Kashmir can't be made a Taliban zone

Schoolchildren show the light !

It speaks poorly of the PDPB J P establish ment in Srinagar and the h i g h - p r o f i l e Central leadership to have looked sheepishly at the systematic burning of over 30 schools in the strife-torn Kashmir Valley in the past four months. Ironically, the Central security agencies have tried to explain away these
arson attacks on schools as an attempt by local mischiefmongers and separatists to keep the "fires burning" since the "violent stone-pelting agitations" over the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani were showing signs of ebbing.

Whether Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti admits or not, the separatists are taking Kashmir on to the Taliban path of Fundamentalist Islam. We have to find quick answers to this problem. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court last month ordered the State government to rope in Village Education Committees to curb the menace of burning of schools buildings. We are yet to see the desired result.

The question here is not one of ebbing or rising of the agitation tempo, but of the quality of governance and working of intelligence agencies Were they in deep slumber a la Kumbkaram while "masked men" played with the future of Kashmir's school children ? In several schools, student records have been charred and the principals' offices destroyed.

The targeted schools in Kashmir are mainly modern educational institutions, such as the government Higher Secondary School in Kabamarg and Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya in Aishmuqam (both in Anantnag district). The whole exercise looks like a deep-rooted conspiracy by pro- Pak Hurriat persons and some vested interests among land mafia and drug-lords. They have, in fact, have made terrorism a big money-making business.

As for the Hurriat leadership, it has its own full-fledged anti-India agenda. In the process, it is destroying the very fabric of the Kashmir society which has to derive its substance from educated girls and boys in the Valley.

The schools in the Valley have remained shut for around four months as per the Hurriat diktates. This is highly disturbing, to say the least. A group of students staged a protest the other day against the closure of schools. They also appealed to the separatists to exclude education from their strike agenda. Even the Army has opened its own window on education for Kashmiri youngsters.

Interestingly, gauging the changing mood of the Kashmiris against the burning of schools, separatist leader Ali Shah Geelani has now condemned the incidents. He said, "Those involved in such acts can never be well-wishers of the society, not to talk of the movement (Azadi)". Nice to hear Gheelani's sane words, for change. However, we must not be taken in by his crocodile tears ! He is only following Pakistan's Talibani terrorists' agenda in the Valley !

The separatists leaders, Gheelani included, make sure of uninterrupted studies for their children in overseas schools or in Indian towns, but their business of terrorism in the Valley continues unabated. They are playing with the future of Kashmiri children. What a shame !

Look at what is happening in Pakistan itself. Just recall how the militants attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014. They killed 141 people, including 132 school children. It was Jehriki- Taliban (JJP) show. Similar attacks have taken place at other places in Pakistan where Taliban terrorist groups are out to destroy its modern educational outfits.

The Hurriat leaders ought to take some lessons from Pakistan happenings and give up their Taliban road to self-destruction.

In fact, the highly disturbing Valley scene raises a number of questions. Do Kashmiri Muslims care more for their Kashmiri identity than for their Islamic identity ? Why did they opt for Urdu as the official language ? Why did they adopt the Persian script for Kashmiri ? Why did they force the Persian dress for Kashmiri women ? Are these steps part of separatism ? Seldom do the protagonists of "Kashmiri identity" think that the people of Jammu and Ladakh also have an identity of their own. Do the Kasmiri Muslims consider themselves "special" because they are Muslims ? If so, what about the millions of Muslims in the rest of India?

Ironically, communalism was injected in the Valley by the Jamaat-i-Islam and its front organisations. Arab money helped Jamaat to organise madrasas in large numbers, which spawned a semi-educated generation of communalised young persons. It is these people who are providing grist to the militants' mill.

The mullah, for that matter, has always dominated life in the Valley. And the politicians too have built their politics around the mosque.

Combined with these fact is the trade in narcotics which has come to play a major role in Pakistan's proxy war against India, with its Hurriat face in the Valley. Unfortunately, the law enforcement agencies are full of officers who cooperate with drug and land mafias in the Valley!

Also, endless stream of foreign money through hawala routes is pouring in the Valley from various Islamic fundamentalist sources. All the factors make the task of Prime Minister Modi's Delhi establishment to tackle Kashmir's problems much more difficult than it has visualised. I wonder if our leaders are fully familiar with the Valley's fast changing ground realities. Half-baked understanding of today's Kashmir realities can hardly help to find right solutions to the Valley's complexities, including burning of schools by Taliban terrorists and various shades of vested interests.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti needs to have a close look at the report by Yashwant Sinha's group that visited the trouble-torn Valley recently. It has a lot to say about the turn of unfortunate events in Kashmir and has asked the PDP-BJP establishment to start the process of reopening schools and rightly so. We cannot be a party to playing with the future of the Valley's school children.

One redeeming feature of an otherwise bleak situation in the Valley is that nearly 95 per cent of class XII students appeared for their state board exams on Day One defying separatists' diktats against reopening of schools. Hope the separatists will get the right message !



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Ironically, the Central security agencies have tried to explain away these arson attacks on schools as an attempt by local mischiefmongers and separatists to keep the "fires burning" since the "violent stone-pelting agitations" over the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani were showing signs of ebbing. Whether Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti admits or not, the separatists are taking Kashmir on to the Taliban path of Fundamentalist Islam. We have to find quick answers to this problem. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court last month ordered the State government to rope in Village Education Committees to curb the menace of burning of schools buildings. We are yet to see the desired result. The question here is not one of ebbing or rising of the agitation tempo, but of the quality of governance and working of intelligence agencies Were they in deep slumber a la Kumbkaram while "masked men" played with the future of Kashmir's school children ? In several schools, student records have been charred and the principals' offices destroyed. The targeted schools in Kashmir are mainly modern educational institutions, such as the government Higher Secondary School in Kabamarg and Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya in Aishmuqam (both in Anantnag district). The whole exercise looks like a deep-rooted conspiracy by pro- Pak Hurriat persons and some vested interests among land mafia and drug-lords. They have, in fact, have made terrorism a big money-making business. As for the Hurriat leadership, it has its own full-fledged anti-India agenda. In the process, it is destroying the very fabric of the Kashmir society which has to derive its substance from educated girls and boys in the Valley. The schools in the Valley have remained shut for around four months as per the Hurriat diktates. This is highly disturbing, to say the least. A group of students staged a protest the other day against the closure of schools. They also appealed to the separatists to exclude education from their strike agenda. Even the Army has opened its own window on education for Kashmiri youngsters. Interestingly, gauging the changing mood of the Kashmiris against the burning of schools, separatist leader Ali Shah Geelani has now condemned the incidents. He said, "Those involved in such acts can never be well-wishers of the society, not to talk of the movement (Azadi)". Nice to hear Gheelani's sane words, for change. However, we must not be taken in by his crocodile tears ! He is only following Pakistan's Talibani terrorists' agenda in the Valley ! The separatists leaders, Gheelani included, make sure of uninterrupted studies for their children in overseas schools or in Indian towns, but their business of terrorism in the Valley continues unabated. They are playing with the future of Kashmiri children. What a shame ! Whether Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti admits or not, the separatists are taking Kashmir on to the Taliban path of Fundamentalist Islam. We have to find quick answers to this problem. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court last month ordered the State government to rope in Village Education Committees to curb the menace of burning of schools buildings. We are yet to see the desired result. Look at what is happening in Pakistan itself. Just recall how the militants attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014. They killed 141 people, including 132 school children. It was Jehriki- Taliban (JJP) show. Similar attacks have taken place at other places in Pakistan where Taliban terrorist groups are out to destroy its modern educational outfits. The Hurriat leaders ought to take some lessons from Pakistan happenings and give up their Taliban road to self-destruction. In fact, the highly disturbing Valley scene raises a number of questions. Do Kashmiri Muslims care more for their Kashmiri identity than for their Islamic identity ? Why did they opt for Urdu as the official language ? Why did they adopt the Persian script for Kashmiri ? Why did they force the Persian dress for Kashmiri women ? Are these steps part of separatism ? Seldom do the protagonists of "Kashmiri identity" think that the people of Jammu and Ladakh also have an identity of their own. Do the Kasmiri Muslims consider themselves "special" because they are Muslims ? If so, what about the millions of Muslims in the rest of India? Ironically, communalism was injected in the Valley by the Jamaat-i-Islam and its front organisations. Arab money helped Jamaat to organise madrasas in large numbers, which spawned a semi-educated generation of communalised young persons. It is these people who are providing grist to the militants' mill. The mullah, for that matter, has always dominated life in the Valley. And the politicians too have built their politics around the mosque. Ironically, communalism was injected in the Valley by the Jamaat-i-Islam and its front organisations. Arab money helped Jamaat to organise madrasas in large numbers, which spawned a semi-educated generation of communalised young persons. It is these people who are providing grist to the militants' mill. Combined with these fact is the trade in narcotics which has come to play a major role in Pakistan's proxy war against India, with its Hurriat face in the Valley. Unfortunately, the law enforcement agencies are full of officers who cooperate with drug and land mafias in the Valley! Also, endless stream of foreign money through hawala routes is pouring in the Valley from various Islamic fundamentalist sources. All the factors make the task of Prime Minister Modi's Delhi establishment to tackle Kashmir's problems much more difficult than it has visualised. I wonder if our leaders are fully familiar with the Valley's fast changing ground realities. Half-baked understanding of today's Kashmir realities can hardly help to find right solutions to the Valley's complexities, including burning of schools by Taliban terrorists and various shades of vested interests. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti needs to have a close look at the report by Yashwant Sinha's group that visited the trouble-torn Valley recently. It has a lot to say about the turn of unfortunate events in Kashmir and has asked the PDP-BJP establishment to start the process of reopening schools and rightly so. We cannot be a party to playing with the future of the Valley's school children. One redeeming feature of an otherwise bleak situation in the Valley is that nearly 95 per cent of class XII students appeared for their state board exams on Day One defying separatists' diktats against reopening of schools. Hope the separatists will get the right message !