populism, false-nationalism (because Hindustan was always the place of numerous religions, moreover Buddhism was once the dormant religion), authoritarianism and majoritarianism. Its barbarous action against minority groups and vulnerable communities has demonstrated abject disregard for democracy. Hindu nationalists have sought to weaponize religion and politics to inflame Hindu majority. Muslims in Kashmir and their allies have been repeatedly portrayed as enemies of India, and as potential terrorists.
Article 370 and 370A that certifies Kashmir with some autonomy and legislative, was unilaterally modified by the Indian government lately, to seize Jammu and Kashmir’s legislative jurisdiction and independence. However, resulting the disgusting mindset of TEA BOY Indian government openly nullified both Articles, on which United Nation is silent as of Palestine, Syria and Iraq.
In response to persistent oppression, Kashmiri civilians continue to take to the streets in large numbers, in the form of silent protest. Women torn with grief holding in their hands filies of their missing husband, father with their weak hands bearing banners of their lost sons, a 7 years old child with hope in his eyes asking soldiers, if they know where his dad is. Such a state in Kashmir that a young lady is unable to fathom if she’s still married or been windowed months ago.
Heartbreak, rage, resilience and resistance is a life of Kashmiri, constant fear, lockdowns and curfew is the background of Kashmir to whom people call Heaven on Earth. Where local social movements for justice routinely met with extreme suppression from Indian forces.
In 2019, millions of additional troops were reportedly deployed in Jammu and Kashmir. Following August 5, Kashmir witnessed the reported toucher of children, the elderly and women; sexualized violence; illegal and mass detentions; house arrests of political leaders; curtailment of freedom of speech, movement, and dissent; falsification of social facts by the State; and closure of sacred places. People were afraid to approach the courts lest the extra-legal detention be converted into formal detention. The impact on political economy was devastating.
The height of inhumanity that, following the seize of 2019, Indian soldiers reportedly forced 12 civilian men to remove their clothes and line up, naked, on the main road in Pulwama, beat them severely, and electrocuted their genitals. The tortured were reportedly forced to lie naked atop each other. Additional and similar undertakings of torture were also reported. Several people died from inhaling tear gas and pepper gas grenades reportedly fired by police personnel during a civilian protest. At the 44 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Shopian, armed forces personnel reportedly tortured three men and broadcast their cries over loudspeaker. Moreover, police reportedly shot pellets and teargas at religious processions in Srinagar during the holy month of Muharram, injuring more than 100 people.
Even at the time of COVID in 2020, situation was the same, where life has given no value what you expect of health condition or any service. However, on the other hand everything was done to suppress the Muslims majority let’s say, a boy with disabilities named Hazim Shafi was reportedly killed by Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Kupwara. Police and paramilitary reportedly stormed Nasrullah Pora Village in Budgam, attacking residents and looting and vandalizing properties. Assaulted women and tied men to trees. Armed forces personnel reportedly shot bullets and pellets at a civil society demonstration in Awantipora, killing Jahangir Wani injuring at least 25. And to alter the demographic setup, Indian government banished certain legal barriers to permanent residency in Kashmir.
The vicious actions of Modi contrasting with India’s own constitution and fractured the very basic notion on which Hindustan was known to the world.