JNU Protest and the Kashmir Cause!

With the Kashmir issue hogging limelight in the national capital thanks to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus protests, the separatists are undoubtedly delighted. This is but natural since it came as a windfall for the Hurriyat which (like always), had no plans in place how to make most of this one time chance that they got thanks to the ingenuity of Delhi University (DU) Professor SAR Geelani.  Consequently, what could have otherwise been a gracious discourse on the Kashmir issue to drive home the point that all that the Kashmiris were asking for was implementation of UN resolutions turned into a commonplace protest! 

Talking about the JNU protests and its aftermath, one finds that the Kashmir issue which started it all has now been conveniently been replaced by a BJP versus ‘the rest’ political fight. Consequently, while no one today may be talking about the Kashmir issue or the hangings of Maqbool  Bhat and Afzal Guru anymore, the gross tactlessness of raising anti India slogans during the JNU protests has certainly upset many Indians who were till now ardent supporters of the ‘K’ cause. I wonder who advised the protesters to raise offensive statements linking ‘azadi’ of Kashmir to the “dismemberment” and “destruction” of India.  Those who were there and had themselves heard the slogans raised by protesters refuse to believe this to be the work of vested interests or mischief makers because the slogans had the unmistakable Kashmiri accent and the distinct style of delivery that one hears during protests in Kashmir!

 Those protesting on the JNU campus to highlight the Kashmir issue and the Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru hangings could have done so with dignity and without hurting the sensitivities of others. However, the protesters cannot entirely be blamed for the inconsiderate slogans that they raised as it is our leaders who have been encouraging anti India sentiments amongst the Kashmiris, overlooking acts of violence and thus turning an entire generation into ‘street fighters’. This is something that I have always considered as unnecessary for the simple reason that our fight is with New Delhi and not the people of India. And like many others, I too believe that it is only the collective voice of people of India that can force New Delhi to implement UN resolutions on Kashmir. However, this is only possible if Indians see the Kashmir imbroglio as an ideological issue and understand that its resolution has nothing to do with undermining India’s sovereignty or integrity. 

Unfortunately, some of the slogans raised on the JNU campus expressed the resolve of protesters to get ‘azadi’ by force and in this process dismember or destroy India. Such slogans of intense hatred towards India would have been a ‘hit’ on the streets of Srinagar but in New Delhi these have raised serious questions regarding the moral propriety of nationalistic Indians supporting Kashmiris who are openly advocating dismemberment and disintegration of India! Though the Hurriyat has jumped into the fray, its habit of keeping its head buried in sand has made the separatist conglomerate come out with very obtuse and incriminating statements. In order to extract political mileage the opposition parties are trying to portray the JNU protests as a sinister plot hatched by the BJP under which the BJP’s student wing would surreptitiously mingle with JNU students and raise pro- secessionist and anti Indian slogans. This, the opposition parties contend would put a big question mark on the nationalist credentials of JNU and give the RSS and BJP an excuse to shut down or ‘purge and saffronise’ this institution.

However, in what can at best be called a ‘self-destructive’ reaction, instead of remaining silent on the issue of who raised slogans during the JNU protest calling for the dismemberment and destruction of India, the Hurriyat has come out and proudly accepted that this was the doing of Kashmiri students. Hurriyat spokesperson Ayaz Akbar went on to say that “wherever they (Kashmiri students) are studying they raise their voices against oppression which Kashmir is facing for a long time. It is also a constitutional, legal and democratic right of the students to show their concerns about Kashmir.” Having accepted that it were the Kashmiri students who had raised slogans and defended their act, the Hurriyat has indirectly admitted that it stands by the Kashmiri students desire  to destroy India. In its unique style, the Hurriyat has once again first incriminated the students from Kashmir and then blamed the Indian media for making “Kashmiri students studying in JNU and elsewhere vulnerable.”

The Hurriyat spokesman’s statement that if the JNU authorities took any action against Kashmiri students it would have a strong reaction in Jammu and Kashmir sounds more like a veiled threat issued by the mafia rather than a dispassionate appeal made by very senior and experienced leaders of an august body like the Hurriyat. Coming at a time when provocative slogans have already vitiated the atmosphere, statements that could be misinterpreted as a ‘dare’ should be avoided as these will only encourage fringe groups to single out Kashmiris. Moreover, such provocative statements that spew venom against India will certainly wean away many Indians who love their country and have been supporting the Kashmir cause on principles. Losing support is something the movement for the ‘right to self determination’ cannot do without! 

The Hurriyat leadership also knows that offensive anti India statements even if made in Kashmir render Kashmiris staying elsewhere in India vulnerable. I’m sure that Geelani sahib would not have approved of slogans calling for the dismemberment or destruction of India as the Hurriyat (G) chairman has himself said on numerous occasions the separatist amalgam holds no grudge against the people of India and wishes the country well. Therefore, by simply reiterating that the Hurriyat does not endorse the dismemberment and destruction of India statements made during the JNU protests Geelani sahib would get those who support the Kashmir cause back into the fold. It would also ensure that Kashmiris living elsewhere in India are not perceived as being ‘anti Indian’ due to some ill considered slogans raised during the JNU protests and thus not subjected to harassment ! 

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