A constructive defiance for rights which one day had to happen and it did.
The general perception after the recent “blockade” is that we must carve out our own destiny and go for the third option as both Jarring and Nimitz had recommended way back in the 40s. We may still be clamouring for secularism but after what we have repeatedly seen and heard the Jammu leaders talking, the chord seems to have broken. I heard many of my friends asking me, “Tanvir, when this problem surfaced, you found Uma Bharti, Rajanath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Praveen Togadia, few ministers from Punjab and host of other leaders swarming to Jammu. The entire Congress leadership endorsed the Sanghursh Samiti’s stand. How come there was NOT even a single voice in the entire country of 120 billion people to condemn the blockade of essential supplies or the whole sale killing of dozens of unarmed innocent Kashmiris”. When you push a person to the wall, give him the impression that his life is at your mercy and his hopes and aspirations are totally subservient to yours, he reacts. This is precisely what Kashmiris did. At the end of the day he was so traumatized, depressed, and disillusioned; He decided that he had to act. All others jumped into the fray later fearing that they would not have a role. In a way an indigenous INTIFADA was born.
One does not have to be a Jennings to tell the world what the history is about. But may be at some point of time, people will agree that the whole issue of SASB transfer of land was cooked up for electoral gains. If the aim was to accrue limited local gains it may instead result in their total; decimation. But in the bargain those villains of peace have reenacted 1947 when every Kashmiri had stood up against bigotry and protected his secular credentials. All those saffron parties who claim to be the saviors of India and its cultural heritage have sown the seeds of another partition.
For them demolition of Babri Masjid, carnage of Gujrat, selling Ram and now trying to protect Shiva are an easy access to power. Everything else is irrelevant. The Yatra will take place every year, and believe me Kashmiri has been and will always be the Host. I am sure now onwards the arrangements will see an improvement and it will be a smooth yatra again. And the Shrine Board will ensure that the fragile eco system at that altitude stays undamaged. It is the mutual trust that has been damaged and it may never be the same as it was a few months ago.
In Uttranchal the government has limited the Pilgrims visiting the Gangotri for environmental reasons. The Ashram at Sidh Sot in the heart of Shyampur has been removed. Even India has been very selective in allowing pilgrims to Mt. Kailash. What happened recently in Himachal Pradesh has forced the State Govt to restrict the flow to some of the environmentally sensitive areas. Environment is a universal concern and everyone agrees that I it needs to be protected and not vandalized. Should the ecological balance at Baltal and the Cave area be allowed to be destroyed just because they happen to be in Kashmir? There were times when people would go to “Van” to seek peace solitude and enlightenment. It is garbage now and it might be a good idea to emulate some of the States that have imposed Pilgrim Tax on people visiting such places. If I am polluting my environment, I must pay. It does not matter whether I am a tourist or a pilgrim. We can improve the quality of our environment. Let us clean our hearts and minds first.
And finally '...human rights, human freedoms, and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world. These values are as powerful as they are because, under certain circumstances, people accept them without compulsion and are willing to die for them.
( I can be mailed also at tanvirsm@hotmail.com or tanvirm123@yahoo.com.)
The general perception after the recent “blockade” is that we must carve out our own destiny and go for the third option as both Jarring and Nimitz had recommended way back in the 40s. We may still be clamouring for secularism but after what we have repeatedly seen and heard the Jammu leaders talking, the chord seems to have broken. I heard many of my friends asking me, “Tanvir, when this problem surfaced, you found Uma Bharti, Rajanath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Praveen Togadia, few ministers from Punjab and host of other leaders swarming to Jammu. The entire Congress leadership endorsed the Sanghursh Samiti’s stand. How come there was NOT even a single voice in the entire country of 120 billion people to condemn the blockade of essential supplies or the whole sale killing of dozens of unarmed innocent Kashmiris”. When you push a person to the wall, give him the impression that his life is at your mercy and his hopes and aspirations are totally subservient to yours, he reacts. This is precisely what Kashmiris did. At the end of the day he was so traumatized, depressed, and disillusioned; He decided that he had to act. All others jumped into the fray later fearing that they would not have a role. In a way an indigenous INTIFADA was born.
One does not have to be a Jennings to tell the world what the history is about. But may be at some point of time, people will agree that the whole issue of SASB transfer of land was cooked up for electoral gains. If the aim was to accrue limited local gains it may instead result in their total; decimation. But in the bargain those villains of peace have reenacted 1947 when every Kashmiri had stood up against bigotry and protected his secular credentials. All those saffron parties who claim to be the saviors of India and its cultural heritage have sown the seeds of another partition.
For them demolition of Babri Masjid, carnage of Gujrat, selling Ram and now trying to protect Shiva are an easy access to power. Everything else is irrelevant. The Yatra will take place every year, and believe me Kashmiri has been and will always be the Host. I am sure now onwards the arrangements will see an improvement and it will be a smooth yatra again. And the Shrine Board will ensure that the fragile eco system at that altitude stays undamaged. It is the mutual trust that has been damaged and it may never be the same as it was a few months ago.
In Uttranchal the government has limited the Pilgrims visiting the Gangotri for environmental reasons. The Ashram at Sidh Sot in the heart of Shyampur has been removed. Even India has been very selective in allowing pilgrims to Mt. Kailash. What happened recently in Himachal Pradesh has forced the State Govt to restrict the flow to some of the environmentally sensitive areas. Environment is a universal concern and everyone agrees that I it needs to be protected and not vandalized. Should the ecological balance at Baltal and the Cave area be allowed to be destroyed just because they happen to be in Kashmir? There were times when people would go to “Van” to seek peace solitude and enlightenment. It is garbage now and it might be a good idea to emulate some of the States that have imposed Pilgrim Tax on people visiting such places. If I am polluting my environment, I must pay. It does not matter whether I am a tourist or a pilgrim. We can improve the quality of our environment. Let us clean our hearts and minds first.
And finally '...human rights, human freedoms, and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world. These values are as powerful as they are because, under certain circumstances, people accept them without compulsion and are willing to die for them.
( I can be mailed also at tanvirsm@hotmail.com or tanvirm123@yahoo.com.)
Greater Kashmir Oct-14th 2008
