Kashmir is no different

Democracy, as we know it today, or as it has been marketed to be, is the ultimate form of political emancipation. The ideas and values of liberty, equality and fraternity which have mesmerised human societies since the French Revolution have, however, turned out to be more utopian than practical. Democracy is a farce, an eyewash. The world still turns along the same fulcrums of absolute power and xenophobia that it always has. And Kashmir is no different.

The entire argument against the abrogation of Article 370 rests on the belief that Kashmiris have been denied the right to self-determination. But let us understand very clearly that this ‘right to self-determination’ has never actually existed. Almost all throughout history, the mighty have subdued the weak, countries have been won by conquering them with military force, and in every war you can recollect from your books of history the opinion of the conquered countrymen was among the least of anyone's concerns. People simply submitted to authority, they had been programmed into doing so, and there was pretty much nothing else that they could do.

Whenever a king would conquer a land, he would flood it with his soldiers and curtail the citizens’ rights, torch their houses, rape their women and force the entire populace to surrender. And Kashmir is no different.


It has been centuries since Kashmir has been ruled ‘by’ one of their own. I asked a Kashmiri friend how long have you been under foreign rule, and this is what he had to say, “We have been under siege since ages. First the Afghans, then the Turks, then the Mughals, then the Sikhs, then the Dogras and then the Republic of India. We have never been politically free.”

If seen from this perspective, all the human rights violations, the heavy military presence, the killings and kidnappings and rapes, the communication blockade, the travel restrictions, the internet and electricity restrictions, they all make sense. It also makes sense why self-styled nationalists are so happy about it. This is because... (come close)... Kashmir has been conquered! And they know this.

The abrogation of Article 370 by a parliamentary act is a mere delusion. The Supreme Court not ready to take up this issue even after 100 days is clear evidence of the fact that everyone is hand-in-glove. I mean, how can an entire state's urgent issue not be on your priority list? Oh! It can be, if conquering and annexing it was your primary agenda. This is how counties have always been annexed, and Kashmir is no different.

Dr. Parvez Mandviwala

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Homosexuals and Homosexuality- Compatibility with Islam

Image
H O M O S E X U A L I T Y Impact and Solution DR. PARVEZ MANDVIWALA Abstract Homosexuality is either frowned upon and stigmatized (as in religious societies) or condoned and encouraged as a legitimate expression of one's sexuality (as in liberal societies). Accordingly, this also has a profound effect on the institution of marriage. In societies where it is stigmatized, homosexuality is considered a disease, which is either ‘cured’ by marrying the person concerned in a heterosexual union, or the homosexual person himself enters into a marriage of convenience. On the contrary, in societies where homosexuality is completely accepted, the homosexual person either remains unmarried or enters into a homosexual union depending upon the laws of his country/state. This paper seeks to explore all these four possibilitie
Read more

40 Lessons We Should Learn from the Hudaibiyah Expedition

Image
40 Lessons We Should Learn from the Hudaibiyah Expedition T he Study of the Seerah (Biography) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is an indispensable aid in understanding Islam, to the point that each and every aspect of his life is brimming with lessons for us to learn. The Umrah journey of Zil Qadd 6 AH, widely known as the Expedition of Hudaibiyah was a turning point in the Islamic Movement, heralding the onset of all future victories. Hence it becomes very important for us to delve into it in some detail. Here I would try to highlight what we can learn from the events that unfolded during this expedition in the light of Surah alFath [48] (revealed while returning from the expedition) and the Seerah literature. Journey to Hudaibiyah Following the battles of Badr, Uhud and the more recent Battle of the Trench in 5 AH, the relations between the Muslims and the Quraish had reached their nadir. There was an atmosphere of belligerency all around and venturing into enemy territo
Read more

If Khuda, then why not Ishwar and God?

Image
If Khuda, then why not Ishwar and God? In my last post, while translating the words of the Azan, I had used the word Ishwar for Allah. Some friends pointed out that Ishwar should not be used instead of Allah because ‘Ishwar’ is not one among the 99 names of Allah.  In the Indian subcontinent, salat is known as namaz, and saum is known as roza, despite the fact that these are Persian words which cannot be found anywhere in the Qur'an or Hadith. Can you tell me one more Persian word which is widely used by Muslims in the subcontinent? That word is ‘Khuda’. It is used instead of Allah, despite the fact that Khuda is not one among the 99 names of Allah that we find in the Qur'an and Hadith. When Persia was taken by Muslim forces in the 7th Century CE, some people approached Caliph Umar Farooqؓ and submitted that the Persians use the word Khuda instead of Allah. Caliph Umar, after weighing that word on the scales of the ayaat quoted below, approved the use of the word Khuda for All
Read more