Khalid Tantray
The current scenario in Kashmir is no different from that of a war. Three months of clampdown, more than 80 deaths and there seems no end to the conflict. These statistics are absolutely disturbing for the common masses, while for those at the helm of affairs it’s just a clash of “percentages”. But there are some alarming questions that we, the common Kashmiris need to ponder over, WHO IS WINNING ? Are we even getting close to achieving what we dream of? As far as the developments regarding the issue and the seriousness or to be apt, lack of seriousness, of those in the seats of power goes it doesn’t look like that we are! It’s high time to introspect whether the methods that we are using are effective or as it seems to me, counterproductive. I am compelled to say this having seen the horrific and worrying scenes almost at every place that I visited during these months. Kids, aged just 5 or 10 at the most, are out on the roads with hands full of stones. Not knowing what they are doing this for, they just stop every vehicle, hurl stones on every person irrespective of whether it’s a civilian or otherwise. But then, that is bound to happen, isn’t it? They are immature minds, but, at the same time, they are keen observers. They have been observing everything painstakingly. They are just emulating what they’ve been seeing all around. A quote popping up in my mind rightly describes the point – “Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate” It’s not an attempt to show the movement in bad light. We just need to think about this with an open mind. Are we going to ruin the future of the nation that we are fighting to free from the oppressors? Are we ready to pay this price having paid with our lives already? These young buds that should be enjoying this time of their lives and not caring about anything else have been pushed to the wall. Even at this time of misery and great sorrow, the parents are duty-bound to counsel their wards. We cannot let the situation make a dreadful impact on the minds of our gen-next. At the same time, those in control of the situation should ask themselves whether they’re really doing any good to this movement by creating such repercussions. “The children of any nation are its future. A country, a movement, a person that doesn’t value its youth and children does not deserve its future” – Oliver Tambo