The bullet went right through the forehead. It was 4 p.m., and Shahid-ul Islam was dead.
On Monday, the father of the 21-year-old, now revered as a martyr in the slushy Kashmir village, narrated the events of that August day without bitterness as he stood surrounded by the men who had witnessed his son's death and carried his body.
There were no tears, no raising of the voice.
"My son's martyrdom has filled every person in this village with rage. There is so much oppression. But not a single stone has been lifted," said Ali Mohammed, 49, speaking matter-of-fact with little anger in his voice. "There is a new turn in the movement."
After Kashmir witnessed its biggest public rebellion in two decades this summer, its deep anti-India discontent has taken a dramatic, new, Gandhian turn.
There are no bombs, no rocks, no anti-India abuses, no arson. Militant groups have said they will not disrupt the elections. Protests are peaceful, and many anti-India voters on Monday chose to use the elections – which they have long dismissed as bogus – to express their support for their separatist ambitions.
Mohammed and many in his village boycotted the elections following a call by separatist parties. But some distance from the village at a middle school, first-time voter Jauhar Ahmed, 19, wore a mask around his face and had a dab of indelible ink on his finger.
"Children were killed here. I don't want any other child to die again," he said.
"This has nothing to do with militants, this is the anger of the people," Ahmed said, referring to the symbol of the People's Democratic Party. "I have voted for azaadi (freedom), for the pen and inkpot."
The pen and inkpot is what Shahid-ul Islam mostly had to do with as he studied in the final year of his B.A. course at a college in Ganderbal town. Examinations were coming up.
He had little interest in politics, like an overwhelming number of youth who screamed anti-India slogans this summer. He had applied for a job in the police. He wasn't selected.
"When he saw the processions, the deaths, he got emotional," said Mohammed, his father.
Shahid-ul Islam didn't say anything to his father that afternoon before he left home. At 3:20 p.m., he left home and forty minutes later, he was dead.
"He wanted to study further. But there was no college anywhere around here," the father said.
That is another new strand of rebellion: Perhaps for the first time, issues of governance – often swept under the carpet and disregarded by citizens, are being raised as well.
Stone-cutter Meraj-ud-din, 25, took to this job because he had no money to study further and could not find any other job.
"The college is 35 kilometres away in Srinagar. I didn't have the money to pay for the daily bus fare. So I quit studies and became a stone cutter," he said, standing near the Sadarkote middle school.
"And here I am -- I am boycotting the elections," he said.
One of the things i did notice about Kashmir or other movement is a Military solution will never be possible to wrest control.The other startegy of infiltrating may also not work, it may infact backfire also. Two countries may accidently get into a war & territories may get destroyed also.Kashmir on its own may also not be able to develop, since it relies on federal support from Indian Government.A more likely solution should be you move from violence & think of a federally administered province.A big danger i see is bengali muslims or bihari & UP muslims may migrate over there when they start prospering also. It may happen or would be happening also. Irrespective of anything you say religion cannot be a binding factor,culture surely will be a binding factor.
ReplyDeleteUnless you subject yourself to ageold question which society have prospered in this world, the answer surely would be only those society which are pluralistic & embraced many culture openly. Unless intelligent indians walk into pakistan or other way round you will never see society or countries ever prospering. Your blogs should move away from traditional rigid positions to more open positions of inclusive culture,religion with respect for all.
Modelling your country on Kamal Ata turk or Jinnahs original vision of freedom to everyone is the answer. I am not saying anything great about Indians but India today established a few business in egypt which started with a 100 crore revenues & in 10 years they made those factories to 2000 crores.We have today intercoursed with them on engineering,arts,trade & everything. If you go the city of alexandria & say hindus are anti islam no body will believe you. They will trust us more than they trust anyone else. We built hospitals, colleges,community development, trained their people & fuelled their economy. One terrorist attack there against hindus means every 40 of them will pack their bags & return. Who wins ???.Also imagine how growth will be affected that in next 10 years those companies would be growing from 2000 crores to 10000crores.Unless you change the position in your blogs that yes we can " get out of terrorism" nobody wins.
Imagine the largest indian company wipro which has a cash balance upwards of $3Billion belongs to a muslim. His staffs are all indians, their principles in business is integrity, such a story can happen only in a democracy not in a theocratic state. Wake up & change your kashmir slogan.
Hi Mukund,
ReplyDeleteI have read your comment with great interest and it is good that I have heard from an Indian who has the power of argument instead of just ranting and cursing.
You have got a valid point about Pakistan establishing Jinnah’s principles and there will be nothing better than that.
But there is a problem with the general attitude in India about Pakistan that whenever the two countries have peace and dialogue, the people of your country start talking about confederations and the eventual assimilation.
Unless India & Indians stop this talk and accept Pakistan with all their heart Pakistanis will keep defining themselves as the opposite pole of the subcontinent.
I am happy for all the Muslims prospering in India and may they prosper even further along with their countrymen of other religions but at the same time India must stop the state sanctioned popular mentality of a confederation with or assimilation of Pakistan.
Unless this real or perceived threat remains, there will be no peace.
Whenever Indians start talking about us being the same people and all that, alarm bells start ringing in Pakistani minds and whatever is said after that falls on deaf ears.
We must all strive for peace between the two countries and let me tell you that Pakistan has a lot to gain in peace and let’s also at least acknowledge that there is a problem in Kashmir. Until we are in denial there will be no solution.
Once again, thanks for your valuable input.
Sikander,
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting back. Unfortunately what has happened between our 2 countries has been the factor of religion. If perhaps i think that was absent then may be there would not have been any animosity at all. Privately i think we can get along well, we have same frustrations, ambitions & desire to do good but what really holds back is religious reformation.A religion which embraces modernity to me can be a potential solution.
In respect of kashmir my view is a religious denominated support cannot be the solution. I am confident if violence is completely reduced & then peace & people movement takes place there is a likelihood of a satisfactory solution.It may be slow & frustrating but people there will be rewarded for patience & tolerance. To me biggest challenge for subcontinent is not land acquisition but how fast we can improve accountability & bring in very high quality education to the whole society would be the answer.That would mean a faster embrace to western system which can demolish prejudice faster than any other method.
Once again, thanks for your comment. Much appreciated.
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