[Reader-list] Nadimarg massacre and Kashmiriyat

[Harsh Kapoor]

Daily Times April 3, 2003
Op-Ed

Nadimarg and Kashmiriyat : by Akhila Raman

Massive solidarity demonstrations by the Kashmiri Muslims
following the brutal killings of Pandits at Nadimarg
reveal that Kashmiriyat continues to flourish. They also
highlight the alienation and plight of the Kashmiris who
continue to be brutalized by the militants and the Indian
forces.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_3-4-2003_pg3_3

[Above Op-Ed with online references for those curious:
http://www.mindspring.com/~akhila_raman/kashmir/nadimarg_links.htm ]

In a dastardly act, ìunidentified gunmenî massacred
24 Kashmiri Pandits including 11 women and two children
in Nadimarg village in Indian-administered Kashmir, on
March 24. Kashmiris rallied in solidarity with the
Kashmiri Pandits, voicing their outrage against the
carnage. No militant group claimed responsibility;
India promptly accused Pakistan-backed militants,
while Pakistan also condemned the killings. Some local
villagers besides militant groups have in fact accused
Indian authorities of masterminding the carnage to
undermine their freedom struggle [Kashmir Times, March 25].
What is really going on?

The pattern is all too familiar and is reminiscent of
the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chattisinghpora by
ìunidentified gunmenî in March 2000 when India had
promptly accused Pakistan sponsored ìforeign militantsî.
Following the massacre, Indian forces killed five persons
in the nearby Panchalthan village and portrayed them as
ìforeign militantsî responsible for the massacre; However,
DNA test results released on July 16 have established that
the slain persons were indeed innocent civilians, thus
exposing the deception. Despite repeated demands by the
Kashmiris for an impartial inquiry into the seed incident
at Chattisinghpora, no inquiry has been conducted as of date.
Similarly, the 1998 massacre of 23 Pandits at Wandhama went
uninvestigated despite repeated demands by the Kashmiris.
The All Party Hurriyet Conference, the leading separatist
umbrella group, observed a protest strike demanding an
inquiry; Amnesty Internationalís request to investigate
Wandhama carnage was refused. This raises doubts about
the credibility of the assertions of the Indian State.

Let us take a snapshot of the chilling human rights record
in Kashmir; 2477 civilians had been killed by the Indian
forces during 1990-1998 according to conservative official
estimates (which mostly exclude thousands of custodial
killings); 6673 civilians had been killed by the militants
in the same period which include 982 Hindus and Sikhs.
Besides, thousands of renegade militants in the employ of
the Indian forces have perpetrated excesses. In 1999,
Gurbachan Jagat, the Director General of Police admitted
that there were 1200 renegades in the payroll of the
government. Renegades are believed by the locals to be
behind many unexplained killings by ìunidentified gunmenî
such as the killings of human right activists Jalil Andrabi,
H N Wanchoo and Dr Farooq Ashai and continue to be the
most dreaded group.

While it is not yet clear who perpetrated the carnage, it
is clear that the killers were interested in derailing the
peace process initiated by the State Chief Minister Mufti
Mohammed Sayeed. The killings have been a devastating blow
to his efforts to bring back the minority Pandits who fled
the Valley in a massive exodus in 1990. The killings also
come closely on the heels of the disbanding of the dreaded
SOG (Special Operations Group) which has committed massive
human right violations in the past. As part of the ìhealing
touchî policy, he is also considering releasing hundreds of
those Kashmiris under detention who are not involved in
militant activities; There are concerns that the Centre
may be planning to wrest security matters from the State
government following the massacre, which will reverse the
ìhealing touchî policy. The motive of the gunmen is clear:
To prolong the Kashmir tragedy, terrorise the minorities
and taint the Kashmiri freedom struggle with a communal colour.

It is heartening to note that thousands of Kashmiris
rallied in support of the Kashmiri Pandits and held protest
demonstrations. The entire Valley shut down on March 25 in
response to a call for a strike by the Hurriyet, thus sending
a clear signal to the killers that Kashmiri Muslims do not
approve of killings of their Hindu brethren and that
Kashmiriyat ó the composite culture with the glorious
traditions of communal amity, tolerance and compassion ó
is still flourishing.

It is also clear that the Hurriyet enjoys immense support
across the Valley; the strikes called by the Hurriyet are
observed in near-total. The 42 per cent voter turn-out in
last October elections in Indian-administered Kashmir has
been misinterpreted by some, as a sign that Kashmiris are
happy with India. It should be noted that, in response to
Hurriyetís poll boycott call, the turn-out was only 11 per
cent in Srinagar district and only 29 per cent in all of
the Valley, where insurgency is concentrated. Those who
voted were in fact voting for local issues such as electricity,
hospitals and employment and voted in favour of a better
administration. The larger issue of the resolution of the
Kashmir issue remains unresolved. For instance, last
October 27 ó the 55th anniversary of the arrival of Indian
army ó the Valley observed a complete shut-down in response
to a call by the Hurriyet. Every year, this day is being
continually observed as the ìBlack Dayî on the call of the
separatists since 1989 when the militancy erupted in Kashmir.
The writing is on the wall for India to see.

ìUnidentified gunmenî are often interpreted in Indian
circles as a monolithic group of ìKashmir militantsî while
in fact, there is a significant presence of renegades and
self-appointed/Pakistan-backed foreign militants fighting
for their Muslim brethren, who end up undermining the cause
of the latter. There is an urgent need to order an impartial
investigation by an independent agency to identify the
killers in such incidents of communal killings and bring
them to book. Kashmiris have long demanded impartial inquiry
into such communal killings and India must address this grave
matter.

There is a greater need to address the larger problem which
sustains militancy and alienation, namely the non-resolution
of the Kashmir issue. As Moti Lal, one of the Nadimarg
survivors pointed out, ìsuch killings cannot be stopped
unless Kashmir issue is resolved. How can our Muslim
brethren ensure our security when they are themselves dying?î
Kashmiris, without doubt, are crying for peace, but
certainly not for a peace on the terms dictated to them.
India needs to recognise their legitimate grievances ó
long-denied self-determination and erosion of autonomy ó
and engage them and their representatives, namely the Hurriyet,
in unconditional dialogues. The present ìcarrot and stickî
policy has devastated the people in the past decade and must
be abandoned. Any attempt to integrate Kashmir into India
needs to be an emotional integration; Winning the hearts and
minds alone can lead to lasting peace.