Paradise Regained!

At least now there is an air of hope in Kashmir

By Toufiq Rashid

My friends back home in Srinagar inform me that the "Kashmiris are rejoicing". Glued to their TV sets, even those who didn't vote are said to be ecstatic. Although nobody believes a change of government will make a substantial transformation in Kashmir, the fact that it is no longer anybody's fiefdom is heartening.

I wonder what Kashmir would be like without the Abdullahs at the helm. The bureaucrats - especially the sycophants among them - would be orphaned. What about the engineers in charge of so many 'prestigious projects' which never took off? What would happen to the number of golf courses, created at great expense, especially the dream project at Chasmashashi adjacent the Dal Lake? Or would the older Abdullah just spend his time teeing off in the greens?

The results were as much of a surprise to the people as they were to the Abdullah clan. People who have witnessed tailor-made elections all these years would never have expected such an outcome. Who could have believed 'democracy' would have its way after decades of misrule? Who could  have believed that the poster boy of the NC and Delhi's darling would be ousted by his relatively unknown opponent?

As the world watched, one wished things had been the same in the infamous 1987 elections. Had that been the case, Kashmir would not have been the 'paradise lost' it is today. Although all I can recall of those polls were the buntings lining the streets, college students enthusiastically campaigned for their leaders and horders of people had participated in the rallies.

From the debates in my family, I could perceive that even my relatives were optimistic about a decisive change in the offing. Since my school was at Lal Chowk, the city centre, I would never leave my mother's hand lest I get crushed in that sea of people. The anti-incumbency wave was evident even then but, unfortunately, the results proved otherwise.

Although I was still a child then and couldn't understand the nuances of politics, the aftermath was horrifying even for me. Hundreds of people were detained and every second day my relatives would be talking about someone they knew who had been arrested. Many of my cousins, who were members of students' unions, were on the run. One of them who lived nearby could not visit his family for days. When we finally saw him after a month he looked shabby, unshaven and was reduced almost to a skeleton.

We grew up on horrendous tales of torture. My cousin told me about how his friends were subjected to 'creative torture techniques' when caught. While many students took to more destructive ways that led to lives of blood and gore, my cousin left the country for a tranquil existence abroad.

With this poll outcome, I suppose, they also stand vindicated. I guess even their faith in democracy might take root this time - for a homeland without dynastic rule was what they had aspired for. Justice has finally prevailed even if it had taken so long to do so.

Previous

Index

Next