Human brain is wired to carry painful emotions for a longer duration than joyful ones. In fact, we are programmed to experience negative emotions more intensely than the positive ones. Research has found that sadness was the longest lasting emotion and long-lasting emotions come from the events with strong importance attached to them. Interestingly human evolution has never associated joy with danger and consequently has never learnt to celebrate joy itself. The emotions leading to Grief and Pain are perceived more threatening than emotions leading to happiness and that is why we as humans unconsciously stay in it for longer time because psychologically it is a kind of protective gear that we wear to stay safe.
When I relate this state of being to an ordinary being of Kashmir and the situations and experiences Kashmiris as humans have passed through, I can easily conclude that why despite there are so many happy moments to celebrate, so many nice days to remember still the mind takes them to think about the life changing events that has shaped every Kashmiris life since 1990. Why everyone wants to only talk about trauma and pain, despite many other good experiences. Why everyone only prefers to narrate harrowing experiences of how one had to flee under the darkness, escape gruesome murders, rapes, and killings despite they may not have experienced themselves.
Why some continue to stay with the unpleasant experiences if one has suffered during curfews, cross firings and lived under a shadow of constant threats especially from the ecosystem that one has created themselves. It is because of the interesting nature of our mind that it finds safety in living with such experiences. The mind perceives threats based on the experience, even if one has not experienced themselves, but mind sees such narrations as a protective gear. It gets transmitted from one generation to another. Everyone will have a story to tell, not to others, but to self, an inner storytelling, that is constantly going on, unchecked. It is continuously tutoring the mind. In Kashmir, it is a constant psychological narration to self, that has been going on for decades, from one generation to another, resulting into a generational trauma.
This generational trauma has left lasting scars on every Kashmiris mind. The conflicts of past and subsequent displacements have created a deep sense of pain and loss not only to ones who suffered then but subsequently to their descendants as well.
On a closer dissection of this generational trauma one can find that its roots are in a complex past marked by social, political, and cultural upheavals. Historical incidents that includes the belief that there was a brutal end of last Hindu Empress Kota Rani, establishment of Muslim rule by invaders, mass murders and forced conversions of Kashmiri pandits by Sikander Butshikan and subsequent tyrants and then the way accession led to discrimination ( a story everyone has of their own), Article 370, Land
to tiller, Parmeshwari case, rigged elections, terrorist targeting minorities, Islamization of valley, painful forced exodus, distress sale of properties, more guns on the ground, killings of innocents, cross firings, disrupted life, more deaths to watch, politics of opportunism etc etc. All this and many other situations would have created traumatic experiences that do not seem to end. Despite there would have been many joyful experiences as well, Kashmiris generally would cling to this painful experience and one of the reasons is that we humans are wired not to overcome difficult and painful emotions as we find a sense of psychological security in it.
While, Kashmir needs a broad multifaceted approach that includes political, economic, and social interventions, addressing this generational trauma would be a significant step towards building a more harmonious and inclusive society. Whatever be the fate that no one can predict, a sustained effort to address the deeper pain will set the foundation for any effort in the direction of peace and harmony.
Many countries around the world that have been also infested with war, terrorism, murders and atrocities, that severely impacted the mental and emotional wellbeing of their population have undertaken the initiatives to address the generational trauma. Countries like, Columbia, Cambodia, Germany, Bosnia, Canada, Herzegovina, South Africa, and Rwanda have implemented various strategies aimed at healing and rebuilding communities. Some countries implemented reconciliation programs, others had Truth Commissions, Warm Crime Chambers, and Psychosocial support programs. In fact, after World War 2, Germany underwent a process of De-Nazification and implemented various educational and awareness programs to confront the legacy of holocaust to prevent repetition and establish national reconciliation for a collective healing
While it is challenging to measure the impact of addressing generational trauma, many reports have indicated that some countries have experienced positive outcomes from the initiatives that they have taken. The efforts have helped them to improve social cohesion, reduction in intergroup conflicts and tensions and improvement in individual wellbeing.
For a place like Kashmir achieving these outcomes is key to set a strong foundation for a multifaceted approach that is aimed at addressing the core political, social, economic and, sustainable security aspiration of the society. Acknowledging and healing generational trauma can be foundational for building a more harmonious and inclusive society that will create a lasting change in Kashmir.
Perhaps it is important to note that addressing generational trauma is not a onetime effort. It is an complex ongoing process and outcomes may not be instantly achieved. It requires a commitment and sustained efforts by government, society, communities, individuals, and many other institutions, who really believe in bringing a change in Kashmir that may not be seen by them but their posterity, for sure.
The other compelling reason to why such efforts are required is that Kashmiris in general have rejected the alien narrative that was attempted to be imposed on them by many local and international quarters. It is in last few years that they have started developing a sense of connectedness with their vast civilization that rekindles a
sense of pride and a relationship with a larger diaspora. They have recognized that radicalization of any form is against the true spirit of humanism and sustainable inclusive survival.
Kashmiris as a larger society, be it Pandits, Muslims, Sikhs etc has shown signals to come out of this death and devastation and are looking for an exit route that can lead to peace and harmony with dignity and honour. While the darkness on the other side is apparently visible, the shine of national pride and vast opportunities that has got illuminated in last one decade are precisely compelling. The myths have broken and truth is waiting to take shape and it is a high time to intervene at all levels, be it government, society, or individuals.
Perhaps, such initiatives also run the risk of criticism and sabotage, only a collective resolve from a collective conscious society and their commitment towards a larger collective goal can bring back Kashmir from the clutches of devastation and destruction and restore its glory where everyone feels safe and connected.
The beauty of life and humanity does not lie in uniformity but in the harmonious weave of diverse threads where each individual commits to contributing towards collective progress for a larger social good.
(The Author is Vice Chancellor, Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Haryana)
