[Reader-list] Two Sad Incidents

Tue Feb 23 18:07:19 IST 2010

Dear Shuddha,

It is Jabbar's question to solve unemployment in the Kashmir I told him for
industrialization it does not mean only mining. There are so many industries
can be set up without effecting environment. If its freed from 370 then I am
sure terrorism can be control, since industry will generate huge employment.

Thanks

Bipin

From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta [mailto:shuddha at sarai.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:54 PM
To: Bipin
Cc: 'S. Jabbar'; sarai-list
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Two Sad Incidents

Dear  Bipin, 

I find your vision of a land grab of Kashmir, and the setting up of so
called 'industries' deeply frightening. I think Kashmir is deeply fortunate
to not yet have fallen to the acquisitive greed of 'Indian' industry, and
article 370, at least on that front has acted as a lifesaver. However,
Kashmir is in enough of a mess already, without adding large corporate,
logging and mining interests into the mix. Look at what has happened in
Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa - here, it is the wholesale
exploitation, or threat of exploitation of the earth by rapacious industrial
interests that has completely destroyed, or is in the process of destroying
the cultural and ecological fabric of these spaces. I hope that day never
comes for Kashmir.

est

Shuddha

On 23-Feb-10, at 11:05 AM, Bipin wrote:

Dear Jabbar,

"An overwhelming majority 71 per cent of the Valleys population is under 35.
An estimated 74 per cent of the youth are educated. But as a result of the
strife, stagnant economy and absence of industry there are no jobs. The
unemployment figure has touched 4 lakh half of them are college graduates."

Problem with article/law 370 that no one than local Kashmiris buy land
there. If it is removed made free for all Indians, then you will see how
industries will set there and employment problem will solved definitely.
But, it is unfortunate that few (very minor) separatists dictate the terms
there. 

Thanks

Bipin

-----Original Message-----

From: reader-list-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:reader-list-bounces at sarai.net]
On Behalf Of S. Jabbar

Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:59 AM

To: Shuddhabrata Sengupta; Sarai

Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Two Sad Incidents

      MAIL TODAY ePaper

Copyright C 2008 MAIL TODAY.

Feb 20, 2010 

'It is stifling to be young in Kashmir'

by Sonia Jabbar 

( As told to Neha Tara Mehta)

THERES a major difference between 1990 and 2010. In 1990, Kashmiris really

believed azadi was around the corner. Two historic events < the withdrawal

of the Soviet army from Afghanistan and the fall of the Berlin Wall <

convinced people that great powers were not invincible and the

demonstrations in Kashmir, though full of anger, had a great degree of

optimism. Today, the demonstrations flow from a deep well of nihilism and

the reason for this is also located in recent history.

>From 2000 onwards, when the Vajpayee government initiated a series of

movements towards reconciliation with Pakistan on Kashmir < the ceasefire in

2000 and the Lahore Pact < it created a very positive atmosphere. Everyone,

from General Pervez Musharraf on the Pakistani side to the mainstream

political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Kashmiri separatists, were

outdoing each other to come up with creative solutions. There were talks,

both public and secret, Track II meetings and round- table conferences at

the highest levels. The 2002 elections were very successful and all this

generated a great degree of public confidence and optimism.

Both India and Pakistan failed to take advantage of the tremendous goodwill

that they had generated. Nothing happened. By 2007, peoples hope started

dwindling. There was no alternative but a life of constant tension

between the guns of the army and those of the militants.

Most young people in Kashmir view the Indian military presence from two

perspectives: one, as an army of occupation, and two, as an irritant you

have to negotiate with every day when you come across road blocks and

bunkers. What do you do with a life that's continually disrupted by hartals

and curfews? Young people in the rest of the country have no idea of just

how stifling it is to be young in Kashmir. There doesnt seem to be a way

out, so young people are filled with suspicion and cynicism.

The Amarnath issue in 2008 was a non- issue. It was an excuse for the

volcano of disappointment and frustration to erupt. The separatists took

advantage of the groundswell. At that time I spent some time in downtown

Srinagar. Though I found the stone- throwers employed by separatist groups

as agent provocateurs, most of the demonstrators were young and gullible

boys. These I found to be extremely frustrated youth who took to the streets

at the slightest provocation. For some, it was a rite of passage to prove

ones masculinity. It was considered an act of bravado to have taken on the

police. 

These are young people who have grown up in the last 20 years, their

movements constricted by the military presence and restriction on movements.

An overwhelming majority < 71 per cent of the Valleys population < is under

35. An estimated 74 per cent of the youth are educated. But as a result of

the strife, stagnant economy and absence of industry there are no jobs. The

unemployment figure has touched 4 lakh < half of them are college graduates.

And because they cant settle in life financially, they marry much later. So

you have young people who would normally have married in their early 20s,

are now marrying in their late 20s or early 30s.

This large population of frustrated, nihilistic young people is most

susceptible to being drawn into another cycle of militancy. Death has more

meaning for them than life. The only way this situation can be salvaged is

if they see some forward movement on the Kashmir problem.

From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net>

Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:19:12 +0530

To: reader-list list <reader-list at sarai.net>

Subject: [Reader-list] Two Sad Incidents

Dear All,

Two bits of news that came in, of a Taleban beheading of two sikhs

in  

Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, and of the death of an 11  

day

old infant in Kashmir, during a scuffle between a group of  

protestors and

the infant's parents, who were being apparently  

prevailed upon to join their

protest - are shocking.

The Taleban's beheading of the two Pakistani Sikhs is

barbaric and  

needs to be condemned in the strongest possible words.

And the

mindless hot-headedness of those who precipitated the infants  

death in

Kashmir also points to the fact that the pro-Azadi camp has  

a great deal of

introspection to do about how it handles the day to  

day aspects of running a

protest movement.  I think that the 'stone  

pelting' protests become in

several instances, episodes for lumpen  

young men to let off their macho

steam. The second Palestinian  

intifada degenerated into something that the

Israeli Armed Forces  

could completely crush because the twin tactics of

'stone pelting'  

and suicide bombing totally alienated both public opinion

across the  

world, and also ensured that ordinary citizens found it

increasingly  

intimidating to be a part of the protest process. Protest

became a  

young men and adoloscent boys fantasy of militancy, not a serious

and  

non-violent challenge to state power. There is a real danger that the

same might occur in Kashmir.

I remain convinced that the end of the military

occupation of the  

Kashmir valley is a worthwhile goal. I am also fully aware

that the  

pro-Azadi camp is fuelled at present by little other than rage. I

do  

not think that rage alone is a basis for a worthwhile political goal.  

I

find the incident in which the infant died, as regrettable as  

instances

where children have either died or been severely injured by  

police,

paramilitary or army actions in the recent past in the  

Kashmir valley.

The

absence of a vision can never be made up for by a surfeit of

stones.

sadly,

Shuddha

Shuddhabrata Sengupta

The Sarai Programme at

CSDS

Raqs Media 

Collective

shuddha at sarai.net

www.sarai.net

www.raqsmediacollective.net

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Shuddhabrata Sengupta

The Sarai Programme at CSDS

Raqs Media Collective

shuddha at sarai.net

www.sarai.net

www.raqsmediacollective.net

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