An Appeal from an "Indian" to my Kashmiri friends

Hello all:

I'm writing in the context of the recent anti-CRPF riots and reactions to
the tragic deaths of boys and young men in army and/or CRPF firing.

I find most young Kashmiris on Twitter, etc. to have the following attitudes:

(a) Intense hatred for India and sometimes for "Hindus", too
(b) An idealistic notion of a freedom struggle and nationhood
(c) An outrage and anger that most Indians do not sympathize

If I may, let me address these attitudes.

I am an Indian. I do not know whether any of you consider yourselves as
Indians, but let's forget that for a bit. You are my fellow human beings at
least, and I hope we can agree on that! I was born Hindu, but am atheist.

I believe in the following "idea of India": a country where religious identity
is irrelevant to citizenship, where people focus on science and literature
and can dream and fulfill big dreams. Although India still is desperately
poor for around 30% of its citizens, it has a great future ahead of it.

I also believe that India has failed to provide or communicate this dream
to the Kashmiri people. We can go back forever in history, but the basis
of the Kashmiri violence that began in 1989 was the rigging of the 1987
elections. India has concentrated more than 700,000 troops in the small
Kashmir valley, and the CRPF and the army have been corrupt, inhuman
and have certainly got a long list of crimes to answer for since 1990.

The hatred for India and occasionally "Hindus" that many Kashmiri youth
have is not unjustified. But it is misdirected. Most of you seem unaware
of one important fact: the average internet Indian communicating with
you online DOES NOT KNOW about the atrocities and cruelties and prison-
like atmosphere the Kashmir valley's people have suffered since 1990.

When you hit out at Indians without telling them the horrors and facts
first, they hit back. And no understanding is reached. I was one of
those "Indian dogs", as some of you might call us, who did not know
anything about Kashmiri day-to-day life. When I first saw the videos
of cricket-playing Kashmiri boys being totally unjustifiably manhandled
by brutal army personnel, it brought tears to my eyes just as I am sure
it brought tears to many of your eyes. Emotion is a universal language.

So please, before you lash out at Indians or call them names, please try
to tell them your stories first. Ask them if they support such specific
acts or police or army brutality against their own families. No one does.

In addition, there seems to be too much idealism and too little realism
when it comes to this idea of "Azaadi". Azaadi from who? Just India,
or China and Pakistan too? Will China and Pakistan allow their parts
of Kashmir to secede? And do Jammu and Ladakh want to secede?

"Azaadi" makes it look like the only realistic map of this imagined
free country of Kashmir would be the valley itself. Is that viable?
Such a country would become a geopolitical football between
China and Pakistan and India -- and even less stable than now.

You can disagree with me about which future is best for Kashmir and
Kashmiris. But you should give it a serious thought: is a future within
India, with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act eventually repealed,
with the army and CRPF withdrawn from the towns and cities, with
no rigging of elections, all that bad? Is it worse than Kashmir Banega
Pakistan? And is it less uncertain than an "Azaad" Kashmir valley?

I hope for nothing but peace and justice. For that to happen,
people have to self-criticize -- and that includes Kashmiris too.

You are my fellow human beings at
least...

well, one would hope.

I'd like to see proof of what you claim. Because it's been my experience that people who claim indian govt. violence is the problem and the wonderfulness of the invading outsiders are the answer - are the liars.

You see this behavior does not help. Kids from the JKLF used the same trick , "the BSF would be searching peoples houses, for hidden weapons, and officers would be checking or talking to them, the gun wielding JKLF militants, used to mingle with people, fire at the BSF officers, drop, the guns and run away. Now the forces do not know what to do? They fire on the area from where the gunshots came, because they cannot distinguish people from militants,poor people would be hit, and then they will make a huge hue and cry out of it. Big emotional cries, women beating chests, funeral yatras...all well covered and documented by media...to be splashed everywhere. "

The poor freedom seeking Kashmiris and the devil Indian army? It doesnt cut ice anymore baby. Leran newer tricks, please.