- Human Dignity vs.
Identity-A tale of a valley in distress!
By K.Asif
Kashmir, a disputed area on the map of the world, is being
constantly ruined by the most dragged term here
‘Dialogue’. Once called as the ‘Paradise on Earth’- the
vale has more to render in terms of innocent killings,
human rights violations and violence. There was a time
when Angels would fly over the sky but now demons have
taken over. The sky is grey and the air smells foul.
To all those who would have some time to care about Human
life. This is the macabre tale of human sufferings,
evident from the woes of people living in valley called
Kashmir. I am a commoner here, a resident of one of the
most dangerous part of the earth. Here, you never know,
the situation which apparently seems okay may turn
perilous. Everyday, a common man has to face the brunt of
being a denizen of this conflict area. What conflict? Let
us ask ourselves and those who have given us this term to
deal with.
In actuality of this conflict, the raison d'être is
illegitimate occupation. Anticipation may provide a
respite but actuality in truer form is undue, cruel
occupation. Occupation of our land by outsiders – named
with unrequited love as Tourists. Yes, they are tourists
living in the dungeons, barracks that have been created
specially for them; in the bunkers they dwell and are so
omnipresent that within a distance of few meters you will
find one armed tourist. With the illegal “license to kill”
and the promised award offered to these armed men, for
killing anyone, the atmosphere is more severe.
While I was in conversation with one such person, although
ashamed of the role he is playing in a place that is
neither geographically nor politically his own. “Just to
come here for holidaying would have been nice; not the
action for which I stand here”, he went on saying. All of
us need is an end of this conflict.
That is really what we want. Everyone’s agony here be it
an army person standing from dawn to dusk or the commoner
who is under house arrest for the sin he knows nothing of.
One of the brightest minds of the valley when asked about
the only solution for the valley, he said “end of this
occupation”. Perfect, as it seems to say but not very easy
thing to digest. Solution to this conflict is a reverie
which is more of specious nature.
For the people who carry the Indian flag on the streets of
the valley, they are fed up with all this. 15 years of
duty might have been easy for them only in a place like
this, they have learnt the locals dialects, loved the
children in the neighborhood but how about theirs? They
have a life of their own as well.
But flipping the pages, we see a horrible face of this
occupation. Let us analyze this quote from the intellect
mind of N. Freidrick, who says,
“He who fights monsters must take care lest he becomes a
monster.”
In the name of fighting the bad guys, the never good guys
possess the authority to agonize innocents at free will.
The case is same here, nowadays we see the people in the
uniform, from both the factions, and the Valley Rambo’s
and Tourists are hand in glove, working day and night to
work their frustrations out. Stretching (not patrolling),
on roads, placing barricades, stopping cars and vehicles,
checking bikes, scooters, bicycles and asking for
identification of a person who is an ‘Intruder in his own
Valley’. A varsity student was asked for his driving
license which he had left at his home, was slapped twice
and stopped for half an hour. He carried a roll number
slip in his pocket and asked the masters for mercy so that
he does not miss his test. What is that? Absolute
molestation of human respect, abuse of human honour! What
life may be worth when honour is gone at the hands of a
person not even a matriculate, who slaps a post grad
student in the public? Government recently reiterated the
lessons of Human dignity and Rights, vowed to respect the
sanctity with Zero tolerance to HR abuses. In reality it
was Zero to Zero tolerance! Innocent murdering of people
stands a witness to this Zero-Sum Game of the Government
here.
While on my way to work, I was made to skid to a halt
three times for just three kilometers of distance. And
back journey would mean six pauses and wastage of my
useless time. Someone asked me to read my vehicle number;
I have never memorized that, so I had a look on the number
plate. He was quick to make out my fault and I came under
suspicion. “How do you not remember the number of your
vehicle?” He asked me furiously. So I had to convince him
medically and non-medically about my habit of forgetting
things, people but not him of course. How can I forget
him, his presence so awful and threatening? I could have
been beaten to pulp for no reason at all. So the worst
thing I did was, I kept my cool and stood - a lull
obedient.
The learnt lesson out of this little everyday prosaic
parley with aliens in my valley reads as follows, “They
are all versed altogether in high handedness. Out with
arms, they are more dangerous than anything else. They
have got the legally illegal ‘license to kill’ so beware
not to enter their premises without your identity.”
This is sheer occupation, where frustrated, disconcerted,
worn out men stand proving the futility of their presence.
The occupation is just a ‘wanton disregard for every
Kashmiri life’. In all the four directions, you witness a
Kashmiri commoner caged in a self exile, living a life
that is vexed by the presence of such oppressors, the
trespassers.
Let us hope that this occupation is not old enough to
occupy our psychologies, for sure, we shall have a time
when we would enjoy the gaiety of liberty from such fear
and angst.
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Kashmir:The
Most Dangerous Game
