Echoes from Pulwama

On 16 December, 2014, six gunmen affiliated to TTP, entered an Army school in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing around 150 children. It shook Pakistan to depths. Not just Pakistan, the entire world  rattled in horror. Pakistan – state and society – came face to face with the monster it fed for decades.

What was thought of ascomplex, nuanced, and layered, suddenly appeared naked, stark and hard. Theevil itself spoke through this act, leaving no room for others to throwexplanations, and create room for denial. The aftermath of this incident was anear permanent closure of the societal spaces nurturing violent ideas. thestate’s response was a direct war on TTP and its ilk. Zarb e Azb announced asignificant departure from the earlier policies.  Pakistan began to clear the menace of armedgroups on its western side. The old Afghan experiment came to a close.

When terror finallyspewed its venom into the face, Pakistan was left with no other choice than tokill the snake. Peshawar incident finally woke up the state, and the society,to the enormity of the challenge. From that point onwards new thinking, and newaction plans rolled out.

On 14 February, 2019, asuicide bombing woke up this region into what Kashmir is heading to. Thesadness and grief in India was shared by all in the world. Even the Kashmiris,who in this case are seen as enemies, expressed grief over the loss of lives.Unlike the response of the Pakistan state to the Peshawar incident, theneurotic response from the state and the society of India added to the crisis.The reason for this is the difference between how Pakistan finally relatesitself to Peshawar-Afghanistan, and how Indian looks at Kashmir-Pakistan.

In the aftermath of thePulwama bombing, the Indian state intensified its operations against thepolitical, and societal leadership of Kashmir. It also risked a war againstPakistan. The aerial incursion into the Pakistan space is an arrival of newpattern of action in Kashmir, and may be extended to Pakistan as well. Theinitial reaction from Pakistan did make India hold back, but this might not beseen as the end of it. The rise of new forces in India, and its collaboration withsome similar minds in the global space, will have its consequences.

This brings us to thepoint. Pakistan is right now in a phase of rebuilding itself. The way ImranKhan behaved all through this crisis, and the way Pakistan’s armed forcesbacked him, reflects a deep urge, and a deeper commitment to put the house inorder. This country can not afford taking its eyes off the economic crisis.This country seems to have finally decided to clear the debris of Afghanexperiment. So this country can not escape another imperative: reorient itsKashmir policy.

Certain things are veryglaring. The appetite of Pakistan’s society for armed groups has decisivelywaned. The willingness of the state apparatus to consider these groups asstrategic assets is sagging. The external pressure from the global community ismounting. Not just this, even the friendly countries impress to close downnon-state armed actors. Beyond this, the religious narrative that supportedthis armed enterprise is faced with a deep, serious, and refreshing critique.The Ghamidian reformation and restructuring is slowly, steadily, butunmistakably taking roots in the Muslim mind of Pakistan. Though it’s just thebeginning, but the seeds are sown.

If the National ActionPlan of the state of Pakistan, its new economic initiatives, and the emergenceof new mind, are any indicators, the echoes of the Pulwama suicide attack wouldring down into the deeper structures. The groups like Jaish, and Lashkar cannotsit comfortably with the state structures of Pakistan anymore. Take it slightlyfurther. There is a good likelihood that groups like Hizb would also feel theheat.

What does this all meanto Kashmir. It means the character of the Resistance Movement cannot afford toremain unchanged. It must change; not cosmetically, but radically. Here certainother developments need a mention.

The tumult in the Indiansociety, and the consequent violence in its politics, has shown what New Delhican resort to in Kashmir now.  Thechanges, both in India and in Pakistan, put a pressure on us, as a society, torethink. This rethinking needs clarity, and courage. Many darling presumptionswould clash with this thinking. The choices we make at this point would decidethe future of our children. It is a crucial moment. We can emerge, or we canperish.

Here Responsibility is the key. God bless Viktor Frankl, who “recommend(ed) that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.” In Kashmir the Idea of Freedom needs to be supplemented by the Idea of Responsibility. The time for recklessness is over. The time for non-violent, transparent, responsible and independent politics is here. A super-politics, with supreme responsibility.  

mrvaid@greaterkashmir.com