Political Maneuvering

A few in the society have taken the rest as hostages. Majority does not dare to offend the few. For an instance, 2014, I made mention of my picnic to Dodheapather with two Muslim families on facebook. I mentioned the name of my host and praised him for his hospitality. Soon my host got a call from one of his friends who had read my post. My host trembled and begged of me not to praise him on the net. He said that he is father of school going children and such praise in his favour might cause trouble to him and his family. 2013, on our return from Tulmul, at Ganderbal park, one Muslim English speaking girl of XII class expressed her love for India, Indian culture and Indian democracy. She said that she was already Azad and if others want azadi, they should give azadi to others as well to express their mind. Prof. Jaya Parimoo asked her, why she said all that to us. She said:"I feel gagged and chocked. I wanted to give vent to my feelings. Seeing you with tilak mark, I seized the opportunity to express myself. During her narration, she was tossing her head to right and left to ensure that she was not heard by others. I told her to be careful and cautioned her. I told her if she knew the repercussions if exposed. She said that she knew that if exposed, she would get buried alive. Prof. Parimoo, pointed her towards me and told her that he made a video of all that she said. First she took it lightly and soon realized its gravity and begged me for its deletion. I promised her that it would never be posted on the net. There are so many such cases, who prefer to live in oblivion and the tragedy is that they are unheard and cursed for none of their fault. They deserve sympathy. It is for the expert planners sitting in the Home Ministry to circumvent the rot, sideline the few, gain trust of the sufferers and above all to ensure no deaths or injuries. Each death goes in favour of the tormentors. Compulsion of Hurriyat leaders must be understood. People already whisper that they are working for India. If exposed, India will have to replace them by another group. Yasin Malik told them that in view of the scenario outside, he could not talk to them. My conclusion is that he raised his hands and indicated that the rioters are no more under his control. Syed Ali Shah Gilani and others took the warning of Salahuddin seriously and deviation would ensure them the fate of Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq and many others.

‘Khokhea ha oie’ (Khokha has come)

I am told that ‘Khokha’ was a tribe in the upper ridges of the Frontier area that is now part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. They usually used to come down to the valley; loot people and go. They had created fear psychosis among people.  Nobody would dare to confront them. Without any resistance, they would manage their booty.

  Since ages the word Khokha became the scarecrow especially among Kashmiri Pundits. To scare a child, elders in our families would caution the child: “Khokhea ha oie” (Khokha has come). Kashmiri Muslims in my mohalla, part of the unique culture, were scared of the word “Hasea Pachea”. The Gun changed the terminology. Now 95% in the valley are scared even of their own shadow and suspect it to be of the one from 5%.

'Dulgi aez turfi surkar'

Prolonged hartal & curfew is nothing short of mischievous administrative cum political game plan. Unfortunately, any game plan in the valley gets revealed to Kashmiris when it is too late. Today in 2016 many Kashmiri brethren on the Facebook write that the movement started in 1990 was hijacked by goons and looters to fail their movement. Many say that they were planted by the Government of India. Strange accusations! Strange! Those who were martyrs until yesterday and in whose favour ‘janaza’ was offered by lacs of people are today abused accused as planted ones by those who attained maturity in 2016. Only god knows who is right and who is wrong.
To mourn the death of a declared militant by his fellowmen and sympathisers is all right and justified. To offer ‘janaza’ in his favour by his sympathisers in lacs,a religious obligation too is justified. But to protest killing of a militant in a declared war is in no way justified. In a declared war casualties on either side have to occur unless there is a hidden agreement for a fixed match.
Hartal is a mark of protest and prolonged hartal is meaningless and loses its purpose. Hartal in the valley for almost two months is not voluntary. Had it been voluntary, why should boys come on the road to implement it and raise blockades? Had it been voluntary, why should shopkeepers for complete month of July until I was there make brisk business with half shutters down? Had it been voluntary, how could I purchase 5 kg. Bag of basmati rice of India Gate for Rs.280 from a shop at Brain with curtain down and shutter up? Had it been voluntary why petrol pumps worked after 10:30 PM? Had it been voluntary, how could I purchase a fresh halal chicken at Durganagh road from the poultry loaded on a load carrier on 22nd July 2016? People are gagged. People are chocked. People have lost faith in the administration that enjoys long undeclared holidays with assured salaries. 
Early sixties, students from Amar Singh College expressed their protest at Lal Chowk. The other day, Sahibzada Mahmud Ahmad, Principal of the College called for an explanation from English Professor Moti Lal Raina. Professor Raina resigned and did not justify his absence from the college. 
Early nineties, when militancy was at its peak and gun was operative with greater intensity Government offices, Banks, BSNL, LIC offices, General Insurance offices……and many institutions were functional. Public transport too was operative despite cross firing and bomb blasts. Why not today?
Tourist season got washed off, so is the fruit season. Daily wage earners, ‘raddiwala’, hawkers, taxi operators have been put to starvation. Those who opted for self-appointment and purchased expensive cars of all makes to ply as local sharing taxis owe heavy amounts to their bankers. Heavy interest on such loans with no regular instalment has since doused their kitchen. Besides repayment of accumulated interest on the Bank loan, insurance, token tax and other expenses on the stranded car is nothing short of killing the gagged operator.
95% who the Government rightly claims are not for hartal and violence are gagged. They don’t have any guaranteed protection against the few consisting of 5%. 
Visit of All Party Delegation is an exercise in futility. The best course to give relief to the sufferers is to ensure 100% attendance of Government officials, to make attendance of teachers in schools and colleges compulsory with no excuse, to provide fool proof protection to public transport operators, shopkeepers, to let the voluntary hartal without imposition of curfew be allowed and to restrain hooligans who come out to impose forced hartal.

Long awaited day