The individuals who took out this piece in the paper state that they 'pledge to carry forward his mission and translate his dreams into reality'. I can only assume that they have made similar statements in regards to his demise these past years, and considering that, well, I begin to wonder what his mission and dream was. Since his death, many have died. Since his death, governments have changed. Since his death, Kashmir has undergone minor revolutions, major strife, and innumerous hartals. And to what end?
This ‘Hurriyat’ party of Kashmir, these ‘leaders’ of Kashmir, what do they know of hunger and the biting cold and the empty pockets of the common man? They, who sit in their palatial homes and whine on about the horrors of house arrest, what right have they? They call upon hartal after hartal after hartal. Complete shutdown. No shop must be open at the risk of incurring their wrath. What’s that, you say? You don’t have money to feed your family? Tsk, tsk, man, who can think of money at a time like this? Do you not want freedom, AZAADI, from the oppressing Indians? Are you not willing to forgo food for some time if it means a lifetime of INDEPENDENCE for your posterity? What kind of a Kashmiri are you? So what if your wares are collecting dust, that your produce is rotting, that your children are falling sick, that your stomach is rumbling, that your clothes need mending, that your house is crumbling? SACRIFICE. Sacrifice is needed. Unless, of course, you are a traitor. A traitor to the cause! A patsy of India! A man without morals!
In 2002, a series of raids were conducted in various residences of a certain political leader which lead to the seizure of Rs. 10.2 lakh, $10,000, and a diamond encrusted watch on which ‘from Pakistan government’ was engraved, among other things. This same individual gave forth as his net income a simple Rs. 17,100 per year. One can only wonder as to where the rest of the money came from. As Sahir once wrote, “Zara is mulk ke rahbaro ko bulao, ye kuche ye galiya ye manzar dikhao…”.
So what good can we make of these hartals? I mean I get pretty bored when the entire city is shut down. There isn’t much to do, as I’m sure many can agree. Why not clean up Kashmir a little bit? And as much as I’d enjoy dusting out the political graphics of our fair state, I think we’d all be better off and less dead if we instead gave Kashmir back some of its greenery. Sweet innocent Kashmir, how we have disgraced and disfigured your beauty! Oh let these politicians and leaders and great men speak all they want, but give us only your cooling shade and fresh air. For you, Kashmir, my heart and soul, I pledge alone. No mere man is worth this allegiance. I can only hope God can forgive me for how I have wronged you, for how I have sat aside and let you be ravaged and done nothing. Oh Kashmir, this tear is for you. Let from it grow the hope of the new day, let peace take root and knowledge prevail. Do away with the ignorance and lift this blindfold from our eyes.