Published October 4th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

On braid-cutting

Psychological war or just a political stunt!!

If we dissect the present braid chopping ploy it seems to have succeeded in its agenda of creating an atmosphere of extreme fear and helplessness among the people mostly the rural folk.

In Kashmir we are in the middle of a conflict and unrest, so expecting rot from any of the warring groups is not surprising. A seven-decade-old issue—an offshoot of the bloody partition, catalyzed more forcefully for the last two decades has exposed this tiny homeland to all kinds of distress and sufferings. So, by that standards braid chopping is not that big a deal, but as it has hit our honour and dignity, we feel shaken. Nevertheless, the present crisis is not the first of its kind. A few years back witches were making rounds in the valley. But that fizzled out quickly because of poor planning and timing. We have also faced attacks on our dignity and distinctiveness way back in the late sixties and early seventies when widespread fire incidents mostly in rural areas frightened the entire valley. The whole administration of that time remained clueless and never succeeded in bringing the culprits to book. Interestingly, a particular socio-political organization with insignificant presence in this part of the country was then designingly named to be behind that fire weaponry and to make the situation more complicated the organization was accused of kidnapping small children for organ trade (that is at least what I was made to believe then by the elders who innocently became part of the rumor mill). Gullible Kashmiri people, as usual, took it for the truth and the politicians succeeded in their game plan to divert the public attention and opinion from their failures. But it was peacetime then and the episode passed without leaving any permanent mark on the psyche of common people.

Published September 12th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

A moment to think: Is Kashmir safe for genuine activism?

Activism is essentially an inborn trait and fewer people turn to activism after experiencing injustice in their own life.

Kashmir because of its fluid political situation has suffered a lot on almost all fronts of life, particularly for impartiality and equality.

May be inappropriate, but I am constrained to put a rider of genuineness with our version of activism because very few people crusade genuinely in this land of devious mindset. Activism is essentially an inborn trait and fewer people turn to activism after experiencing injustice in their own life. All along activists face condemnation at the hands of exploiters and at times are unable to gain the trust of common people even for a genuine cause. Anyway, whatever the reason and circumstances to disparage the noble work of activism in the present-day avaricious world, the activists are the real torchbearers of exploring justice and the realities. Democracy empowers people! And empowerment is the soul of crusading.

Published August 29th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

Of Article 35A!

Kashmir politics at crossroads?

The present and earlier few attempts of vested interests to take the judicial route for abolishing exclusive rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir has now become a tricky situation for different political entities within the state and outside.

God knows who cursed Kashmir! Since ages the psyche and soul of Kashmiri people have never been at peace; exploitation and unkindness always haunted them. Kashmiri people are often made to believe about a possible change to their destiny but in real terms, Kashmir has come to a political crossroad where it has nowhere to go if better sense will not prevail with the stakeholders.

Published August 3rd, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

Here lies the rub

Is Kashmir the subcontinent’s political fodder?

Within Kashmir, various political entities have always described the Kashmir issue to the best of their ideological comforts, except the so-called mainstream political groups, who always deal Kashmir issue proportionally to their own political interests.

Only British and their collaborators know better why they facilitated the creation of Kashmir problem in the first instance! A lot has been said about their intentional unjustified division and demarcation of erstwhile Punjab province at the time of partition—ambiguous Radcliffe Award in connivance with Mountbatten’s to be precise. Beyond Nehru’s close relations with Mountbatten family, his possessiveness about Kashmir influenced the divisional anomalies and subsequent Kashmir conflict. Anyway, whatever the reasons Kashmir issue is a hard fact acknowledged world over by almost all and even after seven decades stands unresolved posing a great threat to the peace in the region. India and Pakistan the other stakeholders of Kashmir other than the Kashmiris from the day one of their freedom have regrettably positioned their politics and patriotic agenda on their egoistic approach towards Kashmir issue. And till date, no one on either side of the fence has ever risked to propose or seek an amicable solution of this apparently intricate but otherwise, a simple humanitarian issue that annihilated hundreds of thousands of people through open and proxy wars, lest their own political positions get compromised.

Published July 28th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

A murky situation

Unrest taking a heavy toll on fair administration!

Explanation and accountability are the worst victims of unrest culminating into exploitation, corruption and vested interest of favouritism.

It is almost seven decades now that Kashmir has not been politically as calm as most other parts of the subcontinent are. With earlier occasional voices of dissent, Kashmir conflict has changed to its worst form since 1988. The unrest in Kashmir has now passed on to the fourth generation with totally different shape and dimensions. The present unrest has started revealing its far-reaching ramifications both at local and international levels. Kashmir and Kashmir conflict is not an ordinary issue that can be brushed under the carpet to be deliberated upon at some other occasion at one’s own convenience. The impact of unrest has touched almost every facet of Kashmiri life. Our indigenous politics has become so murky that Plato’s saying ‘One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors ‘holds very true in Kashmir. Economy, education, culture, and bio-network too have got badly harmed. But the worst hit is the administration and the objective system of governance.

Published July 19th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

Accountability matters

Towards a corruption-free system where a common man doesn’t suffer

Our state against all odds has succeeded in establishing institutions to safeguard impartiality and accountability within the administration and for the last more than a decade, these institutions have evolved to the level of credible organizations of fairness.

As a humble Kashmiri with very little access to higher echelons of administration and corridors of power, I know very little how efficient and genuine administration should look like and how honest and impartial polity should be? But as a common man, I must have a better sense of corruption-free administration and an unbiased political system. In a contemporary era where we conceitedly claim to be more empowered and accountable, how far we have been able to deliver impartial governance only time will tell? Undoubtedly, accountability is the essence of independent societies. However, it has to be flawless and without any coercion from either side, otherwise, it will prove inimical to fundamentals of impartiality. And the worst falls when systems of transparency are misused, misinterpreted or derailed by none other than the people who require the doses of accountability more and the most.

Fida Iqbal.com