Hafsa Anis
The detained editor of a Kashmiri magazine “The Kashmir Walla” said in media conference once “in Kashmir everything is grey, nothing is absolute white or black”. And it happens with every conflict anywhere in the world. The conflicts have multiple causes, multiple dimensions and multi-layered dynamics. Kashmir conflict is also multi-layered. And has multiple translations by its different stakeholders. Where India claims to have resolved/finished the Kashmir conflict forever by taking the 5th august move, the reality is that the situation is still simmering at different levels.
There is a continuity of the news of militant encounters despite the fact that Kashmiri media is not allowed to speak anything about the politics of the “conflict”. Now another issue that is echoing loud in IIOJK is the issue of Kashmiri Pandit employees who demand relocation to Jammu after killing of their fellow employee by a militant in May 2022. In 2009, the government of India under the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh released the Prime Minister’s package for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants in the Kashmir Valley. On December 1, 2020, the government of India issued an advertisement for filling up 1997 posts opening the advertisement for Kashmiri pandits persons who had not migrated. They were, however, required to produce certificates by the concerned Deputy Commissioners to certify they had not migrated and were, accordingly, not registered with the Commissioner (Relief). The pandit leader says there are around 5000 employees under the Prime Minister’s package since 2010 working in different parts of the Valley. He says there are also 4000 other regular Kashmiri pandit employees working at different places.
There are also those pandits who didn’t migrate from the Valley. Now, after the recent killing of two Kashmiri Pandit employees under the mentioned scheme, these Pandits are demanding to relocate them to Jammu. Theirprotest continues since May. In a recent statement LG Sinha has warned them that they will not get salary if they will not go back to their duties. While the other mainstream Kashmiri politicians like Mehbooba Mufti , GhulamNabi Azad and others have suggested government to either relocate them till the situation gets normal or find any other “midway”. Rahul Gandhi, The leader of congress is rallying across the country in its campaign of “Bharat JoroYatra”. He is likely to visit Kashmir in coming months. He is likely to pay visit to these protestors and exploit the situation in favour of his party. Which will further complicate the situation because Kashmiri Pandits have a sympathies and tilt towards BJP. The elections of legislative assembly of IIOJK are also expected in first quarter of coming year. Every party will pick the points of vulnerability of the ruling party. But can the issue of rehabilitation and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits be solved?
This is the real question on humanitarian grounds. The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits took place in early 90s in jagmohan,s era in Kashmir. These pandits were shifted to Jammu overnight claiming that they have security issues and life threats from militants. They were shifted to refugee camps where they were maltreated like the refugees are usually treated. Majority of them belonged to elite class in Kashmir, who soon realized that they are fooled and used for political gains of the governerjagmohan. This political experiment of jagmohan put thousands of people into a miserable situation. These Kashmiri pandits have expressed their regret and anger many times. They are as much victim of the conflicts as other kashmiris are, though the movies like “kashmir Files” portray it otherwise. Kashmiri Panidts also lost their homes and belongings though very less in comparison with Kashmiri Muslims. They also lost their lives. It proves that “the Killing of kashmiris shouldn’t be viewed through religious lens” as LG sinha has said in his recent sane statement. Every aspect of Kashmir conflict should be viewed through humanitarian lens be that be the issue of Kashmiri Pandits or Kashmiri Muslims. Because dividing the society on communal lines has served no cause till now. Another noticeable aspect is that, despite all media blackouts of the Kashmir conflict at state level, India cannot supress every dimension of the conflict from coming to surface.
The energy of conflict keeps pushing and showing its “own self” to the world in different forms and different phases. If India is considering 5th August move a final attempt, it’s a big misunderstanding. Conflict will withstand unless it is resolved on humanitarian grounds.
