Two labourers were killed by militants a few days ago in South Kashmir. A police officer was brutally shot dead from close range in Anantnag. It feels as though the valley is cursed to witness bloodshed.
It feels as though we are destined to live our lives this way. Who kills whom, we don't know. What we know is, who suffers in the end. It is a tragedy that we only imagine Kashmir as a place where everyone's life matters, yet where lives continue to be lost to the circumstances beyond the control of ordinary people.
This piece doesn't put fingers. It doesn't pass the blame. It rather laments the helpless situations in which everyone seems caught. Kashmir is indeed a sensitive place, and the police often have the difficult responsibility of ensuring its citizens remain safe. But at times, it feels as though we are destined to undergo sufferings we don't deserve.
Are Actions Proportionate?
First comes a tragic incident where a cop is martyred. Then comes the frisking and identity checks. No doubt, when circumstances demand that the state take additional precautions to ensure everything is alright, such measures become necessary. But it somehow doesn't feel good to constantly prove your Identity. We concur that it is necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff, but at what cost?
Hardly a place exists in Kashmir without a visible security presence. It is simply a reflection of the times we have lived through, where years of uncertainty have made caution a part of everyday life.
In such circumstances, there is often little room to ask why things have to be this way. Your dignity seems to be caught between the daily requirements of security and the realities of everyday life. And while everyone is simply trying to make sure that everything is alright, you sometimes feel reduced to a question mark.
You become a pawn, moved around by circumstances you did not create, circumstances born of violence, fear, uncertainty, and the ever-present possibility of something going wrong.
We often remain unaware of what drives individuals towards such violence. Or why innocent lives are taken. We are left confused by circumstances that are difficult to comprehend. And yet we hold our Constitution dear, a remarkable document that enshrines the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
No doubt Kashmir has always been an unpredictable place, where an untoward incident can unfold at any moment. National security and the security of the Union Territory must be a priority. It can also be acknowledged that frisking can, at times, prevent violence and save lives. These measures, difficult as they may sometimes feel, are ultimately shaped by the circumstances in which we live.
Ordinary Mortals Suffers
But at what cost to the ordinary Kashmiri who has spent generations living under the shadow of uncertainty.
Our blood boils when terror unfolds. Where extremists come from? We don't know. Who attacks common Kashmiris? We don't know. Who shed the blood of fellow Hindu migrants, labourers, tourists or police personnel? We don't know. What we do know is that ordinary people continue to suffer because of these incidents.
And perhaps this is what hurts the most: we have become accustomed to a life in which a murder is followed by mourning, mourning by heightened security, heightened security by frisking, and frisking by another reminder that something terrible could happen again.
But can we imagine a different Kashmir?
A Kashmir where no policeman has to give up his life, no labourer has to be killed, no tourist has to fear, and no migrant has to feel unsafe. A Kashmir where the uniforms become invisible and the fear surrounding them disappears. A Kashmir where security is necessary only as a quiet precaution, not as a daily reminder of violence.
This is the Kashmir we should be longing for. A Kashmir free from the circumstances that make such security perpetually necessary.
There must come a day when it is. No murder. No martyr. No suspicion. Just Kashmir: welcoming, safe, and respectful.
Have you liked the news article?