ELECTIONS IN KASHMIR IS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY, INDIA USES “DEMOCRACY” TO PROVIDE COVER TO ITS COLONIALISM
Syed Suhaib Abdullah
Before going into analysis, let us take a brief look at electoral history of Indian occupied Kashmir. Elections in Kashmir were always rigged and manipulated, starting with the 1951 elections under Sheikh Abdullah’s leadership, where the National Conference won all seats amid widespread criticism. This trend of questionable electoral victories continued through the 1950s and 1960s, undermining the democratic process. The 1987 elections marked a turning point, with the defeat of the popular Muslim United Front (MUF) by the National Conference-Congress alliance through dubious means, leading to widespread disillusionment with the electoral process. This event catalyzed the shift towards armed resistance among some MUF supporters, significantly impacting subsequent elections from 1989 to 2014, which saw major boycotts by the Kashmiri pro-freedom leadership. The persistent electoral manipulation has eroded trust in the democratic process and a huge majority of Kashmiris have declared the elections as being held at gunpoint under heavy military deployment.
While the democratic exercise may seem valid to many people in India and international community, for Kashmiris, democracy has been used to provide cover to India’s occupation, war crimes, and now settler colonialism in Kashmir. India has always used the constitutional process through democracy to amend and make laws in Kashmir. Be it the amendments to the process through democracy to amend and make laws in Kashmir. Be it the amendments to the autonomous status of Kashmir before 2019 or after the complete abrogation of article 370. This process started in 1957 when the constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir was dissolved and converted into a legislative assembly. The process of amendments was carried out through puppet leadership of Kashmir who were blinded by their ideologies and interests. As a result, they did not put the interest of the Kashmiri people at the forefront. Although an alternative section of Kashmiri leadership emerged after 1957 and they were also jailed for resisting Indian state’s policies in Kashmir. This article won’t delve into those details.
After two wars between India and Pakistan in 1948 and 1965, Kashmiri pro-freedom leadership understood the need of a democratic struggle similar to many other occupied territories. It is debatable whether the decision to take part in the elections was right or wrong but the intention and purpose was never to grab power and control, unlike NC and Congress. Resistance through democratic means is a well-accepted model through which India, Pakistan and other occupied nations got independence. However, it is not the only model of resistance. Therefore, an amalgam of pro-freedom Islamist parties decided to form Muslim United Front (MUF) against NC-Congress alliance. MUF had two objectives, one primary objective was to declare India an occupier and pressurize it for a referendum through assembly and parliament. The second objective was that as long as the occupation is not defeated, people need clean governance. The two parties NC and Congress were anti-people in both cases. They were pro-occupation and corrupt, both morally and financially. Their policies did no good to the people of Kashmir on the development, religious and political front.
Not getting into the details of election rigging of 1987, Indian state faced the heat of MUF and declared them losers. The popular belief is that, if elections were not rigged, armed resistance would not have started. This is not true at all. There is one more party to Kashmir dispute and that is Pakistan. Pakistan did not make an overnight plan to arm Kashmiris. They were eying on it since years, just waiting to defeat USSR in Afghanistan. 1987 rigging made their plan easier, it would have been done in some other way with or without 1987 election rigging. The debate here is whether participating in elections under the Indian constitution is right or wrong. And the answer is, it is totally a futile exercise and 76 years of history stand witness. Let us take the example of pro-India parties who have been taking part in elections without even demanding freedom from India. These parties have a moral conviction with the Indian state. For them, the permanent solution to Kashmir lies with India. But the 2019 abrogation of article 370 serves as proof that their narrative is totally fake. India slapped them on face, imprisoned them, and violated their own constitution which these puppets have been strengthening.
India used democracy to colonize Kashmir. The hypocrisy of puppet parties can be understood from the fact that after the abrogation of Article 370, some of these people said nobody will contest elections now, someone said nobody will unfurl Indian flag in Kashmir. Someone said that there are only two ways left now, one has to be either a “separatist” or a stooge. All of their lies and hypocrisy are exposed after they were the first to demand elections, people of Kashmir should not fell for any trap whatsoever. India did not even accept their unconditional stoogery, they went one step further to erase the Muslim identity of Kashmir. Now, tell me what can we achieve by taking part in elections? Did we achieve anything in 76 years? Does India trust us? Did they trust their stooges? If they did not trust their committed stooges, how come will they trust the other party which has a history of pro-freedom politics? Kashmiris who think taking part in elections is going to serve our interests are living in a fool’s paradise. India is a Hindutva state, it does not recognize the existence of Muslims in its territory. Becoming a party to the Indian government is equivalent to becoming a party to Nazi party of Germany during Hitler’s reign. No person with a little bit of morality will ever do so. The only way forward for Kashmiri Muslims is to remain patient in difficult times as commanded by Quran. And at the same time put up resistance in whatever capacity we can. And those who can’t resist in any form, they should remain silent and live their day to day life, not harm those who are resisting, not damage the resistance movement by becoming a part of any Indian state’s exercise. Good times will come Insha’Allah.
THE CLIMATE OF FEAR SHALL PASS
Hameem Hussain
It was a sunny September day. Kashmir was robbed of its semiautonomous status the previous month. The region was turned into an information blackhole with all modes of communication shut down. The communication with Mujahideen was cut off with information about their locations or activities unknown. I made a failed attempt to visit a point with the hope of locating a Mujahid brother in Kulgam, south of the occupied region. I was disappointed to hear his departure a week ago. Disheartened, I came back home and kept changing news channels on television to jingoistically hyper-nationalistic debates about my homeland. It was infuriating indeed. Indian television anchors and panelists were celebrating the abrogation and inhuman curfew in the valley. There was no Kashmiri voice or has it ever mattered to our tormentors?
Days passed with no news about the ones with whom my evenings were incomplete. Restlessness was overpowering me like never before. Finally, on 21 September a young boy showed up at my gate knocking hesitantly. Upon enquiring about his arrival, he, in a hushed tone, uttered my code name known only to resistance fighters. I was taken aback on hearing my alias and instantly realized how important the guest was. I welcomed him into my house and served him Nun-Chai (Salt-tea) with Kulcha’s. He gradually became comfortable and started talking in a composed tone. I was happy. Happy would rather be a weak term to describe my joyous mode. After discussing the situation around us, I was surprised to know about the clarity with which he spoke. It was refreshing indeed. Moments before he left, he handed me a small piece of paper in my hand. It mentioned a place and time for the next day. The next day was Sunday and Father was at home. It was difficult to leave in his presence and without completing some work at home. Somehow, I managed to convince him after working in our orchard for 6 hours repeatedly! Such hard work at home is always worth receiving permission from a strict Kashmiri dad anyway! Finally, I was able to meet my favorite people after so many days. I gave a report about some unfinished projects and was assigned some new ones. I was glad to immerse myself back into resistance activities, the work I so passionately and sincerely was doing since past few years.
International Women’s Day and Kashmir
Fareeha Makhdoomi
Kashmiri Women being Kashmiri Women
What are Kashmiri women like in the world of revolution, chaos, wars, western and Indian imperialism? How do we navigate our paths, or do we at all? Of course we do, oh you thought because of our Muslim and Kashmiri identity we don’t navigate our paths? We don’t look for revolutions? Huh? We run revolutions, fiercely and unapologetically though there are imperialist forces such as Bollywood and the whole Western machinery that try to invisiblize Kashmiri women as ‘bichaer’ – a status of pity – but I dare you not! Yes, we are mothers, sisters, and wives, but above all, we are also Kashmiri women with no other associated identity and that in itself is wholesome. Our fierce desire for a freedom of our motherland is our primary goal in life because after all we are women, and how come we do not stand up for the truth and put “Go India Go Back” slogan in action? We are the key drivers of the revolution in Kashmir. We stand tall when the imperialist-colonialist Indian occupational forces ask us to persuade our beloved ones, who have taken up arms to fight the colonialist state, to surrender. We stand tall with our shadows tall enough to chase these hyeundustanik cowards with a louder cheer for “INDIAN DOGS GO BACK”. Oh I tell you not that sometimes I really feel bad for us using dogs in the slogan. I mean after all dogs are cute and ever so humane unlike the Indian occupational forces.
India’s International Women right day in Kashmir?
While I am writing this piece, I am wondering about what India means when it says “celebrating International Women’s Day in Kashmir ”. I cannot think of a thing but how India has used it as a colonial agenda, only to assimilate the identity of Kashmiri Muslim women under the garb of “rights”. What really do they mean by it? Oh yes, I am just thinking how they will ask Angan Wadi workers, school teachers and social welfare departments to introduce names such as “naari shakti”or how to become a taekwondo player and play under the colonialist symbol-Indian flag or how marrying an Indian is a privilege for a Kashmiri woman and how the abrogation of the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has given rights to Kashmiri women. Not to mention that they have started humanizing Jammu and Kashmir Police, but we Kashmiris call them as Pondi police – criminals and cowards who have no self-respect and lack the humane element in them. On this International Women’s Day, the Pondi police will put advertisements through Instagram reels, Radio Kashmir and of course these FM channels where these apologetic Kashmiri RJs will host Pondi police to tell us how Kashmiri men are a threat to Kashmiri women and how Pondi police is just a call away in case any sexual harassments and other threats. But we Kashmiri women live the reality every day where the only threat in Kashmir we have is Pondi police and Indian occupational forces whether it be going to a school, university, a market or to an apple orchard to get fodder for our cattle. The presence of an Indian armed man in Kashmir in itself is a disgrace that we Kashmiri women can never be okay with.
In case the colonial masters and their yes boys and yes girls think we forget names, WE DON’T. We remember all those names of the occupational forces such as Rohit Shukla who during the raids sexually assaulted women in Pulwama, we remember the judges, lawyers and doctors who gave decisions on Kunan Poshpora, Asiya Neelofar, we remember you all, and WE ARE COMING FOR YOU!!! In case Indian machinery thinks that Kashmiri women are stagnant or women with no agency who will flow with the “naari shakti” or “beti bachao beti padhao” colonial agendas, WE AREN’T. We are not buying any of your tactics. We are watching everything and we will not be standing still. It is only a matter of time when the revolution resurfaces on roads where Kashmiri women will drag the women who worked for the colonial machinery and lost the humane, Kashmiri and women element in themselves such as Hina Bhatt and Darakhshan Andrabi of BJP or Mehbooba Mufti and their ilk. We know you all, and we are watching you 24*7, all those self-proclaimed artists who are compromising on Tehreek and collaborating with Chinar Corps and other Bollywood appropriators such as Salim Sulaiman, Danish Renzu and others. We Kashmiri women dare these colonialism enablers to sit on a table with Asiya Andrabi or any other Kashmiri women from any corner of Kashmir and talk about women’s rights. But we know there would not be any because their women right isms are shallow and are drawn from India’s colonialism of Kashmir and we the Kashmiri women keep the tradition of rejecting India’s facade of celebrating International Women’s Day in Kashmir alive. We do not believe in compromised rights, and we will not let the Indian colonialist machinery subjugate our Kashmiri men and women, and compromise with women’s rights or the Freedom of Kashmir. The colonial country is not in any moral position to talk about women’s rights or celebrate the day in Kashmir since the colonialist Indian state does not believe in Kashmiris having the basic rights in the first place such as Freedom of Kashmir, total sovereignty from India.
There is enough of the cultural appropriation where Indian machinery has appropriated our culture such as Pherans and shawls and trying to “integrate” Kashmir with India not realizing Kashmiri women are watching this show of assimilation of Kashmiris. We have been silent for a long time now, and the time for the colonial masters and their enablers to fall has begun. Their fall is arriving faster than they can imagine since we Kashmiri women are joining our Kashmiri men in all ways to bring the revolution on the roads and we will be marching through Tiger Broadway, Burhan Chowk, Afzal Avenue , Professor Rafi Street, Neelofar Road and Tufail Bridge with AK 47s. The war began when India stepped in Kashmir in 1947 and we the Muslim women are not staying quiet. We draw collaborations from South America to the Middle East and we are promising the fall of colonialism in Kashmir. We the Kashmiri women are not letting bihaer settlements in Kashmir, we are coming for all those in literal and metaphorical sense who compromise, settle, and expand the Indian occupation of Kashmir be it through bureaucracy or the charade of art. We are coming for all those artists who derive their art from the collective pain of Kashmir, make careers out of our suffering, and work with Operation Sadbhavna and Chinar Corps of Indian Occupational Forces.
Kashmiri women are coming for you all
On this International Women’s Day, we let the world know that Kashmiri Women are not any fragile and docile bodies, we are fierce women with agency who believe in the freedom of Kashmir and we are willing to go to any length to achieve this ultimate goal. We believe in no charade of India’s peace, where India is a master and we Kashmiri women are their docile slaves. Resistance runs in our blood, we have given birth to heroes. Asiya Andrabi comes from our blood, and so do Parveena Ahanger, Naseema Bano and many others. We are Muslims and we believe in bowing to one and only- Allah, we live by la Ialaha Ilallah and thus none of India’s warfare tactics are going to work.
PEER-O-MUREED, SHARED PATHS AND DESTINY OF MAQBOOL BHAT AND AFZAL GURU
Idrees Bhatt
Muhammad Maqbool Bhat does not need any introduction. His life and struggle inspired millions of Kashmiris irrespective of their ideologies. But who knew that one of his admirers would become his neighbor in the graveyard of Tihar jail. Shaheed Afzal Guru and Shaheed Maqbool Bhat have many things in common. When Afzal Guru was hanged on 09th February 2013 in Delhi’s Tihar jail, a Kashmiri student raised a slogan “Afzal is Maqbool to us”. Another student responded, “Maqbool is Afzal”. Though these slogans seem emotional, they also carry a literal meaning.
What does it mean we say Maqbool is Afzal or Afzal is Maqbool? It carries a political message to our occupier that despite you declaring them as terrorists, we own them and therefore your labels do not mean anything to us. Although there are many loopholes in his judicial trial but what if we assume he was really involved in a parliament attack? Do we still own him? Is he still Maqbool (Popular)? Yes of course. The Indian parliament is a headquarter of our occupiers where they frame the policies to subjugate our people, colonize our land, strip us of our identity, declare Muslims as second-class citizens, and make laws to intervene in our very personal matters like Tripple Talak. Therefore, this so-called “temple of democracy” is the epicenter of evil and a source of our oppression. If Afzal was really involved in the attack in any shape or form, he is still Maqbool to us.
On the other hand, we say Maqbool is Afzal, which means he is the best, the excellent. Why is he the best? Because he was not only a freedom fighter, he was also a free thinker, a revolutionary Muslim, a great orator. He asked his people that this nation is ours and we will protect it.
Therefore, the first thing that we must do is own this land as our home. Not run away from it, not sell it, not destroy it but protect it. Just like we protect our houses where we sleep, eat, live daily life etc. We must protect it from the evil Indian state that wants to take it over and spoil it with their religion, immorality, culture, language etc. And to protect it, we have to fight as we are fighting and paying a huge price with our blood, lives, wealth, religion etc.
The people of Kashmir, the heirs of Maqbool and Afzal, the heirs of Burhan, Riyaz, Manan, Sabzar, Sajjad, Ishfaq, Asiya, Neelofar, Kunan and Poshpora have the right to rule our beloved homeland. This is the meaning of Maqbools’s famous slogan which he left for us as a treasure.
Every year we pay tribute to Shaheed Afzal Guru on 09th of February and Shaheed Maqbool Bhat on 11th of February. While remembrance is resistance, carrying forward their legacy with actions is the true resistance. The people of Kashmir cannot afford to forget the sacrifices of martyrs who are toughing half a million in number. It would be utterly shameful for a nation in human history to do so. We are a people with self-esteem and honour. We have tolerated the worst times in history but we did not surrender to our enemy. As Muslims, we should seek inspiration from our prophet (PBUH) and His companions and remain steadfast and patient as we are commanded in the Quran.
The unjust and immoral state of India has kept thousands of Afzals and Maqbools in different Jails, including Tihar jail. A recent verdict on Kashmiri resistance leader Muhammad Yasin Malik is another bogus case to persecute a Kashmiri leader. But what can we expect from a nation that dances over the dead bodies of Muslims, calls us termites, bulldozes our Masajids, and constructs Temples over their ruins? In the words of Kashmiri resistance leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, “Bharat taqat k nashe mein choor ho chuka hai”, India is intoxicated by power. And Rick Wilson says “When authority is total, so too is the madness of the man who declares it”. And in the words of our spiritual leader Allama Iqbal:
سکندروچنگیز کے ہاتھوں سے جہاں میں
سَو بار ہوئی حضرتِ انسان کی قبا چاک
تاریخِ اُمَم کا یہ پیامِ اَزلی ہے
‘صاحب نظراں!نشئہ قُوت ہے خطرناک’
THE WAR CRIMES YOU COMMITTED ON KASHMIRIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAUNT YOU
Gowhar Bhat
In 2012, Major Avtaar Singh killed his two children and wife before killing himself in United States where he was evading a trial in connection with the extrajudicial murder of renowned Kashmiri lawyer and human rights activist Jalil Andrabi. Andrabi was not the only Kashmiri tortured to death by Avtaar. Avtaar was wanted in five other cases of custodial killings. It is believed that this mercenary Indian soldier was behind the murder of several dozen Kashmiris and torturing hundreds during his tenure in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jalil Andrabi was a prominent lawyer who fought tirelessly over many years to improve prison conditions and document cases of arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial murders in the occupied territory. In response to a petition initiated by Jalil Andrabi, the High Court in Srinagar issued a significant directive in October 1994. The court mandated the formation of district committees comprising judicial, police, and medical authorities, tasked with conducting routine visits to all jails, detention centers, and police lockups within the state. The solitary reported visit, conducted in December 1994, revealed pervasive evidence of unlawful detentions, torture, and mistreatment. Subsequently, in October 1995, prompted by yet another petition from Jalil Andrabi, the state government provided assurances. These assurances pledged that no prisoners would be held outside the confines of the state. This legal intervention and commitment sought to address the reported violations and ensure the protection of detainees’ rights within the jurisdiction.
Scheduled to advocate for the Kashmir Commission of Jurists at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva starting from March 18, 1996, Jalil Andrabi found himself in a precarious position. In January 1996, he informed the media that he was well aware of his inclusion on the government’s hit list ever since his participation in the Commission in Geneva the previous year. In the period leading up to his tragic demise, Andrabi took part in a conference in New Delhi. During the conference, he explicitly held state authorities accountable for the rampant human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
ARCHIVES : STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD
Abu Muslim
FROM THE PEN OF MARTYRS : SHAHEED ABDUL AHAD KULANGAMI
Shaheed Mushtaq Ahmad Qureshi
9 July 1993 was the day when Abdul Ahad Bhai was finally martyred. We usually do not want people close to our hearts to depart forever. What if they leave you only to never come back…? Our hearts beat for these lovely and soulful companions. The news for which we were awaiting with our fingers crossed finally came! The holy way on which Abdul Ahad and hundreds of those brave young souls tread has this ultimate destiny after all. One fine day they return to their creator and thus bear witness to these verses:
“Allah is pleased with them and they with Him”
Abdul Ahad Kulangami is among those who joined the current struggle for freedom and Iqamat-e-Deen and never left it afterwards.
He was born in March 1969 in Kulangam in district Kupwara. He received his primary education in his village and matriculated from Higher Secondary School Handwara. He was compelled to discontinue his education due to circumstances beyond his control at home and homeland. After matriculation, he got a job in a school run by Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir. Afterwards, he became fully associated with the organization. Having immersed himself in the literature of Jamaat, he maintained unwavering allegiance to the organization and dedicated his life to the cause of Jihad-e-Kashmir and the pursuit of Kashmir’s freedom until his final moments. His selflessness, diligent work ethic, and unwavering faith enabled him to carve out a commendable position within the organization. Recognizing his vision and clarity, Jamaat appointed him as the head of the local educational institution.
As days passed, Abdul Ahad was appointed as Ameer of Tehsil Kupwara. He was instrumental in spreading the message of Jammat and uniting youth under the banner of Jammat across the tehsil. This was due to his convictions that Jamaat emerged as a powerful force in the district.
He continued his services as Ameer of the district for eight long years until 1983 when he was appointed as Ameer-e-Tehsil Handwara where he tirelessly worked to strengthen the organization. He was later appointed as secretary of Jamaat for district Kupwara in 1988. This was the time when Kashmir, ensnared within the shackles of slavery, began to write its history more effectively and differently. The flame underneath the ashes began to surge forth and unleashed an intense and fierce eruption. The simmering lava within the hearts of the youth erupted suddenly and India found itself confronted with robust responses. The very language that India had employed over the past half-century was now wielded against her. Abdul Ahad not only stood shoulder to shoulder with these impassioned youth but was already a prominent leader within his community who guided and galvanized the energy of the younger generation. He along with Ahsan Dar, Shaheed Maqbool Allai, and Shaheed Abu Javaid, laid the bedrock of Jihad and united countless young men under a singular banner in Handwara and Kupwara regions. Fortunately, I was among these young souls who heeded the call to join this noble cause, extended by the venerable Shaheed Abdul Ahad Kulangami.
Arrival in Base Camp
Back