I am Kashmir: I Bleed everyday!

“Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast” The famous Persian couplet declares “If there ever be a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here (Kashmir)!”   You have heard a lot about me. Isn’t it? But, today I am going to give you a little introduction about me, my face lost amid the clouds of hopelessness and despondency. As I came into existence with other states and countries, the rulers of different regions, religions and intellect have enjoyed their ascendency. From Britishers to Mughals, Dogras to modern regimes, I’m scattered around time and again.  Sold by the Britishers for a sum of mere 7.5 million ‘Nanakshahee’ rupees to Maharaja Gulab Singh, I was pushed into the darkest ages of slavery. Me and my people were literally mowed to tatters, but only to stand tall again, rising like a phoenix from the ashes.

During Pre-1947 era, I enjoyed a status of a princely state for a while, but there after the bloodthirsty second World War aftermath engineered a partition in Subcontinent. Muslim majority Pakistan was born followed by separation of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh in 1971. And me? I am like a pendulum in a wall clock, in between both the nuclear powers; India and Pakistan. India claims me as its Integral part and Pakistan the Jugular vein. But, I linger in the hollow depth, suffer and bleed. My Right of Self Determination is crucified by so called Incredible India. And, my existence is in danger.

Both the countries have gone to war many times to grab my rich and fertile land. Not to forget I am presently divided into three pieces and caged under a brutal occupation since 1947 by three different countries. It seems that everyone (namely China, India and Pakistan) wants my land but none my people, the most beautiful creatures on earth. I’m talking of my one big family, the people of Kashmir, ‘Jannat e Benazeer’.

I’m always proud of myself, but my survival as a free state is always questioned. However the political experts and observers believe that the situation in one of my part which is under Pakistani control is much better than in the part occupied by India. Recently in this part of  Kashmir, a book “structure of violence” was released, sensational and controversial both. 

In mid-1980’s a full bloomed armed insurgency broke out in Kashmir, anti-India and profreedom sentiments emerged. It gave all together a new dimension to the geopolitical map of the region. In order to kill the popular uprising Indian armed forces commenced using horrible force against the peace loving people. The scene of fear and sensibility was over powering. Young boys would leave home for a game of cricket and never return home, many of them would be abducted from their homes and dragged to various Interrogation centers the traumatized families would run from pillar to the post to know the way about of their loved ones.

While talking about the Kashmir dispute, India unequivocally declared that the future of Kashmir would be decided by the people of Kashmiri and they will be given the discretionary power to either exceed with India or Pakistan. However observers believe that India has not only detained the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir but it has also made them to make their inherent peace on hue and cry spot.

The fact remains that whenever India and Pakistan have gone to war or are exchanging fire on borders I am always victim, it is my people who have been killed in such gruesome wars and fire fights. Apart from this there are lot of tragedies buried in my chest; I know how my streets were colored red with innocent blood of youth like Tufail Matoo, Yasir Rafiq, Zahid and others in 2010 and how the investigations were proved false, even I too know how they were awarded who killed my sons raped my daughters like Asia, Neelofar, Victims of Kunan Poshpora and others.

There are more than 8 lakh Indian forces in one of my part Indian Kashmir, thus makes this part the place with the highest number of troops, more than the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq combined. There are more than 1 lakh 50 thousand armed forces, village defense committee men with guns. I would like to request the top brass politicians across the globe, peculiarly Indians & Pakistani, UN and at the same time to  ‘Ban Ki Moon’. Let peace and prosperity come back to Kashmir, free and alive without the barbed wires and barrels of gun.

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