I am Kashmiri, Proud to be Gad-Daar 

The Life of young people in Kashmir from childhood to adulthood nowadays is rumbling around Prison. The young people are meeting on this journey with probation officers, instead of teacher; they are going to court dates instead of class; they are emerging from their 20s not with degrees in business and science, but with criminal records. When claiming discharged with a certificate of ( Gad-Daar).

In the ongoing uprising in Kashmir it is the children who are turning into the next defiant generation that will prolong the current political crisis for coming years. Go to any part of Kashmir, children as young as three are raising slogans and are well aware why the region has been on lockdown for the past  years.

Here peaceful protestors are considered as ‘communal’ or ‘anti-national’ (Gad-Daar) and are picked up by para-military forces on the streets, beat, and maim them up. Moreover, break into houses, shatter windowpanes, harass men, and molest women without accountability of the state to take into consideration that security is meant to protect civilians not to beat or harass them.

The first thing that strikes me must be explained for  Non-Kashmiri is to clear the misconceptions about Kashmir issue. This is however a reason among many, the massive military presence. Heavily-armed soldiers and paramilitary forces are all over the place. Their number is estimated at 6,00,000 or so, for a population of six millions. You can witness heavily-armed soldier in front of almost every house, at least on the main roads.

Why are these soldiers here? Clearly, they are not there to repel a possible attack from Pakistan that would require them to be near the border. Nor are they watching for terrorists: Standing at street corners in full battle gear is not the way to hound underground militants. Perhaps the soldiers are to counter stone-pelters? That makes no sense either, because the simplest way to clear a neighborhood stone-pelters is to demilitarize it: The stones are directed at army personnel, not civilians. When claiming gets pseudonym of (Gad-Daar).

I am experienced to explain via extreme confidence that all forms of peaceful protest in Kashmir are banned in one way or another, if there is any hint of a demand for “freedom” (azadi). The authorities have ample powers to prevent protests, not only under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), but also under Jammu and Kashmir’s draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) as well as Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). These and related powers are used with abandon to prevent any expression of the popular aspiration for freedom — not just stone-pelting but also processions, vigils, assemblies, or just their so called undesirable statements on social media. When we claim, get illegally justified as (Gad-Daar).

Logically India wants to be welcome with bouquets by  the victims of Kunan-Poshpora and other victimized areas. Which is they will all get reverse. Dumping the reality and highlighting their immaturity to prove us wrong.  The table fighters like Arnab Goswami, Gaurav Arya, consider the youth of Kashmir stunt illiterate who according to them doesn’t know about the freedom struggle of India with Britishers. That we too can name your “Gad-Daari” the.  As similarly  the freedom Fighters of India were also being named as “Gaddar” and terrorists by Britishers as you call us. Actually we learned from you, How to be “Gaddar”. I can tell you ‘India is to Kashmir, What British was to India’. You faced Amritsar Massacre “13, 1919 by Britishers, we too are usual of such massacres gifted by your military. Likewise the horrific are.

• Gawkadal massacre (1990)

Over 50 civilians were killed and hundred others injured, when Indian troops fired indiscriminately over the crowd that had assembled on the wooden Srinagar’s Gawkadal Bridge over the Jhelum River on January 20, 1990.

• Bhijbhara Massacre (1993)

Over 50 civilians were killed and 200 injured when they were fired upon by the Border Security Force in South Kashmir’s Bhijbihara on October 22, 1993.

• Hawal Massacre (1990)

56 civilians were killed and dozens were left injured when Indian army fired upon on the procession in Central Srinagar’s Hawal area on May 21 1990, etc

Still state violence is not to end , in 2008-09-10 more than 120 young people were killed after controversial Amaranths Land row, and more about 110 were killed after Burhan Wani’s death in July 2016 where marchers were fired leading to the deaths and injuries since then this cycle of violence is unstoppable.

Normally, young people are expected to hold pen in hand and write their own ‘destiny’ of progress and development, but in here in Kashmir you will witness stones in hand to hurl at police personnel, to take avenge of people whose blood spilled across Kashmir region, and presume, fighting for the cause to liberate Kashmir from the hands of Indian occupation.

Interestingly, there are two themes discussed in various online debates between revolutionary young people who supposedly ‘run parallel government’ by closing down entire business establishments after Friday prayers in Kashmir and, of those who are attending college regularly, claims to have meaning or sense of life by entering into ‘bureaucracy’ as one of career options.

There is one thing in common among these two groups, both can become leaders in their work, and aspire to fight for equal rights of people, for dignity, but there is slight difference, one group is appreciated and other is demoralized & dehumanized.

The young people have always yearned for direction from religious leaders, inventing political philosophies of ‘hartal’ as a way of ‘resistance’ for victimized like Kunan-Poshpora and ‘stone pelting ‘to align various kinds of ideologies as a support for their ‘mission’ to ‘decolonize Kashmir’ from India. When claiming I am called (Gad-Daar).

This generation is often called ‘miscreants’ or ‘frustrated unemployed youths’ who have started stone pelting from scratch and now are the vanguard of resistance movement in Kashmir, most of them are the products of middle class families and majority of them have survived from direct attacks, physical violence and tortures, soldiers have bruised their body but their ideology remain unchanged.

In this age of mass media that has remained alien to highlight ‘woes’ of stone pelters, who often take refuge of technology and social media to spread their message of resistance to gather support of various people across J&K and of the world, took inspiration from various ‘revolutionary’ situations of Middle East, West Asia, that has plunged world currently in an utter chaos; spinning in a frenzy warfare, young people are looking for meaning or sense of life. The ‘sense’ that will legitimatize our struggle, and free us from all woes to see new dawn of ‘free land’ from Indian occupation. When claiming awarded with nicknames (Gad-Daar).

The current misrule of Indian state by killing more than 100 Kashmiri and wounded more than 7000 people after Burhan Wani’s death exposes the state’s inhumane treatment towards civilians who are subjected to torture and arbitrary arrests without fair trails.

The Kashmir issue, with UN Security Council resolutions in place holds international standing. But why is this so that the Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination have not changed the conscience of the world. In the past, the people of Kashmir have been denied their right to self-determination and have also been betrayed a number of times. To deny the right of self-determination is like taking the right to live. The practice is in sharp contrast to democratic principles and in a way has fortified the extremist elements.

The international community’s ignorance to the sufferings and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people has given a free hand to another ways. In Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). The Hurriyat leadership has been detained; people are being killed, pellets are being fired at them, making them blind/and crippled. Doctors and ambulances are being attacked/targeted. The people have also been socially impaired, social networking sites are repeatedly blocked. When claiming receive title of (Gad-Daar).

Unable to understand “How an armed can teach the lesson of non-violence and peace to un-armed”

Peace is about people encompassing political, economic and social reforms. Human security and peace building are inter-linked subjects, both initiatives enhance the security environment. The indigenous character of the Kashmir freedom struggle is a proof of Indian illegal claim over Kashmir, and the doubtful instrument of accession. The political aspirations of the Kashmiri people need a just political solution, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions as well which too failed after innumerous trials. When youth claiming peacefully again tagged as (Gad-Daar).

The government has failed to understand aspirations of young people, and failed to handle situation with heart and used brutal force to kill and maim civilians unabated.

Government in Kashmir is visible at the time of election and voting and when it comes to protect civilians, they start blaming union of India for promoting violent means of actions against peaceful protestors.

Hence, present generation wants to make sense of life, they do not want corrupt officials in governmental departments, they do not want police to harass them, they do not want interference of state into their affairs, they want freedom from governmental policies first then from Indian occupation.

By: Saif Ali Budgami

M.A Political Science,

& Convergent Journalism

Email: saifaly100@gmail.com