Every year before we think of celebrating EID in Kashmir, anything devastating happens that dashes out the hopes of everybody and all are put to mourn the deaths & destruction of our fellow Kashmiris
Burhan wani, Shujaat Bukhari, abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, domicile act and now Junaid Sehrai to mention few are some of the very devastating developments that have happened in recent past in Kashmir on the eve of EID. There is no connection and connotation of these persons or events with EID. Authorities at the helm through a propagandist approach are making a suitable connection of these persons and events with EID to dash out the hopes of celebration EID in Kashmir. Every year, when it is time for celebrating EID in Kashmir, keep aside this year’s situation created by COVID pandemic, some kind of disturbing and devastating circumstances are created in Kashmir that change the state of celebration into mourning and this is going on since decades now.
Why such things happen and how much long will it take Kashmir to change this narrative and change this hard hitting ground reality? Now one has answer to this question. It is because these things will happen until any lasting solution for Kashmir is devised. We are skeptical always to visit praying places on EID, because we see more armed deployments around on the eve of EID than of children playing in parks, sweet shops selling sweets, Muslim brothers greeting each other with blessings and many more. But in adverse contradiction to this all, every year now, we see people offerings EID prayers in haste, children’s been either kept at homes are made to not leave their places until the prayers are completed and they are brought back homes as early as possible, and large contingents of armed personnel being deployed at the market places, shops and places of worship that are most likely to be visited by people on the occasion of EID making us to feel refugees in own land.
This is not a new normal in Kashmir but is the routine of the day now. We start day with this reality and end up day with this only. The trauma, psychological strain & psychosocial impact this all have on the Kashmir is unlettered documentation, uncalled for and newer ending story to tell and no way can be quantified and told here in writing.
We see everyday mothers wailing for their sons to come back who could never, we see fathers shouldering the coffins of their dear ones in their old age, and we see sisters waiting for their brothers with mehandi in their hands but soaked with blood. All these happenings touch everyday in Kashmir and there seems no end to it as of now. EID that marks the end of holy month of Ramadan and meant to celebrate this occasion as victory of good over evil, hope over despair, and progress over destruction, but this narrative and the definition of the occasion is changed for worst of Kashmiris. But who will hear our pleas end this trauma, there is no one to have a take on it. We are there in the middle to fight it till end.
Worst ever human rights violations, detentions, defamations, destruction and devastation, mourning’s and materializing things have taken a new shape in Kashmir where a person is treated as per his religious views and not as per his conduct and behavior in the society. If we do no harm to others, even then are we defamed with false allegations, beaten to pulp without any of our faults? Our homes reduced to ashes, our assets looted like anything else. How can ones live with this harsh reality of the day in mind? How can one celebrate EID when such is the ordeal of ours? They say we are educated then why we take guns in our hands, why we turn rebellions, story told, this is answer to them. If fighting for ones birth right and dignity qualify one as a terrorist, then yes, we all Kashmiris are, because we are fighting for our cause from decades now and there is still no end to our sufferings. We too are humans, we too have rights, we too have a space to express our feelings but we are hardly provided that space to express our inner. Why so, cannot we even celebrate our holy days as anyone else? or are we the sons of lesser god or we made to think that we are sons of lesser god. Whatever is their narrative, we are there to fight for our rights, fight for our plight and to revenge for the devastation they have caused to our Kashmir. They have even made animals deaf and dumb through their destructive approach. They are animals and could not reveal their ordeal to anyone. But almighty Allah is seeing this all. He has to take a decision if not now, but anytime soon. We will wait to that moment, EID will come again. What if we are not celebrating it now? We will celebrate the Haqeeqi EID then only. Destructions too have recourse.
We will again rise and shine but they have to be answerable for all this mess they have created. We were told during our childhood days that we are living in a paradise. Growing through different phases, we have not seen anything even personified to heaven. Because they have turned this into hell. But we are waiting for the final decision, the final call is yet to be taken and that will come from almighty, Insha’Allah. We will be made to realize that we have born and brought up in a place that is really paradise on earth. Then we will celebrate EID in Kashmir will full austerity. Things change their course. We will see a new dawn powered with peace and prosperity for Kashmir. Till then we have to live with this reality, we have to see such happenings on ground, we will mourn these deaths on the occasion of EID. Destructions will be all around. Mothers will weep and wail for their sons, fathers will shoulder coffins of their dears in old age. Sisters will keep waiting for their brothers to come back resurrected. But as it is rightly said,
“Fa inna ma al usri usra. Inna ma al usri usra”
So verily, with hardship, there is relief, verily, with hardship, there is relief.
We all hope that things will change on ground one day we all will celebrate this occasion of EID with our families without any threat from anywhere and without any dead body waiting us to mourn.
May Allah protect all Muslims world over and ease our sufferings, Insha’Allah.
Author is freelancer and currently working as DST INSPIRE at Regional Research Laboratory Jammu.
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