Javed Beigh
Since the unfortunate carnage unraveled at Pulwama, things have been moving at such a fast pace both in Kashmir valley and Indian subcontinent that it is becoming increasingly difficult to comprehend and make sense of rapidly changing dynamics that essentially revolves around Kashmir valley. However, amidst all this confusion and chaos, one thing which is emerging very clear is an almost global isolation of Kashmir not only in the western world but also in the wider Muslim world as events that have unfolded since Pulwama carnage between India and Pakistan as well as in UN Security Council and Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) have shown us loud and clear.
While the world has been largely fixated on events that have occurred between India and Pakistan, post Pulwama including Indian Airforce strike in Pakistan’s Balakot region in Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa province as well as capture and release of Wing commander Abhinandan, there has been an almost pin drop silence and a deafening global silence on rapidly changing political scenario in Kashmir valley that includes arrest of Jamat-e-Islami cadre and the eventual ban on the said organization. This is unprecedented in Kashmir’s modern history that such cataclysmic events within Kashmir valley have evoked little or no response whatsoever from either western world or Muslim world, as if there is a tacit global approval to allow whatever it takes to “set” the Kashmir valley in order.
So, how did Kashmir ended up being so globally isolated? And will there be any introspection in Kashmir to the precarious situation that the people of Kashmir find themselves in?Is the security crackdown on Jamat-e-Islami, the only way to “sort” Kashmir? Finding answers to these questions can help us to foresee the direction in which people of Kashmir will find themselves heralded in the near future.
Roots of Kashmir’s current conundrum and what appears to be a global isolation lies in the predominance of a one-dimensional narrative of Kashmir’s post 1989 destruction that has been pushed by Kashmir valley’s intelligentsia and opinion makers. This narrative which turns a blind eye to violence in the name of Kashmir, complete ignorance of Kashmir’s religious diversity and deliberate obliviousness to the rise of religious extremism, intolerance, radicalism and social conservatism of Kashmiri society in last thirty years has slowly destroyed world empathy for what used to be a progressive, liberal, secular and moderate image of Kashmiri people and massively dented global sympathy for Kashmir.
Most Kashmiri people will prefer to live in the comfort of denial but the fact remains that while Kashmiri intelligentsia has been pushing its one-dimensional narrative on Kashmir, the world at large has been, time and again bringing forth “other dimensions” of Kashmir’s post 1989 destruction, which was however suppressed or watered down by Kashmiri intelligentsia supporting the one-dimension narrative. But after whatever has happened at Pulwama, we, the people of Kashmir must accept that the sheer magnitude and grotesque nature of Pulwama carnage has now emboldened the world to pay attention to “other dimensions”, something that Kashmiri intelligentsia has been hiding under the carpet, when at the same time their one-dimensional narrative has yielded next to no dividends for either the resolution of Kashmir dispute or for reliving Kashmiri people of their pain and suffering.
The fact remains that even as events unfolding in Kashmir valley post Pulwama are finding no resonance anywhere, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning Pulwama massacre; countries like US, UK and France are tabling resolution to declare Maulana Masood Azhar a “global terrorist”; both Saudi Arabia and UAE played an important role in release of Commander Abhinandan from Pakistani captivity and last but not the least, the OIC invited India’s Foreign Minister as a “special guest of honor” at the annual OIC meet, ignoring threats of boycott by Pakistan and snubbing Pakistan’s Foreign Minister – all these rapidly following events collectively pointing towards Kashmir’s global isolation including alarmingly even in the OIC, which has otherwise extended solidarity and shown frequent sympathy with Kashmir’s ever suffering masses.
At the same time, the way things are unfolding in Kashmir valley also raise serious questions on the handling of security situation in Kashmir valley by New Delhi. The whole sale crack-down on Jamat-e-Islami, perhaps the most important socio-religious organization of Kashmir valley is not the way to deal with the ever-deteriorating security condition in Kashmir. It is hard to understand as to why Jamat’s charitable and social causes must suffer for Jamat’s political ideological inclinations. If at all, Jamat must be engaged politically to bring a meaningful and sustainable peace in Kashmir valley rather than opening an aggressive front against it.
Kashmir is undergoing through one of her darkest phases, where even after suffering so much pain and misery, the plight of Kashmiri people has not captured the imagination of the world community as the plight of Palestinian people has and we the people of Kashmir must introspect as to why do we find ourselves in such situation today? I believe that Kashmiri people already know the answer but continue to live in denial even as our one -dimensional narrative, which was earlier questioned by the world community, today stands sidelined due to latest association of much dreaded and derided term like “suicide bombing” with Kashmir.
The apparent global isolation that Kashmir has encountered today, especially in the Muslim world must serve as a wake-up call to the people of Kashmir, who have been banking upon OIC to sympathetically espouse the cause of Kashmir and the plight of its ever-suffering masses. The role of non-state actors based in Pakistan’s Punjab province in not just Kashmir valley but also Afghanistan and Islamic Republic of Iran has not only pushed Pakistan towards global isolation but has also dragged Kashmir valley along with it. However as a region that has witnessed massive destruction on epic scale due to deadly and never-ending conflict, we the people of Kashmir valley can hardly afford global isolation.
(The views of the author are personal)
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