J & K
A few weeks ago, there was a photo in The Hindu of the Indian Army lining up Kashmiris and conducting a search operation in the region. It was powerful in conveying how such regular operations would aleniate Kashmiris - I've no idea if this was the intent in publishing the photo. The photo doesnt seem to be online, but Google yielded this similar photo.
Photo thanks to BBC.
A better image was provided in Mani Ratnam's Roja - soon after Arvind Swamy and Madhubala reach Srinagar.
How would you feel if you're treated as a suspect terrorist, and you have to face the barrel of the gun for 15 years and more in your own home?
I'm not in any way implying that India is abusing Kashmiris etc - just that prolonged presence of armed forces can be detrimental in winning the confidence of the masses.
Photo thanks to BBC.
A better image was provided in Mani Ratnam's Roja - soon after Arvind Swamy and Madhubala reach Srinagar.
How would you feel if you're treated as a suspect terrorist, and you have to face the barrel of the gun for 15 years and more in your own home?
I'm not in any way implying that India is abusing Kashmiris etc - just that prolonged presence of armed forces can be detrimental in winning the confidence of the masses.
posted by eV at 8:23 PM
7 Value-adds:
Madhubala?? :D
Anyways, on a more serious note, the alienation is already there... A couple of friends who were in Londin were narrating incidents of how a couple of desi taxi drivers when asked whether they were from India, or from Pak replied "hum azaad Kashmir se hain"
Not just Kashmir. The Indian government is able to alienate everybody. The fact that you don't just have the bureaucrats but also the army makes it even worse.
Also, the corruption within the state government itself is so gigantic that it also contributes.
And the issue is not restricted to Kashmir. The North-East is in fact even more neglected, considering the fact that Kashmir atleast gets some space on the front pages of "leading newspapers" like TOI.
The protests by women in the north-east against the atrocities of the Indian army were an eye-opener. It indicated the extent to which people are supressed and harassed in these regions of the world.
Nirav, Yep. The faster we're able to reduce the armed forces presence there, the better.
Aadisht, I'd lay the blame on our civil society for not taking successive governments to task. The only way a government can be expected to work is if it is presented no other option.
Dhimant, Agreer on the N-E problem. I hardly know anything about it. Heard once that sometime in the 1980s, IAF was bombing villages to curb the insurgency. Not sure if it's true. Hopefully, the yet-to-be-released movie Dansh will shed some more light on the ground reality at the NE front.
Looks like Dansh has been released. Now, have to wait and see if any of the theatres in Chennai would be interested in it. :(
Try visit manipur sometimes, go by Bus from guwahati, chances are 8/10, you will see similar picture LIVE from the bus. We call it combing operations, and when men are grouped Like that outside, there have been cases of rapes as well. Alienation is of course there my dear. In other parts of India I am also a above average educated BE+MBA MNC type, but back home my Icard holds no value. Only on my last visit, i was starnded like that ina sudden search operation where i was stuck.I was told by the Policeman that it was routine and that I should stick by a commando lest and ARMY try some trick. many other instances.. well i just felt like writing it... I never posts these messages on my blog you know..Its always risky for US..visit my blog sometime over
or just visit www.e-pao.net, its a manipuri online paper..follow it for a few days and u will have a fair idea of what goes on there..
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