Frontline Gist: Issue
August 19, 2016

Wrath of Kashmir

History of Kashmir issue:

(Related Article: It is a revolt, by A.G. Noorani, page no. 13)

• Kashmir has been an issue between India and Pakistan since partition
• Maharaja Hari Singh signed instrument of accession with India when intruders from Pakistan backed by Pakistani military entered Kashmir valley, this was the first Kashmir crisis
• India promised to help Maharaja and Indian Constitution provided special provisions to Kashmir in the form of Article 370 under Indian constitution
• Having acquired the nuclear option, and frustrated at India’s obstinate refusal to negotiate Kashmir dispute, Pakistan decide to use force covertly in 1989 which is considered as initiation of proxy war which is considered as emergence of second crisis in Kashmir which ended militarily, but it mad people assertive

Current situation:

(Related Articles: Wrath of Kashmir, by Shujaat Bukhari, page no. 4; It is a revolt, by A.G. Noorani, page no. 13; Interview with Omar Abdullah, by Shujaat Bhukhari, page no. 21; Listen to the people, by T.K. Rajalakshmi, page no. 27)

• The current pahse of unrest in Kashmir, which began on July 8 with the killing of the Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani
• The anger in the streets of Kashmir is not about economic stagnation or unemployment; it is about the people’s aspiration to live life of dignity
• South Kashmir has remained the scene of bloody battles fought between people and police/paramilitary forces. The people of Kashmir has anger against the media as media is accused of being biased towards the authorities and doesn’t show the side of Kashmiris.
• The government’s banning of newspapers in Kashmir for few days and treating them as a “threat to peace” did not redeem them in the eyes of local population. Local people still see them as part of the larger media that give bad name to their campaign of azaadi
• The Kashmiri young generation is facing the problem of political vacuum and they are challenging the police and the paramilitary
• The usage of pellet guns and loss of vision of many people and especially children has resulted into worse situations and increase in anger and demonstrations from the Kashmiri youth
• Pellet gun is a air gun or any variety of pneumatic weapon that propels projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas. It is different from a firearm in the sense that it uses a propellant charge. It propels multiple particles at a target but is not lethal
• The pellet gun was introduced in Kashmir in 2010 to quell protests with minimal civilian deaths
• The setback to the economy due to increased curfew and dip in tourists which result in decline in income
• Stone pelting has a hallowed tradition in Kashmir. It is weapons of Kashmiris and is a way of protest against the authorities
• People have anger against the wrecking autonomy of J&K and talks of dilution of Article 370 by major political parties
• The Delhi agreement of 1952 was scrapped inter alia by replacing the elected Sadar-e-Riyasat with a governor appointed by New Delhi. Every single promise to Kashmir has been broken- the instrument of accession; article 370 which is a compact negotiated from 5 months from May to October 1349
• “The tunnel” theory has been revived by Modi government.
• The problem of separatists and their mobilization
• The encounters by AFSPA
• The expression of accumulated anger is essentially because of political uncertainty
• Overreliance of authorities to solve all issues on forces rather than finding civilian solutions or by government authorities

By: Anuj Sharma