Season of Apples and Blood In Kashmir!

 By Asghar Mayo 

We claim to live in a civilized world with vibrant media and sophisticated institutions but there are many places where millions of millions people are suffering injustice, violence, oppression and suppression, with no relief in sight. Ironically, civilization is yet not ready to pay heed to their miseries and sufferings. There is nobody to let the daylight in the darkness of injustice and tyranny. It seems that there is no collective conscience of this so called civilized world. Perhaps, it is designed to bolster the interest of few nations, who are strong in muscle and clever in maneuvering.

Kashmir is unfortunate case in point, where 5 million people are suffering at the hands of “largest democracy”. They protest every year, spill blood every summer; dozens of people lay their lives at the altar of independence but all in vain so to speak. Storm abate and life become calm once again as if protest were part of rituals and  ended with apple season in valley.

Apple season is about to start but anger is seething and Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to put the real matter under carpet. Each day sun set along with many innocent lives. Hundreds have died and thousands are in line to die. Thanks to India, thousands  troops are dispatched who will resort to draconian laws to control the wave of protest. No mistake, every year guns and mortar win and every time kashmiries loose. Protest peter out but not for good; simmering hatred against Indian occupation erupt in many forms. Nobody except Pakistan, who has its own axe to grind, comes to condemn and demand a permanent solution of issue. Print and electronic media across the world give coverage to issue when big things happen which are otherwise not ignorable. Is everybody is biased against Kashmir? No, actually nobody is interested in you unless you have some material value.

 The movement of Kashmir is poorly organized and it is victim of internal division; even Huyriat Conference has inherent weaknesses to put a united front against India. Pakistan always played a critical role in Kashmir movement but deteriorating conditions in Pakistan have limited the influence and India doesn’t bother about Pakistan Foreign Office statements for obvious reasons. But I always pray for kashmiries with a faith that nationalism cannot be defeated, no matter how much strong the imperialist are