Is it the blindfold of pseudo nationalism which is preventing us from seeing the ruthless tyranny our own militia in Kashmir? Let's take a look.

Who am I?

A lost identity,a broken promise or a shadow.

Neither the country is mine, nor this soil.

I am a wanderer in my own land.

A stranger in my own country.

I am called a terrorist by own people.

This is the title I carry, this is my name.

These are not mere lines written, read and forgotten. Rather than a sudden outburst of emotion, they show the predicament of an ordinary native of Kashmir in the world’s largest democracy. India, Pakistan, China and stuck in between is poor Kashmir. Obsession of India, greed of Pakistan and revenge of China (for Tibet), the crown is lost in obscurity among the two fighting nations. Tossed from here, tossed from there, lost somewhere, that’s the tale of Kashmir....once paradise on earth! I have often heard ‘good fences make good neighbours’ but I wonder, is it really so ? Interestingly, we have 24 hours strongly guarded fences with our neighbouring countries, but we are still thirsty of each other's blood. On the contrary, though there are well defined borders in Germany with its neighbouring countries yet there are no barricades, no border checks and no heavily guarded fences by armed personnel. People are free to crossover, and live on the other side of the border if they wish. In short, the Wagah border between India and Pakistan, and Mac Mahon line separating India and China, are to be found only in the geography books of our region. As a matter of fact we are the only ones who raise anti India, anti Pakistan, anti China and anti Bangladesh slogans and we are the only ones who hold placards saying 'Downfall of so and so' and burn effigies of our neighbouring countries' Prime Ministers. We spit venom on each other, time and again, to prove what big serpents we are. It's like saying, 'Beware of us, we have more guns and goons'.

Cradled in the lap of mighty Himalayas, Kashmir is said to be the most beautiful place on earth and also the most dangerous. The famous Persian lines by an Indian emperor “Gar Firdaus bar rue zamin ast, hami asto, hami asto, hami ast” define the exquisiteness of the valley as,‘if there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.’ The catastrophe that has befallen the valley seems, as though, some wicked goblin has caste a spell on the region. Instead of cuckoo’s song, we hear the sounds of guns and bombs, the famed Chinar trees, which fascinated lovers and poets over the ages with their beautiful shades of green, yellow and red, stand solitary with no lovers romancing around. The shikaras (beautifully decorated wooden boats) and houseboats, which attracted tourists from all over the world now stand empty on the shores witnessing the bleeding valley. Kashmir, known for its beautiful and intricate handicrafts, shawls and carpets, today is struggling hard to keep alive its historically famous cottage industry. A thousand tourist attractions in the ethereal valley, alas! no tourists, only terrorists. Verily, Kashmir is bleeding!

As I try hard to get the answers to the questions circling my mind, I realize the more I read about Kashmir, the more anger and pain, I feel in my heart. It's not about being a Muslim or a Hindu or a Christian, it's about being a human first, and I get agitated when I see my neglected countrymen being used as a scapegoat of two nations. In between their rivalry, it's the state of Kashmir which is bearing the brunt.... Kashmir which is now but a tragedy of errors! It’s the avarice of politicians on both sides of the border, which has ignited the anguish in the once princely state. More than a terrorism issue, Kashmir has become a political issue. To get to the crux of the matter, we have to penetrate through the innumerable layers of lies and deception. Finally we realize, how all these years we have been fooled by the treachery of our political leaders on both sides. Everyone is involved in this dirty game; the governments of India and Pakistan, the militants, they are all allies and the common innocent man in the valley has been victimized. All the militant groups so easily operate because the political parties pay them to remain active in order to create their fear among the people...this is what is meant by corporatization of Kashmir. The surplus profits generated from every quarter in the name of defense against militancy, fill up the pockets of our corrupt leaders. As for the common kashmiris, they are hit by the bullets of terrorists on one side and of the army on the other. Can we ever return back the innocence of an entire young generation who has been exposed to gruesome violence at such a tender age? Can we ever bring back the husbands of countless half widows and widows? Can ever the lost honour of so many women be brought back? To sum up, can we bring back all that they have lost over the decades and are still losing or can we even heal the scars of the state which has withstood the ravages of time....I think a lifetime is too short a period and the canvass of their pain too wide. Just imagine, Kashmir's identity could have been much more than just a victim of terrorism had it not been so alienated by the central government and to a certain extent by us.

The recent report on Human Rights violations by Indian Army and its paramilitary forces (CRPF) in Kashmir, paints a worrisome picture of what the reality is. Over 93,274 innocent people have reportedly been killed in the firings by the security forces between 1989 and 30th June 2010. Besides this alarming figure of open killings, there have been 6,969 custodial killings, 117,345 arrests, destruction and razing of 105,861 houses and other structures used by the community. The security forces have orphaned over 107,351 children, widowed 22,728 women and gang raped 9,920 women. There have been more than 8000 victims of enforced disappearances. In June 2010 only, there were 33 deaths including those of four children, besides, torturing and injuring 572 people, and molesting eight women. In all, the number of civilians killed by our Indian Armed Forces is almost three times the number of those killed in actions by terrorists.

However, if you ask a common Indian like me, we'd forever blame the Pakistan backed terrorist groups to be the number one cause of atrocities in the valley. ' It's militancy which has unleashed the reign of terror' would be the most obvious reply. After all, we have grown up watching on TV and reading in Newspapers, the heroism of our men in uniform and the sacrifices of our soldiers which have managed to save Kashmir from falling in the hands of Pakistan. It is at this point where our mythical nationalism and chauvinistic patriotism predominates our humanitarian outlook. The two tools used so diligently by our politicians to polarize public opinion and keep us from reaching out to the truth. I read it somewhere,“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” I wonder how many of us would actually be rational enough to step out of their emotions of nationalism (which otherwise lie dormant throughout the year except on two occasions- The Republic Day and The Independence Day) and look at the grievances of Kashmiris from a humanitarian angle.

Kashmir is not where people leisurely sit inside Costa Coffee sipping and gossiping. It is an untold tragedy, the true nature of which and the cost borne by the ordinary Kashmiris with their blood have never been revealed to the rest of India. Scenarios have now slowly begun to change, Kashmiris have realized, they can no longer be crucified and fall prey to the vested interest. They have lost their kith and kin, they have seen their children being kidnapped and landing up in terrorists camps, where they are brainwashed and trained to become 'fidayeen' or suicide bombers. They have seen the transition of Kashmir from a God created heaven to a man made hell. It is now a land where people bolt their doors and windows even before sunset, where it’s a curse to be born a boy as young boys are picked up randomly by army for interrogation and never come back, where it’s an even bigger curse to be born a girl, because the filthy eyes of militants and military scan you all the time and wait to pounce on you like a hungry wolf any moment, where the waters of rivers have turned crimson, where unidentified bodies lie buried and unclaimed in graveyards. The wrongs done to the people of Kashmir in the name of nationalism has left behind a tortuous trail of sufferings which has few parallels in modern History.

However, it can’t be denied that infiltration does exist and Pakistan’s role has further jeopardized the already complicated matter. Kashmir was a princely state and was given the choice of choosing either India or Pakistan at the time of partition. But while it was still deciding, Pakistan attacked Kashmir thinking it will side with India and took 37.5% of it, now known as POK ( PAKISTAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR). India has 48% of Kashmir, whereas China now holds 17% (initially 14.5%) of the share. Nearly 2.5 % of Kashmir was gifted to China by Pakistan as the two countries maintain cordial relations, and to off course provoke India. At present, Pakistan holds 35% of the valley.

With the mounting world pressure, the Indian Government was forced to handle this sensitive issue tactfully and show results. There has been a sharp decline in militancy now, it’s predominant at the border only. Whereas, inside the region, there is only a two - sided war, between the masses and the forces. The protest against the encounter killings of civilians has turned into an unprecedented display of valour, as an entire new generation takes to the streets, their only weapons, the stones in their hands. It’s the wave of KASHMIRI INTIFADA or uprising against oppression, marking a paradigm shift from armed militancy to a mass insurgency.

The dilly dallying of the Kashmir issue by New Delhi has further distanced it from the valley and its people. As a huge embarrassment to the Indian government, the United States has faulted Indian security forces for committing gross human rights violations. Be it the infamous Shopian case, where the two young girls in the Shopian district were gang raped and killed by the security men or the sex racket busted in the valley, where the top political leaders and army men were involved, Kashmiris no longer trust the military. If those whose duty is to safeguarand protect us become tyrants, then what are we left with and where do we hide?

Shaken they maybe, but firm they stand together to fight for justice. They don’t want heavens, they just want a place for themselves in their ancestral land, they want that identity back, which we have stolen away from them. An ordinary Kashmiri wants peace to return to the valley. Stop manipulating and stop burning the paradise, they are no strangers, they are our own people, stop alienating them. And let's not amputate our own limb. A crown’s place is on the head and not to be trampled under the feet.