Kashmir Affairs - Security & Conflict Analysis of Kashmir

The Sarpanch also faults the local leaders and the militant leaders, which the West were supporting, for want of power and the ‘chair’ in keeping the conflict going. Poor education, unemployment and corruption were other contributory factors for militancy, explaining that due to nepotism there was no opportunity for the poor. Again Master Qamar follows suite with similar views. Furthermore, Sarpanch Latif expresses that the government was perpetuating the conflict into a vicious circle of poverty and violence as the government’s money was going towards trying to combat militancy leading to the lack of development of the state. However, he also identifies the prospects to locals of militancy and the government’s response to it stating that it led people from the rural areas to migrate to towns where their children had better educational opportunities.

Discussing how this conflict could be resolved, Master Kamar is adamant that there is no need for an outside third party to get involved; only India and Pakistan should resolve it by sitting together. This would automatically help the development of the state as less money would be spent on defence. Sarpanch Latif wants the divided Kashmir to join together with Pakistan becoming part of India because “we want our hat on our head ... Indonesia is the biggest Muslim population, India will be the second biggest Muslim majority, we want to stay the majority.” Master Kamar on the other hand states “India or Pakistan, people should decide but I feel that the Line of Control should become an international border with this part remaining as India and the other part as Pakistan.” Khwaja Abdul Rashid, a 72 year old tailor, a quiet and frail looking man, agrees with Master Qamar adding that he wants peace between Hindus and Muslims and that even they, Hindus and Sikhs, wants peace. Another man, Gulam Mohammed, comes and joins the gathering but confines himself to only saying that he agrees with his friend Latif.

As the discussion heats, the shopkeeper finally speaks, and as he does his demeanour changes; he stops his work, faces me and with direct eye contact, previously not even throwing a glance at me, begins with a clear voice in which I sense he has been wronged. He explains that before Kashmir was not with India and that Muslims wanted independence or to be with Pakistan during partition and that 99% of those before the Jawahar tunnel (the tunnel between Kashmir Valley and Jammu province) still wants independence with Pakistan-occupied and India-occupied together under Muslims leadership. At this point Khwaja the tailor changes his mind stating that he too wants independence adding “whatever he [shopkeeper] says, we are with him.”

The shopkeeper, attributes the lack of democracy and unfulfilled promises by governments to the rise of violence in Kashmir. It was the Prime Minister Nehru who initially promised a plebiscite for people to determine their own future, but till today this has not occurred encouraging some people to pick up the gun. He acknowledges that people’s opinions do differ but prophesizes that if a referendum was to take place, then these different opinions would diminish with the majority vote. Khwaja nods in agreement adding even Hindus want self-rule and that reiterating that Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs should live together as one in J&K. Like Sarpanch Latif, the shopkeeper also purports some blame to the USA for the continuing conflict where USA was exploiting the conflict for authority and control; “wherever there is conflict, governments will ask for their [USA] help and who so ever asks for their help will remain under them.”

In addition, the shopkeeper feels that all Kashmiris are discriminated and seen as terrorists, no matter whether they spoke Kashmiri or not. His views are understandable in the context of his background and personal experiences. Coming from a village in Poonch, he has been in Poonch city for the last 15 years for his cloths business which involve trips to New Delhi. However, when in the city he is often interrogated and not given hotels room, and hence, “when we go to do business there, we have to do it one day and not three, otherwise there is a lot of worry and tension created.” As a result his business has not been able to prosper and this is setback is accentuated by the violence closer to home.

He also talks about the harassment by both the Police and the military stating that not one person have not suffered from a beating. Although the militants are also in the wrong, he points out that 90% of those beaten are by the Military. He feels the truth is in the villages and that comparatively, there are not many atrocities in the towns. In the villages, even the Hindus have faced injustices; under the gun anyone will provide food and shelter to the militants but then they also come under the gun of the army for doing so. As he talks he refers to the subdued person in front of him who was severely beaten and also gives an example of a 60 year old civilian from his village who was killed but branded a ‘top militant’ by both the army and the media. Then he refers to the man sitting next to him stating his brother had disappeared for 7 months. The army had taken him and said he was killed, however, after a long process of non-official negotiations, his family got him back. But due to fear nobody would talk about what happened as may be the army would take him again. The same is the case in villages where nobody talks as they think people are from the security agencies and not a news agency.

As I make preparations to leave, the shopkeeper makes a revelation; “you are the press, so was I, I worked for the Urdu press, but I had to leave for safety reasons” and asked me to come back adding “I will take you to the rural areas ... if I am there people will talk to you.” I am glad I persevered.

Poonch City, Dec 2006

Sarpanch Mohammed Latif & Friends, Poonch

Amina Rawat

Sitting on a narrow bench in the midst of a not so colourful display of rolled material in a cloth shop in Killa Market, Poonch city, three or sometimes four elderly men sitting alongside me chitchat. As they joke and laugh with each other, they seem to take lightly the issues I am here to discuss that I feel almost ignored. So I just sit and observe them, at times thinking perhaps I should move on elsewhere. Meanwhile the shopkeeper, a much younger chap in his thirties, works quietly diligently serving customers and not contributing a word to the chatter around him. He is observing the situation too and senses my uneasiness but remains silent. I persevere and after a while I gradually try and break into their conversations.

Sarpanch [local village leader] Choudhary Mohammed Latif, looking much younger than his 70 years with his henna-dyed beard and matching orange cap, is the most vocal of them all and is animated in a child-like manner with excitement as the conversations become livelier. He is assertive in his views and is particularly passionate about the divisions between family members and between Hindus and Muslims caused by partition in 1947 through to today’s communal element of the Kashmir conflict. He holds the policies of the English responsible for the predicament faced by the earlier part of the conflict and the USA predominantly responsible for the religious divide, particularly after 9/11, adding that “USA wants Kashmir as it has strategic interests.” ..? and that it was keeping the conflict going because if India and Pakistan got together, they would become a superpower and hence a threat to USA. Master Khadam Hussein Qamar, a smart looking retired Teacher, goes on to express similar views on the predicament Muslims are facing since 9/11.