Youth of Kashmir: From Streets to Cyber | PKKH.tv
PKKH Exclusive | Mahwish Qureshi
Torture, extrajudicial executions, disappearances, willful destruction of property and forced displacement are features of daily routine in a Valley which is always metaphorically referred as “Heaven on Earth’’
The Crimes of the Indian occupation forces, numbering more than half a million, against the people of Kashmir have reached genocidal proportions, and present the worst example of state-sponsored terrorism. The sufferings of the Kashmiri people have reached a tremendous intensity and magnitude. However, India, which takes great pride in being the world’s largest democracy, refuses to notice the voice of these innocent people. The people of Jammu and Kashmir were assured by no less an authority than the UN Security Council for an exercise of their right to decide their future under conditions free from intimidation and coercion. But the peaceful movements of the Kashmiri people for the realization of this right and the respect for their fundamental human rights are always crushed with brute force.
India has always been trying to keep the Kashmir crisis out of the international spotlight with the use of aggressive diplomacy. That is why Kashmir remains today as one of the highly militarized regions in the world with more than half a million Indian security forces, amidst charges of widespread human rights violations including, torture, arbitrary killings, rape and involuntary disappearances. India’s policy is not to genuinely investigate or accuse the armed forces for human rights violations. On the contrary, alleged perpetrators of crimes are awarded, rewarded and promoted.
Indian authorities are not willing to consider talking with the Kashmiri people on political grounds. For them, only bullet is the right way of dealing with them. Successive Indian governments have tried to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris to maintain their alien rule.
Despite the employment of various procedures of massacre and harassment in the Indian occupied Kashmir, the Kashmiri people have shown by whatever little knowledge we have been getting from this remote war-zone that the struggle of freedom in these people has always remained and continues, towards the goal of getting their genuine right of self-determination. India could not suppress the freedom movement in the past; neither can it do so in future.
The Kashmiris are determined to not bow before the dictatorial rule of India and they will endure their struggle for acquiring their right to self-determination till logical conclusion.
Youth, the future of Kashmir who has been stereotyped as violent, rebellious, and discontented but never an attempt has been made to explore deep into the reason for this ‘image’. This youth has been facing persistent suppression of their voices and has witness bloodshed and turmoil, since childhood, which splatters their mindset. Below are some excerpts from the words of some Kashmiri youth, giving the outside world an idea how their fiery souls burn in a conscious fire of intellectual self-recognition.
They say, “Youth is that spark which needs no ignition”. Youth is a powerful resource which can either construct or destruct the whole nation. Kashmiri youth has realized the varying dynamics at the global level that is why they are shaping their struggle accordingly.
“I am free but my thoughts aren't. I am free but my aspirations aren't. I am free but my views aren't. I am a Kashmiri and that's my only crime “. This is the Profile introduction of a youngster from Kashmir, using his social media tools for keeping the fire of freedom alive and burning, and when youth around the world are chit chatting fun time humor on their tweets, here is a youth of Kashmir with a totally different mindset.
A twenty years old Engineering student from Kashmir expresses his feelings and concerns about his homeland in these words:
“Being from Kashmir, I feel foreign occupation should end as soon as possible for the sake of Mutual Coexistence. Our Fight is not for a particular Religion or Particular group of People But against the Occupation of our Land, our Dreams and our Aspirations. While the situation of Palestine and Syria is discussed globally, no one remembers us as Media is also not allowed to report the facts About Kashmir.
The capital city of Kashmir which is considered as calm and Green zone for tourists has Indian paramilitary bunkers every half Kilometer in full riot gear ready to shoot. Millions of Muslim civilians in Kashmir have been killed brutally by Indian Army and no one was brought to Justice. It fills us with much vengeance towards Indian system, Indian Government Policies alienated us Long back despite of their claim that we are their own People. The fact is they Love our Land, Not us!
The Unarmed protestors are also shot with bullets. The Draconian Laws imposed gives Indian army a license to Kill, Torture, Rape anyone whenever they want - Therefore we are left with no other option but Resistance.
Dialogues have failed as always, India wants to maintain Status Quo and for this they are even ready to turn Kashmir into a Graveyard. There can be no recompilation keeping in view what they did to us, till the dawn of freedom or the movement is taken to its Logical end. We need volunteers who could support us.”
The Kashmiri youth, has proven through it connection via frequency waves, that they are the most passionate and the most sensible of youth of the world and indeed their thought canvas is refined and mature beyond ordinary youth.
They share Real- life videos depicting Indian brutalities in Kashmir instead of Romantic songs. Their fan pages at Facebook are dedicated to their national heroes -- who were martyred for the struggle of freedom, they make online petitions for their demands of justice, showing their maturity towards peaceful democratic methods. When on Twitter,*World trends include the hash-tags like #JustinBieberismyhero#MyfavouriteMovie *#ThingsILovetodo , we find Kashmir youth engaged in tweeting trends like #KashmirSiege and *#FreeKashmir
Here are some Tweets from Kashmir:
IbneBattuta ‏@Ibnebattuta
No idea or mind could be ever barricaded or curfewed.
KashirKot®*‏@KashirKot
Weeping and mourning is also banned in*#Kashmir. Anyone in tears is called Separatist.*#KashmirNow
SarmatMisgér*‏@Sarmatspeaks
An Average Kashmiri born in 80's or 90's have spent 1.5 to 3 years of their life under Curfew.*#KashmirSiege #OpenPrison .
IbneBattuta ‏@Ibnebattuta
Nothing can be more contemptuously insulting than the ruler forcing curfew & censorship & blaming common people for it.
MirzaWaheed ‏@MirzaWaheed
The media gag in #Kashmir is undemocratic, immoral and illegal. Shame on India and its craven clients.
Sameer Bhat ‏@sameerft
#KashmirSiege: So when is the world's largest democracy planning to restore our freedom of expression, movement, ideas and mourning? #Freedom
Rehan*‏@rcayed
Call me a terrorist when I'm rescuing my nation. I'm happy being a 'Terrorist', you ignorant!
Malik Waris @Maesto ‏@warisplz
If u see a #Kashmiri sleeping don't wake him maybe he is dreaming of Freedom. Dreaming of freedom not yet illegal in #Kashmir
Danyal Bashir @KoshurX
#Kashmir an occupied Muslim country where a Muslim has to take permission From Kafir to offer Prayer & he isn't allowed even then.
iKashmir ®*‏@icashmir
I am*#Kashmir &i have been satisfying collective conscience of #India since 1947.
AalaW*‏@Aalaw_
Occupying forces entered into the residential houses and beat the inmates in baramulla
Jamat 'ud' Da'wah*‏@JuD_Official
Martyrdom of*#AfzalGuru is Judicial Terrorism by a state that has been involved in state terrorism since 65 years.#Kashmir will never forget.
The violent history of Kashmir, with its disastrous record of terrorism and bloodshed is often mentioned by Kashmiri youth, who are deeply touched by the turmoil in their land. A Kashmir-based journalist writes an open letter to a Govt. Official after his suggestions that Kashmiris must forget the past and the time is ripe to move forward. Following are his words:
“Must I forget my father’s burnt legs, sliced forehead, ironed and bruised body, the result of torture in one of your army’s interrogation centers? Must I forget the sight of your soldiers beating up my brother on his way back from school; tearing up his bag and books? Must I forget the nightmare of my own torture while I was just a teenager? They, your sentinels in uniforms, beat me up and passed electric current through my body. Why? I have no idea to this day.
I can’t forget - Nor must I, for forgetting is a luxury that oppressed people can’t afford.”
In short, from strikes to stone pelting, from Graffiti to social media, the youth of Kashmir is using every means to send their message to the outer, insensitive world. Amidst the murderous sway of ignoble circumstances inflicted upon them by their tyrants, they have shown their human-instincts by using technology in a very positive way -- for a purpose worth striving for.
With the passion of the panther’s pace and heaven kissing determination, big causes are fought. The youth of Kashmir has every quality to fight their case diligently. The day is not far when the winds of liberty and freedom will strike every door in Kashmir and the long-awaited dreams of Kashmiris will come true – InshaAllah
Mahwish Qureshi is a Peace & Political Activist with a strong belief of Socio- constructivism through the mirror of Islamic System. She is currently working in the field of Training & development and can be reached at*missterriouss@gmail.com . She tweets@Ms_Terrious
[URL="http://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/2013/02/23/youth-of-kashmir-from-streets-to-cyber/#.USkGoXoqHRI"]Source
PKKH Exclusive | Mahwish Qureshi
Torture, extrajudicial executions, disappearances, willful destruction of property and forced displacement are features of daily routine in a Valley which is always metaphorically referred as “Heaven on Earth’’
The Crimes of the Indian occupation forces, numbering more than half a million, against the people of Kashmir have reached genocidal proportions, and present the worst example of state-sponsored terrorism. The sufferings of the Kashmiri people have reached a tremendous intensity and magnitude. However, India, which takes great pride in being the world’s largest democracy, refuses to notice the voice of these innocent people. The people of Jammu and Kashmir were assured by no less an authority than the UN Security Council for an exercise of their right to decide their future under conditions free from intimidation and coercion. But the peaceful movements of the Kashmiri people for the realization of this right and the respect for their fundamental human rights are always crushed with brute force.
India has always been trying to keep the Kashmir crisis out of the international spotlight with the use of aggressive diplomacy. That is why Kashmir remains today as one of the highly militarized regions in the world with more than half a million Indian security forces, amidst charges of widespread human rights violations including, torture, arbitrary killings, rape and involuntary disappearances. India’s policy is not to genuinely investigate or accuse the armed forces for human rights violations. On the contrary, alleged perpetrators of crimes are awarded, rewarded and promoted.
Indian authorities are not willing to consider talking with the Kashmiri people on political grounds. For them, only bullet is the right way of dealing with them. Successive Indian governments have tried to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris to maintain their alien rule.
Despite the employment of various procedures of massacre and harassment in the Indian occupied Kashmir, the Kashmiri people have shown by whatever little knowledge we have been getting from this remote war-zone that the struggle of freedom in these people has always remained and continues, towards the goal of getting their genuine right of self-determination. India could not suppress the freedom movement in the past; neither can it do so in future.
The Kashmiris are determined to not bow before the dictatorial rule of India and they will endure their struggle for acquiring their right to self-determination till logical conclusion.
Youth, the future of Kashmir who has been stereotyped as violent, rebellious, and discontented but never an attempt has been made to explore deep into the reason for this ‘image’. This youth has been facing persistent suppression of their voices and has witness bloodshed and turmoil, since childhood, which splatters their mindset. Below are some excerpts from the words of some Kashmiri youth, giving the outside world an idea how their fiery souls burn in a conscious fire of intellectual self-recognition.
They say, “Youth is that spark which needs no ignition”. Youth is a powerful resource which can either construct or destruct the whole nation. Kashmiri youth has realized the varying dynamics at the global level that is why they are shaping their struggle accordingly.
“I am free but my thoughts aren't. I am free but my aspirations aren't. I am free but my views aren't. I am a Kashmiri and that's my only crime “. This is the Profile introduction of a youngster from Kashmir, using his social media tools for keeping the fire of freedom alive and burning, and when youth around the world are chit chatting fun time humor on their tweets, here is a youth of Kashmir with a totally different mindset.
A twenty years old Engineering student from Kashmir expresses his feelings and concerns about his homeland in these words:
“Being from Kashmir, I feel foreign occupation should end as soon as possible for the sake of Mutual Coexistence. Our Fight is not for a particular Religion or Particular group of People But against the Occupation of our Land, our Dreams and our Aspirations. While the situation of Palestine and Syria is discussed globally, no one remembers us as Media is also not allowed to report the facts About Kashmir.
The capital city of Kashmir which is considered as calm and Green zone for tourists has Indian paramilitary bunkers every half Kilometer in full riot gear ready to shoot. Millions of Muslim civilians in Kashmir have been killed brutally by Indian Army and no one was brought to Justice. It fills us with much vengeance towards Indian system, Indian Government Policies alienated us Long back despite of their claim that we are their own People. The fact is they Love our Land, Not us!
The Unarmed protestors are also shot with bullets. The Draconian Laws imposed gives Indian army a license to Kill, Torture, Rape anyone whenever they want - Therefore we are left with no other option but Resistance.
Dialogues have failed as always, India wants to maintain Status Quo and for this they are even ready to turn Kashmir into a Graveyard. There can be no recompilation keeping in view what they did to us, till the dawn of freedom or the movement is taken to its Logical end. We need volunteers who could support us.”
The Kashmiri youth, has proven through it connection via frequency waves, that they are the most passionate and the most sensible of youth of the world and indeed their thought canvas is refined and mature beyond ordinary youth.
They share Real- life videos depicting Indian brutalities in Kashmir instead of Romantic songs. Their fan pages at Facebook are dedicated to their national heroes -- who were martyred for the struggle of freedom, they make online petitions for their demands of justice, showing their maturity towards peaceful democratic methods. When on Twitter,*World trends include the hash-tags like #JustinBieberismyhero#MyfavouriteMovie *#ThingsILovetodo , we find Kashmir youth engaged in tweeting trends like #KashmirSiege and *#FreeKashmir
Here are some Tweets from Kashmir:
IbneBattuta ‏@Ibnebattuta
No idea or mind could be ever barricaded or curfewed.
KashirKot®*‏@KashirKot
Weeping and mourning is also banned in*#Kashmir. Anyone in tears is called Separatist.*#KashmirNow
SarmatMisgér*‏@Sarmatspeaks
An Average Kashmiri born in 80's or 90's have spent 1.5 to 3 years of their life under Curfew.*#KashmirSiege #OpenPrison .
IbneBattuta ‏@Ibnebattuta
Nothing can be more contemptuously insulting than the ruler forcing curfew & censorship & blaming common people for it.
MirzaWaheed ‏@MirzaWaheed
The media gag in #Kashmir is undemocratic, immoral and illegal. Shame on India and its craven clients.
Sameer Bhat ‏@sameerft
#KashmirSiege: So when is the world's largest democracy planning to restore our freedom of expression, movement, ideas and mourning? #Freedom
Rehan*‏@rcayed
Call me a terrorist when I'm rescuing my nation. I'm happy being a 'Terrorist', you ignorant!
Malik Waris @Maesto ‏@warisplz
If u see a #Kashmiri sleeping don't wake him maybe he is dreaming of Freedom. Dreaming of freedom not yet illegal in #Kashmir
Danyal Bashir @KoshurX
#Kashmir an occupied Muslim country where a Muslim has to take permission From Kafir to offer Prayer & he isn't allowed even then.
iKashmir ®*‏@icashmir
I am*#Kashmir &i have been satisfying collective conscience of #India since 1947.
AalaW*‏@Aalaw_
Occupying forces entered into the residential houses and beat the inmates in baramulla
Jamat 'ud' Da'wah*‏@JuD_Official
Martyrdom of*#AfzalGuru is Judicial Terrorism by a state that has been involved in state terrorism since 65 years.#Kashmir will never forget.
The violent history of Kashmir, with its disastrous record of terrorism and bloodshed is often mentioned by Kashmiri youth, who are deeply touched by the turmoil in their land. A Kashmir-based journalist writes an open letter to a Govt. Official after his suggestions that Kashmiris must forget the past and the time is ripe to move forward. Following are his words:
“Must I forget my father’s burnt legs, sliced forehead, ironed and bruised body, the result of torture in one of your army’s interrogation centers? Must I forget the sight of your soldiers beating up my brother on his way back from school; tearing up his bag and books? Must I forget the nightmare of my own torture while I was just a teenager? They, your sentinels in uniforms, beat me up and passed electric current through my body. Why? I have no idea to this day.
I can’t forget - Nor must I, for forgetting is a luxury that oppressed people can’t afford.”
In short, from strikes to stone pelting, from Graffiti to social media, the youth of Kashmir is using every means to send their message to the outer, insensitive world. Amidst the murderous sway of ignoble circumstances inflicted upon them by their tyrants, they have shown their human-instincts by using technology in a very positive way -- for a purpose worth striving for.
With the passion of the panther’s pace and heaven kissing determination, big causes are fought. The youth of Kashmir has every quality to fight their case diligently. The day is not far when the winds of liberty and freedom will strike every door in Kashmir and the long-awaited dreams of Kashmiris will come true – InshaAllah
Mahwish Qureshi is a Peace & Political Activist with a strong belief of Socio- constructivism through the mirror of Islamic System. She is currently working in the field of Training & development and can be reached at*missterriouss@gmail.com . She tweets@Ms_Terrious
[URL="http://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/2013/02/23/youth-of-kashmir-from-streets-to-cyber/#.USkGoXoqHRI"]Source
