घना जंगल, घने बादल

घना जंगल, घने बादल, घनेरी घनेरी शाम!
बैठ फकीरा सोंचूं मैं – कैसा जीवन राम? कैसा जीवन राम?
घना जंगल, घने बादल!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!

हम जहाँ जन्मे थे कभी, वहीँ से हैं अनजान!

बीता था बचपन जहाँ, छूट गया वह धाम!
अब बैठूं, रोऊँ मैं – जाओं कहाँ किस गाम?
घना जंगल, घने बादल, घनेरी घनेरी शाम!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!

अपने ही अस्तित्व को ढूँढूं सुबहो शाम!

राह राह भटका फिरूं – पुकारूं कौन सो नाम?
जड़ से ही जब काट दिया, ढूँढूं कहाँ पहचान?
घना जंगल, घने बादल, घनेरी घनेरी शाम!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!

अंग अंग मेरा टूट गया, बिखर गए मेरे प्राण!

टुकड़े से टुकड़ा न जुड़े, ऐसा टूट गया इंसान!
उठना है, लड़ना है – चाहे जितनी बची है जान!
घना जंगल, घने बादल, घनेरी घनेरी शाम!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!
घना जंगल, घने बादल!

A new compact with whom?

Sometime last week I heard the news about the report from J&K interlocutors being now available. Immediately there were reactions across different segment of people about the various points raised in the report. I wanted to read the report thoroughly myself. I did that over this weekend. To sum it up in one line, reading through the report was a very depressing experience, but not entirely unexpected. 

Over the last two decades of living a life of an exile within our own country, we have understood that the Government of India is not bothered about a minority community that doesn’t show up as a vote bank. We have realized that we are caught between the devil and the deep sea. On one hand we are Hindus, considered to be the majority in India, hence never given any special status. In fact, the moment anybody speaks for our rights, the person is quickly labeled as a communal! On the other hand, we are a single digit percentage of population in the valley, hence too small to make any difference to anybody winning an election.  

The report from the interlocutors is on the same lines, as far as Kashmiri Pandits is concerned. While pages after pages are written about how the Kashmiri Muslims are feeling alienated, the issue of Kashmiri Pandits is completely ignored. Yes, Kashmiri Pandits have been mentioned at some places in the report - but there is no details on the issues they face in exile, there is no mention of crimes committed against them, there is no mention of how should their tormentors be dealt with. Only thing the report keeps harping on is - Kashmiri Pandits should be rehabilitated in the valley. Even that is complete hand waving - there are no details on how that is to be accomplished, there is no detail on how should it be ensured that they lead a life of honor and dignity in their homeland, there is no detail on how should it be ensured that they do not have to face the same atrocities again! 

There is a leap of faith that making Article 370 a permanent clause in the constitution will ensure all Kashmiri Muslims will swear by their Indian citizenship. There is another leap of faith that opening cross border trade across the LOC will make the separatists shun violence. There are many more such vague assumptions in the report. All this to ensure that the Kashmiri Muslims feel they will get what they want, and they can lead a free life. What about Kashmiri Pandits? How do the interlocutors think their faith in constitution of J&K will be improved? How do the interlocutors propose to solve the alienation of Kashmiri Pandits from the majority community in the Kashmir valley? If Kashmiri Muslims feel their distinct identity can only be protected by these special provisions for Kashmir, why doesn’t the same principle apply to Kashmiri Pandits? Why can't there be a portion in the Kashmir valley that has other special provisions that will build the confidence of Kashmiri Pandits to lead a life of honor and dignity?  

There is no mention of the demands of Kashmiri Pandits to bring out a whitepaper on the reasons of the community being forced out of the valley. No mention of the demand to identify and punish the terrorists responsible for the gruesome violence perpetrated on the community since 1989/90. No mention of the demand to accord minority status to the Kashmiri Pandits. No mention of the rapid attempts to change the demographics of the Kashmir valley by renaming ancient places in the valley - e.g., changing the name of the acnient Anantnag town to Islamabad, Shankracharya temple to Takht-e-suleman, Hari Parbat to Koh-i-maran, even Srinagar to Sheher-e-khas! No mention of the desecration and destruction of hundreds of hindu temples in the valley. No responsibility given to the state Government to ensure the restoration of the temples to their rightful glory and protection of the temples and their property! The list goes on and on. The community has been treated like a spec of dust that is expected to settle down on its own!!!  

The current report only focuses on ensuring appeasement of the majority community in the valley, without considering the fallout of such recommendation on the minority community of the valley, and to the very existence of our country! I have only mentioned some points for the perspective of Kashmiri Pandit community. As an Indian citizen, this report is full of recommendations that directly hurt the core fabric of our nation! It is ironic that a party that was formed by the epitome of non-violence considers only the viewpoints of those that use violence to state their demands, that too when the ruling party is headed by the family that bears the surname of the Guru of Ahimsa! We, Kashmiri Pandits,  out rightly reject this report!

गूँज

हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!
धुन यही गूँजेगी सुबह सवेर -
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!

हारी परबत के शिखर से,
रैनावारी की गलियों से,
कूचा कूचा, बस्ती बस्ती
शहर की भीड़, गाँव के खेत!
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!
धुन यही गूँजेगी सुबह सवेर -
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!

क्षीरभावनी के मंदिर से,
मार्तंड के अमर खँड़र से,
चप्पा चप्पा, ज़र्रा ज़र्रा
बच्चा, भूढ़ा
जवां, अधेड़!
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!
धुन यही गूँजेगी सुबह सवेर -
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!

शंकराचार्य से, अनंतनाग से,
गणपतयार से, अमरनाथ से,
मिलके मिलके, हर इक दिल से
निकलेगी आवाज़ यही एक -
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!
धुन यही गूँजेगी सुबह सवेर -
हर हर हर हर हर महादेव!

युथनई म्ये प्राण न्येरनई यपारी

मएज्यि काशीरी मएज्यि काशीरी
पादन तल चान्यन कुर्बान म्ये ज़िंदगी
मएज्यि काशीरी मएज्यि काशीरी

याद छिम प्यवान तिम दोह त राथ
यारन सीथ बोन्यन तल कथ त बाथ
अज़ कतयी रूज़ वन्य सो यार बरादरी
मएज्यि काशीरी मएज्यि काशीरी

हब्बकदलक्येन त्यिमन कोचन मंज नेरान
गणपतयार सूमयार ओसुस ब फेरान
अरमान छुम ब्यय फेरहा तपारी
मएज्यि काशीरी मएज्यि काशीरी

अमरनाथ किस नादस प्रारान
यिथ तिथ छुस ब जुव यि सारान
युथनई म्ये प्राण न्येरनई यपारी
मएज्यि काशीरी मएज्यि काशीरी

Prashant Bhushan - How can we tolerate him?

Prashant Bhushan (PB) has received a lot of flak for his statements on Kashmir. While most people have criticized his statements, he does have a small share of supporters as well. Many observers have pitted Kashmiri Pandits (KP) against PB. Main reason being the loss of homeland of KPs, which will become almost permanent, if Kashmir is taken out of India.

I am a Kashmiri Pandit. I do not support violence. If we supported violence, we would have been sitting in the luxury of mother nature in our beloved Kashmir! We wouldn’t have been ignored by the spineless Government of India, who seem to listen only to the sound of violence (bullets, bombs, stones)!

I thought of putting down my thoughts in this blog article - given that IT has given me this
opportunity to share my thoughts with all those who might be interested.

I heard PB on some news channel where he elaborated on his view point on Kashmir. Here are some key takeaways form his interview, and my thoughts on each of his points:

"Kashmiri people have the right to decide whether they want to be with India or not. We should let them decide."
This is a great thought that one can have without understanding the situation. If PB would understand Kashmir, then this statement would be very naïve to make. Few points here:
Till when do we keep the option open for people to decide on whether they are part of India or not? Does every individual in India have the option to decide whether he/she wants to be part of India or not? If he/she doesn’t want to be part of India, does he/she also have the option to declare his/her owned land as not part of India?

Ok, I give it to the sympathizers of PB that we are not talking about one individual, but a group of people. Now how big a group constitutes a group that can have this say? Is it all people who speak Kashmiri language? Is it all people of one religion living in what we geographically define as Kashmir valley? Is it all people of what is geographically called the state of J&K? Given all the money, blood, sweat spent by all those who consider themselves Indian, for protection and development of J&K, does rest of India have no say in J&K?

Ok, I take the most preferred sub-segment as per the sympathizers of PB (I hope people see the manipulation of the situation by PB like folks, by suggesting arguments based on this sub-segment) - Let us only talk about the people of Kashmir valley. 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) do not want Kashmir valley to be separated from India. Does their view hold any value? Or, does the majority decide? If the majority decides, then does that same apply to all other parts of India? Do we then agree to a culture where majority community should decide what bread crumbs to throw at the minority? But, that is not supported by people like PB when Hindus are in majority! What contradiction! What double-standards!

I have my right of opinion, and Indian constitution provides me the right to dissent.
Absolutely true, Mr PB. But, have you forgotten your fundamental duties? The likes of PB always take the argument of right to speech, but conveniently forget their fundamental duties.

Mr PB, you have the voice today because you were raised on the pedestal by the people of India, because they believed in you for your anti-corruption efforts. Now that you have that kind of following, you cannot make any irresponsible statements. Yes, you understood my point right, you no longer can have completely independent thoughts on such sensitive subjects. It amounts to back-stabbing of people like me, who have been blind supporters of the Jan Lokpal movement!

And, when you do make such statements, be prepared for backlash from people who feel frustrated and angry at such comments. When you can understand and empathize with the violence perpetrated by the Kashmiri terrorists, when you canempathize with the guns and bombs that ethnically cleansed the aborigines of the Kashmir valley, when you can empathize with the stone pelters - why this double standard of not empathizing with three young men who just gave you a few blows. Yes, "just" few blows, because
these few blows to one person is negligible (not even worth a mention) to the violence you empathized till date (that I listed earlier in this para)!

One of the PB like, self proclaimed Human Rights activist, Gautam Navlakha, once said that he supports armed struggle for the rights, and aspirations of people. But, when they personally get even a slap on their face (leave aside feeling the pain of people tortured to death) they cry foul!May God grant them the strength when they introspect and realize what hypocrites they are!

Parties like Sri Ram Sena should be banned in India
I have no idea about the group called Sri Ram Sena (SRS). I have only heard about them for their disapproval of Valentines day. I do not agree to any such moral policing. One can preach one's ideology, but cannot go and take law in their hands. Having said that, even before there was any confirmation of whether any of the three people who heckled PB were part of SRS, PB demanded that they should be banned in India! How pathetic of such a so-called "expert" lawyer to have forgotten the principles of law and principles of justice, to directly proclaim the verdict without any investigation or validation! If such an incident had happened to somebody like Pramod Muttalik, PB would have first argued that he got the fruit of his actions, and would have then declared - let law take its own course! In fact, if my memory serves me right, it did happen with Pramod, and everybody declared that Pramod got what he deserved. But, the same principles do not apply to highly intellectual people like PB. How sick can that be!

I couldn’t bear him anymore, so I changed the channel. Later I read some newspaper reports and read some facebook comments of people who support India Against Corruption (IAC). Here are some key takeaways from those forums:

We should protest against the attack on PB.

So, from now on, even if PB commits a murder, no action should be taken against him! Right? I completely understand that some vested interests want to split the Jan Lokpal movement. I understand that we need to stay together to defeat such forces that want to derail this movement. But, the first ownership for such unity lies with the leaders of the movement. When cases were slapped against Anna, Arvind, Kiran Bedi, etc, we were vigilant. We assured them of our support. But, this is a statement by PB himself. He is being irresponsible. Even if he had apologized for such a statement, things could have been buried there and then. He went on and on with his statements on national television. If he is going to be in the leadership team of the movement, the movement is bound to fail! When we want to stay united for the cause, then such people shouldn’t be allowed to use this support for any other motive but anti-corruption!

If India Against Corruption protests for this attack on PB, they are then moving away from anti-corruption movement and supporting an anti-India movement! Sorry, I would never ever be part of such a movement. Wake up brothers and sisters, we are here for Jan Lokpal, and not for PB pal!!!

It is PBs personal view and that shouldn’t derail IAC movement.
I heard even Anna give this statement. If this is true, and if we are OK with people having such personal opinions on such sensitive topics, then why distance yourself from Baba Ramdev? Why distance from BJP? Why distance from RSS? We distanced this movement from them because we said the movement should not get embroiled in other controversies like so-called communalism (any pro-Hindu stance is communal stance in India). Why doesn’t the same principle apply to PB? We should immediately distance ourselves from this person with communist ideology! We should immediately distance ourselves from this person with anti-national ideology!

I hope our mature and intelligent Indian citizens are able to clearly see the real PB (and his likes). Either PB, and his likes, are completely naïve, or they have sinister designs and vested interest in breaking our dream called India. Either way, they should be condemned by all, and shunted away from all people's movements like Jan Lokpal!

Jai Hind!

मैं लौट के इक दिन आऊँगा!

मेरी ज़मीन मुझे बुलाती है, एक आवाज़ लगाती है!

कब आएगा लौट के घर को तू, बस यही सवाल सुनाती है!

 

वो पल अकसर याद आते हैं, जब मौत नाची थी राहों में!

काफिर काफिर कह कह के जब, पीठ घौंपी थी अपने ही यारों ने!

 

एलानों में यालगारों में, हर जुलूस में लगते नारों में,

कश्मीरियत को जलाते रहे, मुखबिर कहके दहलाते रहे!

वो दहशत के पल रब जाने, कब जाएँगे मेरी यादों से!

 

मेरी ज़मीन मुझे बुलाती है, एक आवाज़ लगाती है!

कब आएगा लौट के घर को तू, बस यही सवाल सुनती है!

 

मेरे हुमवतनो मेरे साथियो, मेरे कदमों के साथ चलो!

मेरे संघर्ष में, वनवास में, मेरी थोड़ी सी मदद करो!

मुझे मेरा गाँव चाहिए, वो चिनार की छाँव चाहिए!

मेरा घर वो मेरा आशियाँ, जहाँ बीता था बचपन चाहिए!

 

ऐलान यह करता हूँ अभी, सुन ले मेरे कातिल सभी,

मैं लौट के इक दिन आऊँगा, फिर वहीं जहाँ बसाऊंगा!

अपने आँगन में फिर से मैं, अपनी दुनिया सजाऊंगा!

मैं लौट के इक दिन आऊँगा, मैं लौट के इक दिन आऊँगा!

Pied Piper?

So often my thoughts go back to the winter of 1989-90. It is extremely painful memory, and I just can’t erase it. Time and again, my thoughts take my soul back through that painful experience. I hear that time heals all wounds, but this wound seems to be too deep to be cured so easily.

Why did I, and all my community members, have to leave their home and hearth? Why did we have to live a life in exile? Why were so many of Kashmiri Pundits languishing in tent accommodations across various places in North India, when they had big bungalows and big fields in their homeland? As per the terrorists like Yaseen Malik, Bitta Karate, and others of their ilk, it was because Kashmiri Pundits were like rats following the Pied Piper (read Jagmohan)!

Imagine a whole community (about 500,000 people) blindly following orders of the Governor, who declares that in order for India to have a free hand in Kashmir, Kashmiri Pundits should leave their homeland. And, all Kashmiri Pundits feel “Wow, this guy is our Guru, lets just leave everything and live in tents for a while!” If Jagmohan indeed achieved this feat, then he might well be an Avatar of Jesus Christ!

Would anyone leave all he/she has, and leave stealthily in the dead of the night, to live a life of an exile, because one person asks him/her to do it? Well, maybe a few might just get swayed, but would 500,000? Unless of course, that one person is Jesus Christ, Shri Krishna, or the like.

Whenever Kashmiri Pundits talk about the barbaric killings of their folks by the Islamic zealots, they are told to stop whining and wailing. Why shouldn’t we raise our voice? Has even one person been held responsible for our plight? Has even one case of crimes against our community resulted in any justice?

How would you react if the person responsible for killing many of your community members, responsible for killing some of your bright Air Force personnel, raping one of your sisters, is acclaimed by your own country mates as a leader of peace? He is out there serving sermons on how Kashmir would return to peace? It is so ironic and frustrating!

Well, if Jagmohan wasn’t responsible for the plight of Kashmiri Pundits, then who is?

I go back to 1986, when there were riots against the minority community of Kashmiri Pundits in the valley of Kashmir. I understand that the arms and terrorists eased into Kashmir even before that. The riots of 1986 were first major indication of things to come for Kashmir in general, and Kashmiri Pundits in particular. I remember when I was in primary school (1986-89), my Muslim classmates would keep talking about how they will be liberating Kashmir and make it a part of Pakistan. Yes, even primary school kids were talking about the imminent catastrophe! No prizes for guessing what would be the topic of discussions in their homes. Just that Kashmiri Pundits did not realize the gravity of the situation. We were blinded by the traditions of so-called Kashmiriyat and Hindu-Muslim brotherhood!

14th September 1989 saw the gunning down of Sh Tika Lal Taploo, a beloved leader of Kashmiri Pundits. Ironically, one of the biggest promoters of brotherhood with the majority community of Kashmir! Next few months witnessed gruesome killing and torturous deaths of the minority Kashmiri Pundit community members. Some were cut to pieces in saw mills, some were tortured to death by being pierced with cigarette butts, some were hanged from trees, some were urinated upon while they were dying, some were raped and strangled to death, and many more barbaric ways. This period saw announcements from local mosques declaring Kashmiri Pundit men folk to leave the valley and leave their women folk behind! Announcements in newspapers, and so-called hit-lists pasted outside the homes of the minority community, reflected the same terror! I don’t think a bigger lawless situation has been witnessed in our country ever.

19th Jan 1990 was the fateful night when majority of the Pundit families left the valley in the dead of the night, to provide security to their kith and kin. And, till date they are waiting for their Government to provide them the first basic right of secure life in their own homeland!

And, 20 years since then, the spokesperson of the ruling party claims that the community left the valley because of “fear psychosis of Governor Jagmohan”! Even if the whole community was so dumb to have chosen to live a life of refugees in their own country on basis of fear psychosis of one man, what was the state and central Government doing? Congress was in power in both state and centre! What steps did any of the two Governments take to not let a complete community leave their homes? Was it secular to let Hindus in the valley, who are a minority there, take refuge out of the valley?

What should the Kashmiri Pundit community do?

• Get on the roads and make a hue and cry about the statement of Manish Tewari. Force him to apologize to the community?
• Take the comment in their stride and keep absorbing all their frustration. Go on with their lives and forget Kashmir for ever. Let the community go extinct in near future?
• Prop up their efforts of highlighting their plight and counter such remarks by getting the Indian, and the world, civil society engaged in the discussions on how to provide justice to the community?

I am not sure which path would the various community organizations take. Meanwhile, here is wishing Manish Tewari good health - “Get well soon, Mamu!”