Sometime back a senior journalist in a live TV programme claimed that the two ladies in Shopian had probably drowned in a flash flood which is a common occurrence in mountain streams in summer. He even narrated his own experience in the mountains to reinforce his theory. How can people be so naïve? First Kashmiris are being told that they are all liars and only CBI is truthful and now we are also being acquainted with our geography - sudden glacier melting and flash floods in an area which has no glaciers and no history of flash floods! It is something worse than what a similar journalist had done some years back regarding the mass rape in Kunanposhpora. He had given a clean chit to the guilty soldiers. All this is done to defend the guilty persons suspected by all in Shopian and other places to be security personnel regardless of the fact whether these are from the state or outside. The plea always is that such actions to bring out the truth and punish the guilty will demoralise the “Brave” sons of country defending the “National” interest so valiantly. The first question is what is construed to be the national interest? Upholding the basic principles of the constitution in regard to fundamental freedoms of the citizens including all universally defined human rights or unbridled violations of these rights and freedoms with impunity of all such persons who have been clamouring for these for over half a century? It is a universal truth that no people can be held against their will for long. No amount of force can suppress the aspirations of a people. In the end the oppressors have to given in. This has been the history of all such movements world over. Having realised this position, Delhi has been planning to hold a dialogue with the people of Kashmir to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to this decades old problem. People were expecting a number of confidence building measures to prepare a conducive atmosphere for the proposed dialogue process. The Union Home Minister had given many indications for the start of such a process. In fact, it was reported that the demilitarisation had already begun as part of the confidence building measures and the revocation of the draconian legislations giving unlimited powers to the security forces was also under active consideration of the government. Lo and behold, the CBI comes in to throw a spanner in the works. The tragedy of the whole situation is that the so called premier investigating agency which was asked by the State High Court to trace and apprehend the criminals comes up with the dramatic revelation that no crime was committed. There was no doubt on the commission of the offence. Even the Chief Minister after the initial theory of drowning given to him by his intelligence chief whom he subsequently sacked, had admitted that something had surely happened and the perpetrators of the crime will be unearthed and given harsh punishment. Some people are saying that the Agency has vindicated the initial stand of the Chief Minster. On the contrary, they have put him in a more embarrassing position and he must be at a loss to react to the CBI revelation!

The only task which had been given to the agency was to locate the guilty persons that had committed what the State High Court had called a “Heinous Crime!” If a Central Agency reputed to be an institution given to unravelling the truth and bringing perpetrators of crimes to justice loses its credibility, how can Kashmiris be expected to have faith in the dialogue process being initiated by the same Central Government of which the Agency is an important part? If the people do not have faith in the solving of a crime by the Central Government, how can they be asked to trust the same Government to be honest in its endeavour to decide their future for all times to come? It appears that the action of the CBI has given a worse set back to the process than the attack on one of the local interlocutors!

One would not like to go into the minute details of the contradictions galore in the CBI report. This has already been done by the Independent Women’s Initiative for Justice (IWIJ). They have systematically demolished the CBI case by exposing the loopholes in their findings as also the attempt to reach a pre-determined conclusion. The unfortunate part is the total silence of the Civil Society in India for such outrages being blatantly committed in Kashmir. The intellectuals perturbed by such acts are very few in number. One wonders whether it is the same country about which Rabindra Nath Tagore had dreamt. A country where the mind is free and the head is held high. Kashmiris would have definitely loved to be part of that country!

Alas, the reality is not so. The present episode starkly demonstrates the helplessness of the authorities in Delhi. They have miserably failed to reign in the elements bent upon derailing every attempt at peace making in Kashmir. There is also a lurking doubt that the Delhi authorities are not very keen for settling the issue and they want to continue Kashmir as a militarised land holding regardless of its people. One wishes that hopefully such persons are only a fringe element? It is for the first time that everyone across the border is extraordinarily keen to start the bilateral composite dialogue to sort out all problems including the core issue of Kashmir. For a change, Indian authorities are unusually reluctant to do the same. Normally, Pakistanis used to be more aggressive and less accommodative especially for a bilateral dialogue. They would insist on trilateral talks and would also be soliciting third party intervention. The virtual civil war in their country has been compelling them to sue for peace on their eastern borders so as to be free to deal with a situation threatening the disintegration of that country. It is a tragedy that the people on this side do not realise that the collapse of that country will bring the menace right on the doorsteps of India. We should have been more than eager in grabbing the opportunity to have the problem settled once and for all. That would be possible only if the people are ready to stand for truth and justice regardless of the consequences. Those who can do that are truly safe guarding the genuine long term national interest of the country. Those who see flash floods where none exist are not only demolishing their own credibility but destroying the very edifice on which secular and democratic India stands! It is time for all Indians who stand for justice, fair play, and equity to rise and demand the same for Kashmiris. The alternative will push already alienated Kashmiris over the brink!