5 months ago
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The weaponry blast successful New Delhi that claimed the lives of guiltless civilians and injured galore others saddened maine deeply. No 1 who values humanity tin stay untouched by specified loss. As Kashmiris, we person lived done the symptom of unit for decades and, therefore, recognize amended than astir what it means for families to suffer loved ones, abruptly and brutally. Every enactment of unit against the guiltless is unacceptable and nary origin oregon ideology tin ever warrant it.
The unreserved to judge
Yet, portion we mourn, it is troubling to spot however rapidly specified tragedies are converted into sensational narratives. Even earlier investigations found facts, sections of the media are quoting “inside sources” and are acceptable with headlines that formed suspicion connected a peculiar assemblage and religion. This unreserved to justice not lone misleads the nationalist but besides places an full colonisation nether scrutiny — particularly Kashmiri students and professionals surviving crossed India, who abruptly find themselves being treated arsenic suspects. Fear replaces safety, and anxiousness grips families backmost home.
Condemnation of acts of panic indispensable not beryllium allowed to alteration itself into corporate punishment. Unfortunately, this has go a recurrent signifier successful Jammu and Kashmir. In caller years, we person seen houses, the homes of aging parents, spouses and children, being blown up oregon demolished due to the fact that a household subordinate was accused of supporting militancy.
A location is not conscionable a structure. It represents dignity, belonging and memories. Destroying it punishes those who person committed nary crime. Similarly, detaining oregon harassing relatives and the acquaintances of suspected militants is neither justness nor strategy. It spreads choler and symptom further. Young radical bash not crook to violence, that excessively educated professionals if they consciousness heard and hopeful. They bash truthful mostly erstwhile they consciousness oppressed, humiliated and disempowered. While the larger contented remains unaddressed, determination is besides the curtailment of civilian liberties, changeless constabulary surveillance, fearfulness of arbitrary dismissals from authorities service, and attachment of properties by investigative agencies and predominant raids and arrests. Combined with shrinking employment avenues and the unjust preservation and recruitment policies that permission section educated younker feeling excluded adjacent from the constricted jobs that exist, each these person created a heavy consciousness of suffocation among them.
Furthering alienation
This alienation is further intensified by the abrogation of constitutionally guaranteed Article 370, the withdrawal of onshore and occupation protections, and the wide fearfulness of demographic alteration done policies that promote outsider colony and domicile rights. These steps and measures — however, they whitethorn beryllium defended officially — are experienced connected the crushed arsenic attacks connected identity, dignity, and ownership of one’s homeland. Such measures bash not foster integration. They reenforce the feeling of dispossession. And the stronger that feeling, the much utmost the retaliatory violence.
Highlighting these realities is not justification of unit — it is an effort to forestall it. Peace cannot beryllium built connected the denial of wounds. If bid is the extremity past the causes that pb to convulsive extremism indispensable beryllium addressed. Security operations whitethorn suppress symptoms, but lone justness and empathy tin heal the root.
The way to pursue
I person besides ever urged the younker not to edifice to unit oregon extremism measures. It is wholly unjustifiable, wholly against spiritual tenets, destructive and aforesaid defeating. To me, the champion mode to redress issues among radical is dialogue, rooted successful compassion and communal respect. Guns, demolitions, corporate punishment, and broad suspicion volition not bring peace. They nutrient resentment, distrust and alienation. But erstwhile dignity is protected, aspirations are addressed and rights are respected, hearts unfastened and reconciliation becomes possible.
I, therefore, impulse policymakers successful India to presumption Jammu and Kashmir not simply arsenic a law-and-order issue, but arsenic a quality and governmental world that requires engagement, redress and assurance building. The model erstwhile articulated by erstwhile Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee — insaniyat and jamhooriyat — inactive holds the committedness of a dignified aboriginal for all.
Whether those successful powerfulness take that way oregon disregard it, is for them to decide. As for us, the pulpit of Jama Masjid volition proceed to advocator for peace, condemn injustice and unit wherever it occurs. We volition not springiness up connected anticipation fostered by our religion successful the content that anticipation is the spot that sustains societies done their astir hard moments and leads them toward amended days.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is Chairman, Hurriyat Conference. This nonfiction is an elaboration of the Friday Sermon helium delivered astatine the Jama Masjid, Srinagar
