By Dr Suresh Khairnar
The attack on Pahalgam by terrorists is a living example of 100% communal polarization. But the common people of Kashmir have completely rejected this. Kashmiri people providing various services there have tried to save the passengers by risking their own lives. After this accident, the auto drivers of Srinagar started giving free service to the passengers travelling on their autos from the airport to the railway station for their return journey. They have put stickers of free service on the windshield of their autos.
The most important thing is that one of the 26 passengers killed at the accident site is Adil Hussain Shah. He used to ferry passengers on his pony. During the terrorist attack on Tuesday, he himself confronted the terrorists and told them that “don’t kill them, they are guests of Kashmir”. And when he tried to snatch the AK-47 gun from the terrorists, the terrorists shot him three times on his chest and killed him. Adil was the only son of his parents. Similarly, others have played a role in saving the BJP councilor and his family safely.
In the last few years, communal elements have succeeded in creating communal polarization on a large scale in our country. But while travelling to and fro Kashmir for more than fifty years, I have seen that from Qazigund to Srinagar and other places, hoteliers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, boatmen, students and teachers of Srinagar University, lawyers, doctors and Hurriyat Conference leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and other citizens of Kashmir, all of them always speak against terrorists. This is because the economy of Kashmir is dependent on tourism business. And among the departments of the Kashmir government, the tourism ministry is considered the most important. Therefore, no tourist goes in an atmosphere of terror. Therefore, most of the people of Kashmir want peace and harmony.
I stayed in Jammu and Kashmir for two weeks during the shutdown that took place after the killing of Burhan Wani in August 2016. During that period, Zahoor sahab, the editor of Srinagar edition of Kashmir Times, told me that “You are roaming every inch of Kashmir in such a delicate situation. Seeing this, Senior Gilani wants to meet you. So you should leave Kashmir only after meeting him.” And before leaving Kashmir, I went to Gilani’s house to meet him. He was under house arrest. So the security officer called his senior officer on the wireless and after reading my identity card, told him my name and address and he said “Our senior officer has given you permission to meet Gilani. But it is very surprising that Yashwant Sinha had come and gone just before you. But he was not allowed to go. And he is allowing you to meet him.” And he himself said that I want to take a selfie with you.” Maybe this selfie was also a part of his duty.
Anyway, as soon as I met Gilani, he said “May God keep you safe.” Without caring for your life, you have been meeting people in the fields and barns of the valley for two weeks even during such a strict shutdown. This is a very good thing.” I told him that “It has been two months since August. The shutdown is going on. Even vehicles carrying people to the hospital are being stopped. Don’t you think that the shutdown should end now?” So he said that now people are not listening to me.” After hearing this from his mouth, I understood that people’s faith in the so-called Kashmiri separatists has weakened. And I have even seen some people cursing them that “they have no problem with such a shutdown. It is we who are troubled. They are in cahoots with both the governments, their children are studying abroad.” We are the ones who are facing trouble. Our children’s schools are closed, and we are not able to go out of the house for livelihood and employment. The leaders are getting all the facilities even while staying at home.
And A.S. Dulat, who was the head of the IB, and before that was posted in Kashmir for more than twenty-five years, has written about terrorism in his book ‘Kashmir the Vajpayee Years’. It is very shocking. He has revealed what all has been done in collusion with both the government agencies. After reading this, I have been demanding action against them since 2016. But action is a far cry. He and former Pakistan ISI chief Asad Durrani have jointly written a book titled ‘Spy Chronicle’ and exposed even more shocking facts. And both the authors have worked at the highest positions in the biggest agencies of their respective countries, giving the biggest time of their lives.
I am also requesting the common people of Pakistan on this pretext that despite the division between the two countries for the last 78 years, the budget that is being spent on security and the lives of people on both sides are being lost is an even more serious matter. Can’t we resolve the disputes by talking to each other? How long will both the countries continue to waste their resources on defence for the sake of giving a better life to their respective people on priority? The political breads of the people involved in politics are being baked but at what cost?
Dr Suresh Khairnar is Ex. President of Rashtra Sewa Dal
24 April 2025
Source: countercurrents.org