No end to violence, bloodshed, sufferings on all sides of spectrum

By Humra Quraishi. Dated: 2/21/2019 11:07:54 AM

The terror attack in Pulwama and the killing of our 40 CRPF men left one shocked and pained and grieved. Very depressing and tragic and upsetting to see those shots of death and destruction and loss of human lives… I have been asking myself: When will the killings and bloodshed halt in the Valley? When will there be a halt to the horrifying rounds of violence and counter -violence?
There seems no end to the ongoing violence and killings in the Valley. There seems no clear policy of this government vis-a-vis the Kashmir crisis. I have been repeated stressing that its about time to re-think of using the military and paramilitary, to crush the civilian outcry. Political dialogue should begin immediately because only a political solution will settle the mess that has been compounded by rounds of violence. Ground realities in the Valley cannot be overlooked and bypassed. Absolute anger, severe alienation of the Valley cannot be contained by bullets and pellets, but only and only through a non-violent approach.
Not to overlook accompanying factors: the security forces are trained to combat the enemy and not their very own. It is not fair for the jawan to be posted in a civilian terrain. Not to be overlooked is the trauma faced by the jawan stationed in sensitive locales. Sitting in the bunkers in the ongoing high- alert situation, he is vulnerable. Unfortunately our planners and politicians don't even wish to dwell on the plight of a soldier posted in a civilian terrain.
What is the sarkar doing for the soldiers, for the sipahis, for the security men, who are themselves getting targeted and killed! Foremost, the politician of the day seems paranoid and wants to be protected day and night. Security phobias peaking! He seems obsessed about his security bandobast. Suits him on all possible fronts. Not to be overlooked the fact that whilst he sits or walks or sleeps protected, none from the masses can even near him and with that grill or question him about the un-fulfilled promises he'd heaped on them during election campaigns. The gates to his sprawling bungalow are not meant to be open to the very people he's conned and hoodwinked. Fortified he lives, guarded all through his waking and sleeping hours. Un-bothered to what happens to his security men, or how they deal with the crowds in the most adverse circumstances.
Strange it does seem that in those earlier times even the mighty kings devoted days only and only for interactions with the citizens but in today's developed times the rulers interact only through speeches! Try and near them and the layers of security stand in way. Very often, the anger of the masses meant to be unleashed on the minister gets unleashed on his security men. But he couldn't be bothered what happens to the very men guarding him. All that he cares for is that he and his limbs be protected.
And if we go somewhat ahead, how very easily the politician of the day gives those attack or kill orders! I am curious to find out how many of today's politicians send their sons or daughters to the armed forces to fight on the battle field! Correct me if I'm wrong but these numbers would be dismal if not near- nil. They stuff their children into business or real estate or any of the other flashy professions. Nah, none of their sons are soldiers or sipahis.
With this backgrounder, how does the politician know the ground realities to the border areas along the LoC or in the so called conflict areas? On those one day hyped visits to these areas he interacts with the soldiers on those formality ridden formats and completes his visit by rendering a frilly speech. That's about it. He does not realize that the soldiers are the most vulnerably placed. Sitting ducks…with just about the basics to survive with. Sitting in bunkers, stressed out and tense, there are no avenues for them to cope with the daily round of stress. Perhaps, that explains why there are rising cases of suicides and attempts to shoot even their colleagues.
Why do the rulers of the day go on those flying visits! Why don't they spend days or weeks or months up there, along the border areas, and interact with them. Why that rush to fly back - with the formality over and down with, they have got to get back to their comfort zone.
Does the politician of the day realize that these security men do need to put forth their list of grievances, what happens to them on a daily basis. Last year a jawan who dared to post/ openly talk about the poor quality food served to him and to his fellow colleagues was hounded by the top brass. Why? Because on one hand we are pinning all those developed tags on ourselves but on the other we are still following those hackneyed rules of the Raj era.
And what is perhaps needed is to make it compulsory for all ministers and their deputies, and the planners and bureaucrats of the country, to go and spend a longish stretch, living in bunkers, along the border areas or in the Naxal and conflict belts of the country. I'm certain the tough and harsh circumstances will make them re- arrange their very ways of settling crisis. Not through wars and violent attacks or counter attacks but only and only through dialogues. Genuine and earnest dialoguing in the most transparent of ways is the need of the day.
Yes, those who give orders for wars and strikes and attacks have got to move from their air-conditioned offices and spend several days at the border areas and only then should be allowed to give those orders…Protecting our soldiers' lives and their morale should be of utmost significance. Less of war cries and more of diplomatic moves to settle crisis, external or internal. Let diplomats come centre- stage so that talks and dialogues manage to control crisis and with that human lives are not lost.
Pick up any of the historical and mythological texts and stands out the fact that even in those yesteryears, wars were the last option . Foremost were talks and discussions and negotiations. In fact, rounds and rounds of heady diplomacy, with all possible intelligent tactics involved.
Why don't we go backwards, to those days where sense and sensitivity prevailed. Where there was none of the dreaded nuclear technology to ruin generations for come. Where arms lobbies and super powers of the world did not flourish on the brutal killings of hapless human beings. Where rulers did not try to win election on the basis of war cries and warfare!
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To compound the Pulwama terror tragedy, war cries took off! Don't tell me we have forgotten those horrifying- devastating - terrifying shots of the World War 1 and World War 11.To this day those aftermath pictures are enough to jolt one's nerves…I am writing this in the context of war cries coming out from television studios and also from the provocative speeches of the political rulers. Mind you, in case we go for war, it could not just compound the human tragedies in the region, but could also turn into another world war, bringing to the fore the vested interests of the international political players and arms lobbies. Years back, during the course of an interview Noam Chomsky had detailed to me the expansionist designs and interests of the United States of America. And today it gets rather writ large that international powers are at work! If war erupts it would directly or discreetly bring along the vested political interests of the combined might of the West. No to overlook China; geographically very close to our region and already making inroads into our terrain.
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Another aspect that's been bothering me is the way Kashmiri Muslim students and traders and even non- Kashmiri Muslims have been getting targeted in several states of North India, in these last few days. If the political brass says in those speeches, that its treating all citizens of the country on par , then why is it that these minority groups and communities, Kashmiri Muslims and non-Kashmiri Muslims, are sitting apprehensive and insecure. At the mercy of the Right Wing goon brigades! Why were over 300 Kashmiri students forced to leave overnight; moving back to the Kashmir Valley from Uttarakhand and Haryana and Punjab …mind you , these Kashmiri students had to leave mid -way the academic year, after Right- Wing goon brigades targeted and hounded and abused them in that uncontrolled, communally surcharged way! Where was the police to control these goons! Where were the rulers of the day! Where were the rest of us - asking, why on earth should these Muslim students and traders and entire families be targeted? Why! Surely, they are not 'enemy' but our very own citizens.

 

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