The month of May this year, brought the aam kashmiri and the men in olives together on one platform – to discuss human rights in Kashmir. Yes, does sound paradoxical. For years now the army has not been considered the best of friends of the common man in Kashmir. But the change is now apparent. Conflict resolution is no doubt a complex and difficult issue. A degree of restraint by the concerned forces is showing through ways of winning over the hearts of the people.
The two-day seminar proceedings were beamed live to the LOC so that every jawan could be a part of the seminar. In fact, this seminar was conducted at a very appropriate time. The tourist season has been picking up this summer and the general atmosphere has lightened up. In such circumstances, the army has done quite a bit of soul searching and come up with an agenda for change to bring about the true elements of Kahmiriyat, of tolerance, transparency and acceptance. The year 2011 is being looked at as the year of change, where the army has expressed its willingness to discuss and debate issues that have been cause for so much turmoil in the valley. This year the separatists and the terrorists are on the backfoot. Army is retaining the initiative of being on top of the situation. Unfortunately, the army has been the favourite whipping boy and this has come about due to a lack of understanding across society. But today things are changing. Takreer and tehzeeb are the key words today.
The shikara ride on Dal Lake reminded me of the paradise that actually exists.
1 comment:
Peace and brotherhood in Kashmir was lost when Pandits were thrown out from there. No one talks of them now. A seminar held at India International Centre on 14th August 2010 had a series of lectures on Kashmir and the North east. Not one speaker spoke about Pandits. A Kashmiri Pandit professor of Benares HIndu University read a paper but he did not even use the word Pandit in his long paper. A seminar was held at Constitution Club on March 5,2011 by Panun Kashmir. The Pandits asked if they should go to USA to settle there. They sayd that they would make the area a better place to live in if given only 10 years. Ram Jethmalani said that he was a stateless Sindhi but Sindhis like him had done a lot of good to India. Pandits should reclaim their state. Another seminar held in Delhi University also had two Pandits from Kashmir. One of them said that they had lived in fear psychosis therefore they did not want to be talked about. Another Pandit journalist on NDTV advocated the cause of the terrorists. When Gen Bakshi(Retd.) pointed out that soldiers laid down their lives for Pandits the journalist simply shook his head. The tragedy is that they have been beaten so hard that they have lost their identity. They are afraid of talking about them even. This is the saddest state of affairs. Unfortunately Indian journalists are cowards and surrender so easily.
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