[Reader-list] THROW OUT ANTI NATIONAL ELEMENT

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Lalit jee

I do agree that separatists cannot be considered the sole voice of people of
Kashmir. To an extent, the political parties fighting on the Indian side of
Kashmir (Indian in terms of sovereign control), do represent some portions
of the Kashmiri populace. Then some of the support can be issue based also.

However, that also does not mean nationalism is the only voice of the
Kashmiris, or of Indians also for that matter. Moreover, even within the
different versions of nationalism which exist in India, not all subscribe to
BJP. Even the Congress represents a version of nationalism (or used to at
least, considering the pitiable state of that party today).

The next problem is to assume that all separatists are not necessarily
advocating for a pro-Islamic state. There are separatists who want a secular
Kashmiri state. And there are those who only want an Islamic Kashmir. That
differentiation has to be made.

The last part is regarding anti-India inferences. We must realize that till
1987, violence has not been witnessed by and large in Kashmir. But till
then, the record of democracy in Kashmir had been completely tarnished by
actions of the Indian state and its politicians. Who can deny that? Yes,
there is an anti-India stance among some people, not all. But is it not our
responsibility to find out why that is the case, and if possible try and
change the situation? Leave alone Geelani or Shabbir Shah, how come ordinary
Kashmiri Muslims, if only some among a large number, also feel alienated?
Should we not try and find that out?

This problem is not about nationalism or India under threat or Pakistan's
machismo or anything else. And those who talk about winning the minds or
hearts, may probably realize this is not a love story too where we have to
win the same of our beloved. This is about a state which broke its promises
to a set of people who had agreed to accession to India based on the
decision taken by their leaders, because they believed their future was
secure here. Irrespective of whether people come out on the street or not,
who can justify dirty politics and legislators being bought to destabilize
elected governments, jail popular leaders or even install puppet regimes? Is
there any justification whatsoever for that? And if instead of people
resigning to their fate (as they have mostly done in many states of India),
some of the people decide to fight against the state, is it completely
unjustified? Yes, violence is unacceptable, but if they are non-violent, is
it totally unjustified?

It's our weakness as a democracy, as a republic, as true citizens, which has
led to this. And the solution lies within us, provided it is expressed and
allowed to take shape. Not in raising flags and slogans, which anyways won't
change the minds of separatists, or those who want to separate too. (And
mind you, they can also organize stone pelting just as you can organize
flag-hoisting ceremonies). It comes from making sure that the arguments of
separatists are proven out to be flawed or untrue or useless in the lives of
people.

Rakesh

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 5:01 PM, Lalit Ambardar
<lalitambardar at hotmail.com>wrote:

>   Those who may wish to learn a bit more about the perfidious Kashmiri- pan
> Islamists  would be  benefited by the following piece from one who has been
> one of the founders of JKLF & rose to become its President.
>
>  Anti India propaganda emanating from valley & peddled further by certain
> quarters outside can not be sole reference for drawing anti India
> inferences.
> Rgds all
> LA
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> How sad?
> Dr Shabir Choudhry 22 January 2011
>
> How sad, those who want to empower people and speak for rights of all
> people of Jammu and Kashmir are accused of being pro India; and those who
> want to communalise polity of the region by dividing people in name of
> religion are called ‘freedom fighters’.
>
> How sad, those who want human rights for all citizens and express their
> concern about human rights abuses in all regions of the State of Jammu and
> Kashmir are called pro Hindu or pro India; and those who speak for rights of
> only Muslims are called ‘true representatives of Kashmir’.
>
> How sad, those who want to promote peace, prosperity and democratic rights
> of all citizens of the State of Jammu and Kashmir are accused of speaking
> India’s language; and those who want to create chaos, disrupt normal life,
> promote culture of fear and intimidation, kill those who question or
> disagree with anti democracy and anti people policies are hailed as
> ‘heroes’.
>
> How sad, those who promote pro people and pro Kashmir policies are accused
> of being in hands of India; and those who openly advance a Pakistani agenda
> in Kashmir, use their resources to advance extremism, communalism and hatred
> are projected as ‘leaders’ and ‘mujahids’.
>
> How sad, those who advance violence, religious extremism and intolerance in
> Jammu and Kashmir, and present right of accession disguised under colourful
> wrapping of a right self determination are rewarded and promoted as ‘freedom
> fighters and leaders’; and those sons of soil who sincerely promote, peace,
> stability, prosperity, equality for all and expose and oppose forces of
> extremism, communalism and hatred are called ‘agents’ and ‘anti movement’.
>
> How sad, that in summer of 2010 normal life in the Valley was disrupted in
> name of stone pelting, and schools and colleges, offices, shops were closed
> because of fear and disruption; and this caused loss to Jammu and Kashmir
> economy and damaged infrastructure worth 700 crors rupees. Those who talked
> of reason and opposed this disruption as it hurt ordinary people, it hurt
> education of students and it hurt local economy were called pro India and
> anti Movement; and those responsible for this loss were hailed as ‘leaders’
> and ‘saviours’.
>
> How sad, no one told them that the property and infrastructure they were
> damaging did not belong to Manmohan Singh or Sonia Gandhi, but it belonged
> to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. No one told them that students whose
> education suffered were ordinary sons and daughters of people of Kashmir
> (children of leaders study outside the boundary of the State); and economy
> that was shattered belonged to the local people, and protest and subsequent
> violence only damaged local interest and future of next generation.
>
> How sad, those who were killed and injured in this wave of unrest they and
> their families suffered and continue to suffer, their concern for next meal
> and other necessities of life have grown; and those who were leading this
> stone pelting movement their kitchens never faced any shortage of supply.
>
> How sad, some of the people at the forefront of the stone pelting movement
> only travel first class and enjoy luxurious life; and people who came out to
> throw stones and in some cases set light to property are suffering due to
> lack of appropriate facilities and low income.
>
> How sad, APHC leaders decided not to speak truth and hide facts from the
> people and accused India of killing political leaders (Mir Waiz Farooq and
> Abdul Ghani Lone) when they knew some others were culprits.
>
> How sad, when Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat decided to speak out about these
> killings after 20 years long silence, he only spoke half truth that ‘India
> was not responsible for these killings’; and still did not say who killed
> them? Is he too afraid to tell the truth or he and his colleagues think
> rewards from across the border could stop if he opens his mouth?
>
> How sad, that sons (Mir Wais Umer Farooq, Bilal Lone and Sajjad Lone) of
> these two leaders killed in broad day light also decided to remain quiet
> over murder of their fathers. I remember Sajjad Lone speaking in a
> conference in London, where in reply to Banazir Bhutto’s speech, he said: At
> least you can say who killed your father (Zulfqar Ali Bhutto), I cannot even
> point finger out at those who killed my father.
>
> How sad, that imported gun brought its own culture of fear and intimidation
> and forced weeping sons and daughters to remain quiet; and not to expose
> killers of their fathers. It also forced leaders and ordinary people to fall
> in line or be prepared for repercussion.
>
> How sad, these leaders tell lies, fabricate facts and mislead people to
> enhance their personal and political agenda; and ordinary people seem to
> have no option but either to remain quiet or follow them.
>
> How sad, those who were charged with the responsibility to lead are led
> themselves by others; and have lost all sense of direction.
>
> How sad, that ordinary people cannot even tell their so called leaders that
> they have no agenda for azadi (independence); and that they were going in
> circles which result in death, destruction and suffering of the ordinary
> people. How sad.
>
> Writer is Head Diplomatic Committee of Kashmir National Party, political
> analyst and author of many books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute
> of Kashmir Affairs.Email:drshabirchoudhry at gmail.com<Affairs.Email%3Adrshabirchoudhry at gmail.com>
> View my blog and web: www.drshabirchoudhry.blogspot.com
> www.k4kashmir.com
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:33:46 +0530
> > From: aliens at dataone.in
> > To: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com
> > CC: reader-list at sarai.net
>
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] THROW OUT ANTI NATIONAL ELEMENT
> >
> > Whatever topic discussion going on, Gujarat always comes in the picture.
> I
> > don’t know why so much hatred for Gujarat. Vande Matram is a matru
> vandana
> > (prayer for mother earth. She gives us so many things and in return we
> > express thanks) song. That is what masses of India believe. It’s question
> of
> > faith. For those who don’t believe, no one has forced to believe it or
> sing
> > a song. Vande Matram, Jai Shree Ram has nothing to do patriotism. No one
> > forced to sing it. However, if someone use it in election campaign, that
> is
> > there individual choice.
> >
> > Hoisting of flag has nothing to do with patriotism. Among all Indian
> people,
> > majority of them never hoisted the flag in their life. It does not mean
> that
> > they are not patriotic. Most of us hoisted the flag in school and then
> never
> > did it. But if on independence day, if someone want to hoist the flag in
> any
> > part of India no one can stop it. By arguing that it will create
> > disturbance, flag hoisting is not possible is just ridiculous argument.
> If
> > state government show will to allow this ceremony with proper security
> than
> > nothing will happen. But, problem is with state government. Since
> somewhere
> > they also believe that Kashmir is not part of India and that is
> > objectionable.
> >
> > By not allowing flag hoisting definitely increase the will of
> > separatists/terrorists and goes wrong signal to them and Pak that India
> is
> > weak country and cannot fight with us morally. This is what happening
> since
> > many years and increases the strength of separatists/terrorists. That’s
> the
> > reason, we were proved weak against fighting the terrorism.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Bipin Trivedi
> >
> >
> > From: Rakesh Iyer [mailto:rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com]
> > Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2011 2:41 AM
> > To: Bipin Trivedi
> > Cc: sarai-list
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] THROW OUT ANTI NATIONAL ELEMENT
> >
> > Somewhere in Gujarat in 2002, as the election campaign was going on,
> people
> > were equating Hindutva with patriotism, first saying Vande Mataram and
> then
> > saying Jai Shree Ram, as if both are the notions of patriotism. Shouldn't
> we
> > be ashamed about it?
> >
> > Every event has a context. If in the name of raising the national flag,
> the
> > idea is to announce slogans which create riots, then who is being
> > anti-national? And by the way, by holding Kashmir ransom to India using a
> > huge army and a gang of police officers and paramilitary forces, there's
> no
> > way the cause of the Indian nation is being served. Instead, it's this
> cause
> > which is being harmed. The very existence of Kashmir in this way within
> the
> > nation itself demeans the flag and its value. And all those who support
> it
> > or indulge in it, should themselves be put behind bars for a change.
> >
> > What do people on this forum think?
> >
> > Rakesh
> > On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 12:21 AM, Bipin Trivedi <aliens at dataone.in>
> wrote:
> > What is going on in Kashmir? CM of J&K openly appealing to stop flag
> > hoisting in Srinagar. Is central government listening or sleeping?
>  However,
> > central government since long sleeping by allowing huge corruptions of
> CWG,
> > 2G spectrum and more, so nothing new in it.
> >
> >
> >
> > By not allowing the democratic right of flag hoisting in any part of
> India
> > is an insult to nation and government must throw out these antinational
> > element out of the country.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Bipin Trivedi
> >
> >
> >
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