Kashmiri Voice: Sleepless nights and stressful days Kashmir blackout is not something new which we saw growing. Uprising, Curfew, agitations, killings goes side by side. The times has changed but the situation remained same since 1990. Back then people were gathered outside in a ground and kept hours for investigation. Crackdown remained in mind till teenage. With time things change and tactics changed as well. AFSPA, PSA took some time to understand as these tactics were legal now what was done in the past. Destiny and virtue being a Kashmiri is to expose with such situations where we have to suffer with a trauma to know what happened in Kashmir everyday. World is excited to know about new innovation and developments but being Kashmiri is to know till what level things were worst. How many have been killed, how many in the society have been tortured, wounded and Jailed. “It is hard to explain Conflict to those who haven’t went through such experiences”, The quote has depth even the international community doesn’t understand the conflict and the impact of conflict on society. We know Politics is the battle of ideology but even since 1947, when left wings and right wings from India and Pakistan has ruled and had an opportunity to go for a dialogue and resolve the conflict but it always remain Political agenda from both sides for their election to radicalise the people.
International community tried to intervene but not with the capacity what they did in conflict regions apart from Kashmir. Resulotion and referendums has been passed time to time either to please the government of two states or to fulfil their duties without empathy. The youth couldn’t see their future, they are in a state where Kashmir is a only place for them where they can study and work. The talent gets wasted because they doesn’t get exposed to outer world. where capitalism has overruled almost everything. Kids are having fun at home because they don’t have to undergo with certain exercises at school and parents are in stress and dying everyday to see how dark is their life with such circumstances. The comparison of living life during blackout in Kashmir and outside Kashmir has different aspects. Then it was not known what is happening outside Kashmir and now it is not known what is happening inside Kashmir. When trying to browse the news it is almost known what is fake and what is real but then it gets remembered the theories of Mass communication like Persuasion theory and Cultivation theory. How mass media changed the perception of common people. The reality is that India always fail to apply soft power policy in Kashmir. The brutality and barbarism has a limit but when it exceeds we should consider Kashmir and then on other hand Pakistan tried its best to show empathy to Kashmiris but that was not enough. Lot of research and civil societies are working in this region but never understood the impact apart from few activists who spoke about Kashmir and then their name gets famous for their work and last stage in Jail. To Google Kashmir we expect to see valley, lash green fields, flow of Water and Mountain but gives entirely a different image. An image of a victim in different shades who has suffered whole life, blood on streets, Pallets in eyes and skeleton, torture Psychologically as well as physically. Rapes, killings, disappeared and helpless people. I am proud and afraid being a Kashmiri, Proud being too resistant and persistent. Afraid of caught in an unwanted situation of conflict. Sleepless nights and stressful days are common symptoms of a Kashmiri.
Sheikh Roshan Akbar
PhD Candidate
University of Warsaw Poland
