ARIF BHAT
Kashmir, also known as the ‘Crown of India’ is the Northern state & is shielded by the great Himalayan Ranges in the Northern & North Eastern direction. It has withstood numerous assaults from looters & nomadic raiders as it has been the gateway to the prosperous country, once known as ‘The Golden Bird’. Due to this reason only, the state has witnessed continuous turbulence, violence & demographic changes for the past two millenniums & still continues to be in a state of disarray. In the first half of the millennium, it was an important center of Buddhism & Hinduism & later in ninth century Shaivism (sect of Hinduism) gained prominence. Islam was introduced in the state in 13th to 15th century, by Sufi saints, which at that time was inclusive. However, the radical sect of the religion gained prominence & thereafter, the state has been caught in a never-ending conflict of religions. Fast forward to post Independence years, the state has not been able to come out of this conflict & is more torn than ever. Despite being agriculturally rich Karewa land & tourism hub of the country, it has never been able to focus on development issues due to the persisting violence.
One thing, for sure has been crystal clear to the Kashmiri citizens in the past three decades, that all the separatists & those who want allegiance with Pakistan have their own political agendas, & none of these are actually concerned about the common people & well-being of the state. It is the commoners of the state who will have to rise & shoulder the responsibility so that the Kashmir achieves its former glories & people here have peaceful & normal lives. Once the state of normalcy like all other parts of the country is achieved, only then the energies & resources can be channelized in the right direction of development. However, good governance, infrastructure development & abrogation of Article 370 & 35A have certainly created a conducive atmosphere & given a ray of hope to the people. The state has now fully rejected the idea of terrorism & separatism & now is focused on the development.
Successful conduct of Panchayat elections in 2020 & large turnout of voters from all age groups indicate that local populace believes in & supports the democratic form of the government. The confidence & faith shown by the people in the election process exemplifies their belief that it is the only way to bring peace & prosperity in Kashmir. Many young leaders have risen & contested in the elections. The enthusiasm & will power to bring the positive change shown by local people, especially the youth bears testimony to the bright future of the state. Kashmiris have finally decided to be the ‘Masters of their own fate’ & change their destiny, the way they want to.
With continuous reduction in the violence parameters & hartals in the state, the hassles faced by civilians due to terrorists as well as due to actions of security forces have reduced a great deal. Moreover, the strict policies of the forces to act in accordance with Human Rights & regular conduct of Sadhbhavna activities to help out locals have mitigated the problems faced by the civilians to a large extent. As a result, we see that there is a considerable increase in the happiness quotient in Kashmir as is evident from the buzz in the markets & interactions from the civilians. The presence of army has in culled a sense of safety & security among the locals & now they can openely show their support to the government & its policies. They are not scared to approach Army & Civil Administration with their problems & all the agencies are working day & night to solve the issues.
We have come a long way from small children running away from Army to waving & saluting them, from Pakistani flags in cities to our ‘Tiranga’ flag being waved with pride & from graffiti of ‘We want freedom’ across the cities to ‘I Love My India’ graffiti all over Kashmir. All these indicators are the verdict of local populace of Kashmir, which quite clearly shouts about their loyalty & love for their motherland. All the efforts of separatists & anti-National elements to malign the image of the country through fraudulent means, vicious narratives & web of lies that they have been spinning for decades will fall flat on the face, as the common citizen has now woken up & is aware of their devilish schemes. We all wish for this bloodshed & political game to end & let Kashmir be the ‘Heaven on Earth’ again.
