A Kashmiri Student, a first time voter, who believes in democracy, writes an open letter to the Separatists

You analyse the elections of “Anantnaag”, the smallest Loksabha constituency of Jammu Kashmir, without any bias, and you understand terrorism and also the roots of terrorism in J&K. This is the onlyLoksabha seat in India, where, due to security reasons, the elections are held in three phases. Today is the last phase of voting and Geelani has called for a ‘’Bandh’’ to boycott the elections. In Anantnaag’s Verinag, the Pakistani terrorists killed Gul Mohammad Mir, just because he was supporting the BJP. But Geelani has very conveniently ignored this political killing of a local Muslim. Even Mehbooba Mufti, who has been appealing to instruct the Armed forces to not take any action against terrorists during the month of Ramzan, has not uttered a word on this killing of Ghulam Meer, which took place within hours of her above- mentioned appeal. A young college going Kashmiri student, who is a first-time voter, was deeply hurt by these incidents. He decided to pour his heart out and share his thoughts with the nation. Keeping the safety and security of this young man, we have changed his name and the name of his village, but the expression, experience and incidents are real.

I am a kashmiri

My name is Sajjad Ahmad. I am from Shopiyan. For my graduation studies, for the first time in my life, I stepped out of Shopiyan, crossed the Banihal Tunnel and went to Bangaluru. For every Kashmiri, Banihal tunnel is significant because after crossing Banihal tunnel we enter Jammu. All Kashmiris are told that across Banihal tunnel, in India, many atrocities are committed on Muslims. The BJP and RSS target the Muslims, they are not allowed to offer the Namaz and even the Muslim girls are harassed, hence, it is best to fight for Azadi and join Pakistan. Since, right from our childhood, we are fed this, the youth of Kashmir, sees an enemy in India and in every Indian, and I was no exception to this.

When I completed my 12th std, Abba categorically told me to go to either Delhi or Bangaluru for further studies. As I said, I was full of hatred for the rest of India and hence did not like this suggestion of my father. I tried to resist, but he said that you have no future here in Kashmir. Everyday there are Bandhs, strikes, violence, you cannot study here because the atmosphere is not conducive. So, if you want to study further, you have to choose between Delhi or Bangaluru. I fought, I resisted, I protested, I cried, I begged, but all in vain, finally, very reluctantly, I crossed Banihal tunnel and went to Bangaluru.

Bangaluru- My first encounter with the Truth

When I reached Bangaluru, I met several students and staff, who had come from different parts of India. To me, they were all my enemies. I was determined to do something to spit out my hatred on them, so they get to know my feelings towards them- the rest of India. I got the best opportunity to spit venom on 15th August. During the independence- day function in college I wore a Black Band on my arm and walked around in the hall, so that I register my protest against India and Indian constitution. I was expecting that people will object and oppose me, fight with me. But what happened was exactly opposite of this. One of the female professors came to me and asked the reason for the black band. I said – I am wearing it because I am not Free. India has occupied My Kashmir and there are atrocities committed on Muslims all over India. She asked – What kind of atrocities? I said they are not even allowed to offer Namaz. She very calmly said, you have been misinformed. There is no restriction in India on anyone offering Namaz. Even in Bangaluru people offer Namaz in Masjids. And then she left. Other than her, no one even noticed my Black Band, no one asked why was I wearing it. No body reacted, no body said anything to me and this was frustrating me, I started getting angry for even wearing that band.

Then I decided to do the fact finding my self and went to the Masjids in Bangaluru. To my complete astonishment, everything was normal in the Masjids, no interruption of any kind!! I kept wondering that why are we fed information exactly opposite of this in Kashmir?





Analyzing Kashmir issue-

This incident was an eye opener for me and from then on, I started analyzing the incidents in Kashmir, purely on the basis of facts. I was shocked to find that almost all the separatist leaders from Kashmir had either business or houses or properties in big cities like Delhi or Mumbai. Their children are studying in best of the colleges in these cities. The daughter of Shabeer Shah has gone abroad for higher education, but the children of poor farmers in Kashmir are pelting stone instead of going to schools for the sake of Azadi. A Separatist leader said that the education of children in Kashmir can wait till Azadi, but the daughter of Shabbeer Shah did not wait for Azadi, she wrote her exams also. She got good marks. Her interviews were published in Newspapers , shown on web portals. The separatist leader Geelani was saying that getting Indian Passport was his Fundamental Right, but how can that be if he is fighting to break away from India?

In Kashmir we were always told that how can a Bihari or Bengali CRPF jawan ask you, the Kashmiri locals, for Identity cards in your own Kashmir? But I was completely taken aback when I saw that in Chinnaswami stadium or at Bangaluru airport, the security personnel, who asked us for the Identity proof, were not necessarily Kannad, they were Haryanvi, sometimes Sikhs, sometimes Bihari.And no local Kannad person had any objection to this checking by an “Outsider”. I asked some of the locals, that don’t you feel bad when an outsider is asking you locals for identity proof? But all of them instead asked me, ‘what is wrong in that? All this is for our safety.’ These people can roam around anywhere, anytime, be it day or night, even women and girls are free to do so without any fear or restrictions!

Elections in Karnataka

Two years ago, there were elections in Karnataka, which was nothing less than a festival. People wanted to vote to ensure victory for one or the other party, all had political opinions, all could express their political opinions with out any fear. Sometimes, there would be heated discussions, and some people would take it so seriously that they stopped talking to each other for a few days, but it ended there. Elections were like a celebration. I had never witnessed such elections in Kashmir, ever. Some of my classmates were going to cast their vote for the first time and they were so excited about it. Everyone was talking about it, and this included both- the Hindus and Muslims. I asked one of my friends about importance of casting vote and he had so many valid arguments in favour of voting. He knew everything about the MLA from his constituency, his performance etc. I was so surprised to hear his opinion, because back in Kashmir, I don’t even know the name of the MLA from my Constituency, he never came to our village and even the villagers had no qualms about it. However, everyone in the village knew the names of Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed and ISIS etc.

Time passed and the 2019 General Elections started. I was first time voter. I decided that this time I will go back to Kashmir and cast my vote. But I was completely wrong. Since the time I have come to my village, some or the other separatist leader is calling for boycotting the elections. If anyone goes to vote there will be dire consequences. And finally, when people won’t vote, due to the threats issued by terrorist and separatists, these same separatist leaders will go hoarse shouting out loudly that people do not have faith in elections because the voting turnout was very low!!!

I wanted to vote for the first time in my life, but my parents are not supporting me in this decision of mine. The fact is that even they want to vote but they are also under pressure. It is also true that boys like me, who got to ‘’India’’ to study are under scanner, to check if we have become pro-democracy! I was under the intoxication of the freedom of Bangaluru and I tried to talk to some people about the importance of voting, but I was asked to shut up. I was shaken to the core because those arguing with me had seen many youtube videos uploaded by the separatists, where these separatist leaders are talking about the denial of free speech in Kashmir by the army. Although, the reality of Kashmir is exactly opposite of what these propagandists say in their videos, created to brainwash the Kashmiris. In Kashmir not only are they denying us, our right to freedom of expression, they are even trying to enslave our thoughts. It is ironical that some of my Kashmiri brothers are hands in gloves with these separatists. How I wish these people had seen the real world instead of the youtube videos.





A kashmiri is killed because he was supporting Democracy

Little away from my village is this place called Verinag. Last night a man called Ghulam Gul Mohammad Mir was brutally killed, just because he was associated with the BJP. He was telling people to vote. In Karnataka, BJP could not form the govt because JDS and Congress formed and alliance. Although, BJP had largest number of MLAs, but due to the alliance, BJP was out of power. Both, Congress and JDS said they have formed the alliance to keep BJP out of power and not for any other purpose!! In Anantnag, I am certain that BJP cannot win the elections; in spite of this the terrorists killed Ghulam Gul Mohammad Mir. He was sixty year old. I am compelled to think how a sixty years old man can be threat for anybody in Kashmir . He was only supporting democracy but silenced .

The people from Jamat are forcing women to wear Burqa, those who go to Sufi Dargah, are targeted, although, this is centuries old tradition in Kashmir. Even out Face Book is kept under check. If we write anything that is pro India, or pro- democracy, or if we do not write in favor of the separatists, the next day I get a call from home, and I am compelled to remove that post. Sometimes I stop any activities of Face book. Last vacation, when I came back home, some of my relatives even called me Indian agent.

Kashmiri Identity or Politics of Separatism

All through the election campaign, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, kept shouting that Kashmir has Special Status and that cannot be taken away. I keep wondering, what kind of Special Status is this, where me and my parents cannot even step out of our homes to cast our votes! There was a time when Geelani and Yasin Malik were my role models, but today they are getting exposed. ‘ hum kya chahte Azadi’ this slogan I had heard for the first time from Geelani. I also heard the arguments of Mehbooba Mufti that if Article 35 A is removed then Kashmir will be Azad from India. I felt that the Azadi Geelani talks about is now certain, because BJP in its election manifesto has said that it wants to remove Article 35 A. But I was again wrong. Geelani, who wanted Azadi from India, now is saying that Article 35 A is our Identity, no one can take it away from us!!! I am unable to digest the duality of Geelani, because Article 35 A which, according to him, now is identity of Kashmiris, is part of the constitution of India, the same constitution, which Geelani and the likes, do not want to be implemented in Kashmir and the same India from which Geelani wants Azadi.One day Geelani says India has occupied Kashmir, and next day he is swearing by the constitutional provision of India.

I cannot look the other way anymore – I cannot keep quite anymore

I have seen that some journalists are consistent in projecting Kashmir as conflict zone. They have no hesitation in distorting the facts and tell half truths also. They are doing this for money. All of us know which country is supplying funds for such propaganda, but still we keep quiet. But this foreign funding is killing my innocent Kashmiris in Kashmir itself, which I cannot accept anymore. My blood boils and I cannot keep quiet. I have spoken with my parents about this, they begged, that although I am right, if I utter even a word, I may get killed. I am a youth from Kashmir, I was supposed to vote for the first time, but I cannot, the so called leaders, politicians, freedom fighters, all are destroying Kashmir and hence I want to give a message to entire country, that please save my Kashmir, or let me say Please Save Our Kashmir.