Exactly 60 years back Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru embraced Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at this historical spot named after the Red Square of Moscow by BPL Bedi, the architect of Naya Kashmir Manifesto. Sheikh Abdullah recited a Persian verse, “Man Tan Shudi, Tan Man Shudi”, I am the body, and you are the soul. Nehru gave a pledge to a mammoth gathering of Kashmiris that they would be free to decide their future. Incidentally, the official website of J & K Government carries photographs of this gathering and reproduces Pandit Nehru’s words, “India will never let down Kashmiris!” Now for the first time in the entire history of Kashmir’s Freedom Movement since 1931 this historical spot has been hijacked and put under siege. All roads leading to the spot have been blocked by iron sheets and razor sharp concertina wire rolls. In regard to all the political movements in Kashmir Lal Chowk is the emotional and sentimental heart of the valley. Thanks to Indian security forces, it is getting converted from the Moscow’s Red Square which was the pride of Russian Revolution into China’s Tiananmen Square, the global symbol of suppression of human rights and peoples’ resistance to this suppression.

During the peak of militancy it had become probably the most violent town centre in the world but was never closed to public. The Indian Government appears to have been unnerved by the massive marches for “Azadi” (Independence) witnessed during last couple of weeks. Having a similar gathering at this spot where India’s greatest leader had given a promise to Kashmiris may have been a huge embarrassment. A total reversal of history. Lal Chowk is an inalienable part of Kashmir’s recent history. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah must have addressed dozens of rallies at this spot. All the national and international dignitaries who have visited Kashmir from time to time have been taken to this spot. It has the same importance for Kashmir as the Red Square has for Russia. It figures in every historical epoch connected with Kashmir since 1947. By stealing it from the people and putting it under a siege, the sentiments and emotions of the people cannot be suppressed. On the contrary by preventing people from assembling there for emotional reasons they have been given a hurt which will deepen the alienation that has reached the breaking point. This could very well be the proverbial last straw!

During the present agitation there were two major assaults on the psyche of Kashmiris. The first was the perceived notion of land being transferred to outsiders. It was after almost 400 years that Kashmiris had got the ownership of the land they had been tilling without owning. This was the result of the momentous decision of Sheikh Abdullah known as the “Land to the tiller”. The sensitivity of a Kashmiri regarding a threat to the ownership of his land was the main cause of the recent unprecedented upsurge. The second trigger was the economic blockade which made him apprehensive not only about losing the apple crop worth millions of rupees but also started a panic about his very survival in the absence of the supplies of daily necessities of life. His very lifeline was under threat and that too under a manmade threat. He had survived many earlier blockades caused by nature’s vagaries. The man had helped him in overcoming these. But this time, it was the man himself who was threatening him with a blockade! The third emotional blow has been the “Siege of Lal Chowk”. One utterly fails to understand the logic behind the present crack down in Kashmir. There had been a paradigm shift in Kashmir’s Popular Movement since 1990. The upheaval of nineties was a result of the violence which had been triggered by the rigging of 1987 elections. Kashmiris have been aspiring for “Azadi” or “Freedom” for centuries. They made many attempts to attain it even during earlier rule of foreigners right from the Mughal times but could not succeed. The latest attempt was made in 1931 during the Dogra rule. However, the cataclysmic changes of 1947 in the sub-continent thrust Kashmiris in a logjam out of which they are unable to come out.

For last 61 years they have been trying to reach the goal of total emancipation from time to time. In 1987 they had made an attempt to reach the goal through democratic means but the rigging of elections followed by a massive crackdown forced the youth to take up arms. Two decades of violence did not take them anywhere and they had now switched back to a peaceful movement thinking that after 9/11 all violent movements were bound to fail because of the menace of global terrorism. One would have thought that all the concerned authorities would welcome this paradigm shift and encourage the peaceful movement which would ultimately end in a dialogue. Instead of taking a lesson from the history, the authorities are condemned to repeat it. One would have thought that the present upsurge would have made all concerned wiser about the basic political problem in Kashmir and attempts should have been made vigorously to address it through dialogue with the genuine representatives of the people. On the contrary a clamp down worse than the one resorted to in nineties has been put in force. This is probably the strictest curfew in history. Even the scribes, medical personnel, ambulance drivers, and patients have not been spared. Security forces have been barging into the houses of people in different localities and thrashing inmates and damaging property. Schools, Offices, Shops, Banks are closed and roads are completely deserted. The only presence is of dozens of armed troopers moving round to ensure no one dares to come out of his house. Every house has been converted into a prison cell. Not to talk of democracies, one does not see such a siege in totalitarian regimes. It seems the government policy is to give a tough dose of brute force to the people to cow them down. Again the authorities seem to be ignorant of Kashmiri psyche. Force does not make a Kashmiri give up his aspirations.

He is a great survivor. Apparently he may seem to compromise with the brutal authority but inside he continues to harbour strong anger and resentment which simmers on till he gets another opportunity to strike back! Government of India may have won the battle by bringing a Kashmiri to his knees by excessive oppression but they have lost the war to win the hearts and minds of the people. During very brief relaxations in curfew people rushed out of their homes like prisoners being let out of their cells. One could see from their expressions that they were very angry. They seemed to be beaten by the might of the “Potholed Super-Power” but not down. In fact they appeared to be more determined than before in their resolve which may be faced by the authorities sometime in future. In earlier times Lal Chowk used to have a flag post on a small podium. The State flag used to flutter on this post. However, sometime back it was dismantled and the centre of activity shifted to a clock tower at the other end of the open space. This clock tower has been the main centre of activity now and the paramilitary forces hoist the Indian national flag here on Independence Day. During the recent protests the youth put up green flags on top of the tower in a symbolic way to contrast the hoisting of national tricolour. This shows how much Kashmiris cherish the idea of hoisting a flag of freedom in the historical Lal Chowk. A Kashmiri will continue to harbour this wish of one day hoisting his own national flag in this world famous town centre of Srinagar. He has desired this for last so many centuries and a few more years won’t make a difference! Kashmir’s famous historian Kalhana has said that Kashmir can be conquered by the charms of pure love but never by the force of arms! One wonders why the present Indian rulers so fond of Kashmir’s Hindu past have forgotten this historical saying.