I welcome every Kashmiri to this blog… I have started this blog not to spew venom on those with whom I may disagree. My effort would be to bring each one of us to a common understanding – may be agreeing to disagree. I think that won’t be a bad start.
I want every Kashmiri to recall the days when there was no gun wielding security personnel in the heart of Lal Chowk, no panic among people after a grenade blast in Regal Chowk, no personnel from JKP frisking people entering Hazratbal, no round-the-clock vigil at temples. When I had equal respect for a person regardless if it was Shamji or Abdul Sahib and when I used to walk alone in Habba Kadal and not feel I was entering a ghetto.
Every person in this world does have his / her own viewpoint and he reckons he is not mistaken… Lets learn to acknowledge that and if we cannot agree to someone’s rebellious thoughts, Let’s give him the freedom to say what he wants to. At the same point of time, let the freedom of expression be not construed to mean spreading hatred among ourselves… If that happens, we would be back again to where we started or may be cause some irreparable damage.
Juz A Kashmiri
![Email [Kasheer]](http://kasheer.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/juz_a_kashmiri3.png)
brother uve touched my heart.. i dun have much to say except that i thank god that people who think like u exist, and i thank him again cuz he made me meet u!!!
god bless u
Vivek,
Words like yours touch our heart as well. I may not be right (or as they say politically correct) at all times but I can assure that feelings of everyone will be respected on this blog. And I am sure I can do with a lot of help from readers and contributors of this blog.
Thanks once again for your comments.
Juz A Kashmiri
Dear Vivek,
I do respect realistic views from both KMs and KPs. But sometimes lame comments just tend to spoil my respect for those KPs whom I always admired and respected. Let’s just open our minds together and not try to write something that alienates the two communities further. Let’s try to contribute to humanity by supporting the real cause for humanity in general (and not just KMs or KPs in particular). We all have suffered in last 20 odd years but did our hatred help us? Let us forget about India & Pak , let us forget about Islam/Hinduism…Let us get together to ‘WIN OUR KASHEER BACK”.
Dear JK__PUL, Vivek and Others,
I can see some of our efforts I repeat our efforts have started to bear fruit – The kind of comments that we get now are far from jingoism or bias. I know this is just a beginning and I also know this famous quote “Well begun is half-done”.
Keep your valuable comments coming.
If you wish to contribute further, in any manner, to these efforts please let us know by dropping a mail on the address provided in the side image under “Contact the blogger section”.
Juz A Kashmiri
Hello everyone,
I have been going through all the blogs here.Nice stuff! As I can see its a congregation of very intelligent and sensitive people .So I would like to avail this platform to post a query”Why is a common kashmiri muslim interested in an independent Kashmir?”.This query is not for the new generation who have been brought up only under the shadow of the gun and know nothing of the peaceful Kashmir that once existed.Its for them who I quote
I want every Kashmiri to recall the days when there was no gun wielding security personnel in the heart of Lal Chowk, no panic among people after a grenade blast in Regal Chowk, no personnel from JKP frisking people entering Hazratbal, no round-the-clock vigil at temples. When I had equal respect for a person regardless if it was Shamji or Abdul Sahib and when I used to walk alone in Habba Kadal and not feel I was entering a ghetto.unquote
What was wrong about thoes days?I have heard upteen reasons but somehow my austere mind is not satisfied by these justifications .Maybe someone here will try and explain my confused mind as to why two different communities (the only difference being religion) belonging to the same place,lived for ages under the same circumstances have such a difference in their outlook…why??
Dear Vandna,
Give me a proper justification why Kashmir cannot be an independent state and why Kashmiri Pandits are afraid of that idea. If you really trust that Kashmiri people have lived together through ages irrespective of their religions then what hinders your austere mind that they cannot do so after independence from India & Pakistan?
Dear jk_pul,
Well even for my austere mind that one is very easy to answer.
The very beginings of this cry for freedom started with the cry for Nizam-e- mustafa.So do you think that a KP should have also joined in with this cry.Sorry friend thats one more query for you
I hope that makes it clear why Kps are afraid of an Independent Kashmir.
Dear Vandna & JK_PUL,
I hate to take sides and so would not even attempt to support any particular idea at this moment. However, may I mention that you have raised an important question – “Why is a common Kashmiri Muslim interested in independent Kashmir?” The way you have framed this question common Kashmiri sounds like a vindication of the stand that pro-movement organisations have taken. Their opinion is that the present struggle in Kashmir is broad-based and has the full public support. I don’t know if I should take your question on its face-value or treat it a mere query.
To me it never appeared that at the start of the armed-struggle (some hate this word but I dare calling it so) people were even knowing what Azaadi or independence or liberation meant. For them what was important was finally there was some resistance shown and this was not because a certain ISI was backing the struggle. (Only ISI known to a commoner in Kashmir was an organisation entrusted with ensuring consumers get standard goods). I dare say this – it was also not we were Muslims and the fight was against a pre-dominantly Hindu population (incidentally only behind Indonesia in Muslim population).
If you remember the first known case of sabotage (after famous 1987 elections) recorded was in May 1987 when CM’s cavalcade on its way to mosque was attacked. Then a few bomb-blasts here and there which was followed by the attack on the Director General of Police Ali Muhammad Watali’s residence. As you can see there were no targeted attacks against any one community.
If my memory serves me correctly attacks against the Pandits started in the autumn of 1988 but this was the same time when militants also targeted workers of mainstream political party (read National Conference) regardless of their faith. As I have already mentioned in my earlier post
Kashmiri Pandits and their significance we may attribute any number reasons to the migration but the truth is Pandits were living in extreme fear and getting displaced was not a choice they were happy to make.
As far as the independent existence of the Kashmir is concerned, it’s not only Kashmiri people who had such aspirations (and I am sure still have) but some of the most astute political leaders from India never had a dis-similar opinion. As a matter of fact may I quote veteran socialist leader Mr. Jayprakash Narayanan from a letter written to Mrs. Gandhi.
“We profess democracy, but rule by force in Kashmir we profess secularism but let Hindu nationalism stampede us into trying to establish it by repression. Kashmir has distorted India’s image for the world as nothing has done… the problem exists not because Pakistan wants to grab Kashmir, but because there is deep and widespread political discontent among the people.”
Mind you this is no Yaseen Malik or Geelani writing an open letter to the present CM or PM. This discontent identified by the veteran socialist to me sums it up all. He makes no mention of the religion of the majority or the minority in his letter
At the end of it I have nothing to mention but to re-iterate that Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits have so many things in common (and yet are so different in our thoughts). So let us come to that common understanding – Kashmiriyat – once again and get ourselves out of this mire.
Juz A Kashmiri
Dear Juz,
Thanks for your reminder and I really believe that we must proceed with the way you want this discussion to go.
Vandna, please don’t take my question in negative sense… like all other unfortunate kashmiris, I too want to explore the various options for the Kashmir dispute.
Regards all,
hi …….lets us forget this hatred & work towards attaining our kasheer back
Cyrus Welcome on board..
Hope we get to hear more from you as the days go by.
Juz A Kashmiri
It is heartening to see positive steps towards dispelling hatred.
Welcome step lets move on with peace.
juz A kashmir :- You are right that we both kashmiri hindus & muslims have more things in common but one thing is there in our hearts of hindus is Kindness if the things were just reverse we have not complled you to leave the valley .We would have given you blanket of security to you .Every one is telling that Mr Jagmohan then governor is responsible for the mass Exodus but i just want to know from all you where were you at that time .No one has come forward and uttered a single word.
Manish -A youth avenging kashmir