The boy with the gun is not my enemy!
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The boy with the gun is not my enemy!

The political space which was kept shrunken needs to be further widened up and youth need to lead the change

Post by on Tuesday, February 8, 2022

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 From the 17th century poet Amir Khusroo who called Kashmir valley a paradise on earth, to the 19th century Irish poet who wrote about its beauty without ever having visited the place; the vale of Jammu and Kashmir has been immensely praised for its mesmerizing beauty. But from the last thirty years the young generation has witnessed altogether a different Kashmir. They have witnessed the lost paradise. Adam was thrown out of heaven for having committed a sin but the young Kashmiri generation lost this heaven without having committed any sin. They were born in a burning Kashmir with flames so high that they had no option but to burn their hands in these flames.

 

In Kashmir, youth perspectives are often overlooked and underrepresented. Be it politically or otherwise the youth of the valley never actually got their recognition and dues. The political parties, both the mainstream and the separatists never encouraged the youth towards building a peaceful future. The political space was intentionally kept so narrow so as to debar an outsider to even get a glimpse of it. Instead, the youngsters were intoxicated with an extremist ideology, the end of which was the dark grave. The youngsters kept falling into this trap which the both political classes of the valley had set for them. Instead of a podium, pen and paper, the youth was handed over the stones, guns and grenades.

 

Though the blame for terrorism is squarely on Pakistan but it wouldn’t have been able to execute the mayhem it created, had our political classes in the valley acted a bit honestly. They played a double game of ‘running with the hare and hunting with the wolves’ that destroyed the future of Jammu and Kashmir. It is this political double game that fired up the cycle of violence among the youngsters in the valley. This political double game is still being played by these political classes. The educated youth in the valley which form 52% of the total population never got a just peaceful environment.

 

In the past no mainstream government was ever judged by the developmental work it did during its tenure but by the number of deaths which took place during its tenure. Though slogan of Bijli, Sadak and Paani was a gimmick as equitable development, employment generation, social welfare schemes etc. were never made the real election issues but the so called Kashmir issue took the centre stage. On the other hand the separatists openly preached secessionist ideologies while enjoying every perk and privilege from the same country they propagated hate and violence against. That resulted in Anti India feeling planted deep inside the young minds by these political classes. The end result was that common Kashmiris suffered while the political classes ruled the roost.

 

Kashmiri youth were always kept embroiled in violence. If I see a boy with a Kalashnikov, whom should I blame? The boy who is embroiled in this by someone who reaped fortunes from it? Or his parents whose love for their son felt short in front of the greed of these politicians who have build huge empires from it or should I blame the real culprit Pakistan, who started this vicious cycle of terrorism in this lost paradise? These politicians not just choked the political space in the valley but also carried out unabated corruption, which if used appropriately otherwise for the common masses would have created less orphans, less widows and more peaceful environment for the youth.I do not support the path chosen by these young boys, but I see them unfortunately just the sacrificial lambs in this game of death started by Pakistan and well aided by the political class of the valley.

 

Youth is the pollen that blows through the sky and doesn’t ask why? Someone has rightly said “youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty”. But the youth in Kashmir have been incapacitated from seeing this beauty. It is the responsibility of the society as whole and particularly of the ruling class to give the youth their due.Though after the abrogation of Article 370 the youth have started coming forward and finding political space for themselves but there is still a long way to go before they prominently play the role of shaping future of a peaceful Kashmir. The political space which was kept shrunken needs to be further widened up and youth need to lead the change. The fire which has engulfed us from several decades needs to be extinguished before it burns down another generation of Kashmir.

 

“Manzil Se AageBadhKarManzilTalashKar

Mil JayeTujhKoDariyaTuSamandarTalashKar

Har Shisha Toot Gaye Hai Pather Ki Chooth Se

Pather He Toot Jaye Wo SheshaTalashKar

Sajidu Se Tere Kya Hua SadiyaGuzarGayi

Duniya Teri Badal De Wo SajidaTalashKar”

 

 

(The Author is Advocate High Court of J&K)