Kashmir Discussions with Kashmiris
I had discussions with many Kashmiri people regarding India Pakistan armies, in my unplanned trip to Leh. May be talking to me was painful for most of them but they did out of hope. They might be talking to tourists in same way to keep them happy or for hope. After 1947 independence, there were no army in Gulmarg or Kashmir inside LOC. Everything seemed happy to them, after all it was independence. Then came Afghanistan troops with swords. Indian army entered Kashmir in name of protection and they never left.
Countries occupying Kashmir get lot of resources, so they never want to leave Kashmir. India and Pakistan all fight for Kashmir. The civilians get affected very badly. The armies get affected as well. The lands in Kashmir got occupied by army for their infrastructure. Kashmiri get just 100 rupees per something yearly for that lands. Government gave these Kashmiris no facilities and these people suffer even more.
These people may be muslims but not bad people at all. They are suffering and protesting and dying in process. If people even protest peacefully, there are no tear gas or lathi charge like in Delhi, direct firing and killing. And it becomes a riot. The fights for rights become riots. The news spread and riots starts everywhere. Kashmiri are then blamed to be creating riots all the time and specially because they are Muslims.
I stayed with these people for a week or less but I never felt unsafe with these people, not even when there were riots going on on the road to Srinagar. I never felt so safe even in Delhi or Gurgaon. Even the hotel guy offered me to stay in the hotel for free because going to Srinagar was not safe, though I rejected staying for free.
These people have no problems with India or Pakistan or China. They just want army to stop bugging civilians. They want army to stay at the borders and leave their lands. Army don't leave cities to have complete control of resources. All electric power generated in the state is taken by Centre and then sold to state at higher rate. At these one of my friend in debate told me that when infrastructure is made by the Centre why won’t they take the power generated by it. Fair enough. But rest of his arguments were racist, so not putting it here.
Civilians say if army is so huge in the borders how are terrorists entering in. Army themselves pay terrorists to enter and get arrested so that Kashmir remains in the control of the countries in name of protection. Naxals or protestants are not bad people or terrorists, they are just simple people who retaliate to have a peaceful life in future. These protestants when not heard might get aggressive or who suffer firing or killing in protests, become terrorists. These terrorists, specially in Kashmir, do not harm civilians much, but only army. There had not been any man older than 25 in Kashmir who had not been kidnapped by army for interrogation. Most of them had lost someone in family in Kashmir, who never returned. In 2010, 100 men went missing and never returned. Their families still hope their return.
Countries don't leave Kashmir because they lost many soldiers protecting it, but civilians die even more; and also the resources. Its all politics and game of money.
They showed me the photo of the boy who died today in protest, another got injured (who died eventually next day). They also showed me the photo of a 16-17 year old boy who was kidnapped, interrogated and encountered by the army being called a terrorist because his brother was a terrorist and he met him some day before that.
Civilians don't need army in their cities or villages, they have police for these things. Armies can return their lands.
They don't hate India or Pakistan or China but they get messed up in the wars. They want independent country of Kashmir to stay safe. They prefer India to guard them but at the borders of complete Kashmir (India occupied Pakistan occupied China occupied all inclusive) till the time they don't make their own army. In turn they can pay the armies or India for protection in terms of money or protection or electric power or water. But it this can’t happen. WHY? Politics.
An older man did not vote because he thinks nothing will change. The younger one voted for BJP in hope. Others say by bringing Modi or BJP in power they hoped something good, so many voted for him. But nothing changed because Centre will keep over-powering state and anyway it had not been too long.
Politicians or army could never understand problems of these people. We often say army people have hard life, we say army people lose life. No second thoughts on this. But these people have worse. These Kashmiri people live in constant terror and they used to it now; yet they are called terrorists.
Kashmir has lot of colleges and schools but no employment scope. Tourism is only way they feed themselves. Apple farming earns them some more to villagers. They go to cities like Delhi and Mumbai for employment they are seen as naxals or terrorists.
These people have to challenge the climate, government and military throughout their life.
Disclaimer: These are just the talks the Kashmiris had with me. None of them are my interpretation or views, just talks. Also I made no manipulations to what they said.
Countries occupying Kashmir get lot of resources, so they never want to leave Kashmir. India and Pakistan all fight for Kashmir. The civilians get affected very badly. The armies get affected as well. The lands in Kashmir got occupied by army for their infrastructure. Kashmiri get just 100 rupees per something yearly for that lands. Government gave these Kashmiris no facilities and these people suffer even more.
These people may be muslims but not bad people at all. They are suffering and protesting and dying in process. If people even protest peacefully, there are no tear gas or lathi charge like in Delhi, direct firing and killing. And it becomes a riot. The fights for rights become riots. The news spread and riots starts everywhere. Kashmiri are then blamed to be creating riots all the time and specially because they are Muslims.
I stayed with these people for a week or less but I never felt unsafe with these people, not even when there were riots going on on the road to Srinagar. I never felt so safe even in Delhi or Gurgaon. Even the hotel guy offered me to stay in the hotel for free because going to Srinagar was not safe, though I rejected staying for free.
These people have no problems with India or Pakistan or China. They just want army to stop bugging civilians. They want army to stay at the borders and leave their lands. Army don't leave cities to have complete control of resources. All electric power generated in the state is taken by Centre and then sold to state at higher rate. At these one of my friend in debate told me that when infrastructure is made by the Centre why won’t they take the power generated by it. Fair enough. But rest of his arguments were racist, so not putting it here.
Civilians say if army is so huge in the borders how are terrorists entering in. Army themselves pay terrorists to enter and get arrested so that Kashmir remains in the control of the countries in name of protection. Naxals or protestants are not bad people or terrorists, they are just simple people who retaliate to have a peaceful life in future. These protestants when not heard might get aggressive or who suffer firing or killing in protests, become terrorists. These terrorists, specially in Kashmir, do not harm civilians much, but only army. There had not been any man older than 25 in Kashmir who had not been kidnapped by army for interrogation. Most of them had lost someone in family in Kashmir, who never returned. In 2010, 100 men went missing and never returned. Their families still hope their return.
Countries don't leave Kashmir because they lost many soldiers protecting it, but civilians die even more; and also the resources. Its all politics and game of money.
They showed me the photo of the boy who died today in protest, another got injured (who died eventually next day). They also showed me the photo of a 16-17 year old boy who was kidnapped, interrogated and encountered by the army being called a terrorist because his brother was a terrorist and he met him some day before that.
Civilians don't need army in their cities or villages, they have police for these things. Armies can return their lands.
They don't hate India or Pakistan or China but they get messed up in the wars. They want independent country of Kashmir to stay safe. They prefer India to guard them but at the borders of complete Kashmir (India occupied Pakistan occupied China occupied all inclusive) till the time they don't make their own army. In turn they can pay the armies or India for protection in terms of money or protection or electric power or water. But it this can’t happen. WHY? Politics.
An older man did not vote because he thinks nothing will change. The younger one voted for BJP in hope. Others say by bringing Modi or BJP in power they hoped something good, so many voted for him. But nothing changed because Centre will keep over-powering state and anyway it had not been too long.
Politicians or army could never understand problems of these people. We often say army people have hard life, we say army people lose life. No second thoughts on this. But these people have worse. These Kashmiri people live in constant terror and they used to it now; yet they are called terrorists.
Kashmir has lot of colleges and schools but no employment scope. Tourism is only way they feed themselves. Apple farming earns them some more to villagers. They go to cities like Delhi and Mumbai for employment they are seen as naxals or terrorists.
These people have to challenge the climate, government and military throughout their life.
Disclaimer: These are just the talks the Kashmiris had with me. None of them are my interpretation or views, just talks. Also I made no manipulations to what they said.
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