Shaikh Yaqoob
There can be no denying the fact that our freedom movement is facing the hardest challenge of its life, as after the coercive unilateral measures of August 5, 2019, things seem to have been thrown into a tailspin. State tyranny and coercion have hit an all-time high, and through the unbridled use of Draconian laws like UAPA and PSA, India has scared the Kashmiri masses into silence.
The entire APHC leadership is either incarcerated or put under house arrest, while hundreds of our cadres have been thrown behind bars under PSA and UAPA, meaning indefinitely and without legal remedy. More ominous is the Hindutva drive that wants a change of the occupied region’s demographics, with the state administration having issued 4.2 million domiciles to Indian citizens. The BJP is all geared up for forming the next government in the occupied state by hook or by crook, and if it is able to pull it off, the freedom movement will have to face the brunt and feel under much more pressure, generating pervasive despondency and with us almost being immobilized might lose their hope irredeemably.
We see the families of the activists and those of the cadres as well as the leadership facing unremitting persecution and humiliation at the hands of the occupying forces, and by attaching their properties and by dismissing their blood relations from government services, they are not only making it a terrible life for them but also creating a deterrence for the rest.
Under such circumstances, if the BJP comes to power in the state, the execution of the Hindutva design of demographic change and cultural domination will become a certain eventuality, for with the influx of millions of Indians settling in Jammu and the valley, the native population would be gradually pushed to margins, and as the business activity is generated through heavy spending and huge investments, the local populace is certain to fall into the trap only to rue it later on, but that would be too late.
Therefore, I think this is the hardest challenge our movement, and we as a nation, are faced with at the moment, as this spectre looms large over the occupied territories, particularly the valley.
Apart from it, they have begun building two lakh homes ostensibly for the homeless, but in fact, for the new settlers, for in the valley the homeless are just dozens, not even in hundreds. Therefore, serious discussions and deliberations are needed here to counter these ominous moves by the Modi regime so that they could timely checkmate them, keeping our resistance alive. I feel our goal at this juncture should be stonewalling BJP’s grabbing of power, and for that, we have but to break away from our traditional course of action, and now it is but indispensable to cultivate a kind of relationship with NC, PDM, and other local forces and fully support them – undoubtedly, this should be done in an overt manner – in a bid to stop BJP from taking over the state. I think this should be priority number one and, at the same time, we must launch a feverish diplomatic campaign worldwide on the illegitimacy of this electoral exercise as it truly is in brazen contravention of the UN Charter, the relevant UNSC resolutions, and International Law. That would keep the legitimacy of our cause alive and rejuvenate Kashmiris’ hope and belief in our potential, which is so badly needed at the moment. I feel it will be pertinent to note here that our strong response to Iranian madness is giving Kashmiris a good feel and is impacting them at the psychological level in a very positive manner.
At the same time, my hunch is that India, for grabbing power in the state, may think of some flag operation or some kind of misadventure, although the possibility of it has now become quite remote with our lethal response to Iranian aggression, and, if they find it difficult, then the chances are that the rabidly communal Modi regime might go for hanging Yasin Malik before coming September. Therefore, we must be ready to face any such eventuality, but for that, now is the time to work over our countermeasures and for that, Kashmiri leadership here needs to be looped in for their input and consonance.
Alongside that, I feel the prominent groups operating inside, be it political or armed, must be given adequate financial assistance in time so that all forces are geared well for the challenging task of stopping BJP’s grab of power and at the same time redeeming the public bond and faith in the freedom movement. Print and electronic media, as well as social media tools, could be used to supplement the effort at the political, diplomatic, and other levels to pull it off.
[Views expressed in the article are writer’s own]
