Oxford dictionary describes a “Parasite” as an organism, which lives in or on other organism and derives its food from there. In a derogatory sense it is a person who lives on others. In Kashmir we have a breed of leaders who can be described as “Political Parasites”. This special breed of politicians exists across the entire political spectrum irrespective of the ideology or the professed aims of a particular party. Apart from their inherent quality and capacity to live on others, they survive and even proliferate due to the gullibility of the ordinary people. Parasites can live and survive only when people tolerate them. After having led the people virtually from the pillar to the post, they pretend to become their saviours by professing to emancipate them from all the present hardships. They shamelessly forget that it were they in the first instance that landed the entire population into this mess. Unfortunately it is the extreme gullibility of our people, which is more pathetic as the free loaders exist in all societies. These pseudo liberators or so called people’s saviours will continue to prosper unless the people decide to put an end to their antics by refusing to be taken in any more by their sweet talk. They started what seemed at that time a genuine struggle for peoples’ rights. Then forgetting the basic aims they led people from one perceived goal to other as per their own convenience and suitability. This particular set had given “Naya Kashmir” as their first and primary goal. However, the lust for political power (that too not the real one but illusory), proved stronger than the urge to usher in a New Kashmir for the ordinary people. In fact they exploited the gullibility of people so much that at one stage they claimed even the leaves of Kashmir’s symbolic tree (Chinar) bore the name of their leader. There was such emotional frenzy generated that people went to the extent of giving the leader almost the status of a prophet. Unfortunately he proved to be only an incomplete messiah! He touched the very sensitive religious chords and ego of the people. With his emotional out bursts by which he would make them even cry, he created a strong feeling of self-respect and dignity among the ordinary people only to barter it in future for petty personal gains. After each political somersault people were promised that the goal was nearer. They went round and round in circles. In spite of all these political turn abouts, they continued to follow him till they faced in the harshest possible way the naked truth of these false promises and became wide awake. The proof of that is the fact that the tomb of the saviour instead of becoming a shrine has to be protected by the security forces against the backlash of the masses. What an irony of fate? However, the worst thing has been that the progeny again took the gullible people for a ride and is even now doing the same thing. As long as they are in power they never bother about the feelings of the masses or the hardships they are facing. The moment they lose the power, they once again pretend to become peoples’ saviours shamelessly banking on the short memory of the people. The people need to realise how outside powers have used these virtual leeches to suck their blood. Once they had their fill, they were removed and a new set was put on them.

Next come the type that made themselves available as parasites from the very beginning. They new that outside powers are in need of blood suckers to keep the people straight. They had no qualms in becoming paid parasites. They started with the premise that the economic well-being was more important then the ideological and spiritual goals. For some time they were able to pry on the gullibility of the poor masses and took them along. Especially the ones who are intentionally gullible for personal gains. However, the people soon realised that the reality was ugly and starkly harsh. Houses could not be built on quick sands. Unless the foundations were definite and certain, the economic houses how so ever colossal and massive these may be, would not be able to last long. One can still tolerate this group as they are from the very beginning without any pretence and have no pangs of conscience to trouble them. Every one knows that they are in the fray for their own personal and selfish gains without the least bother as to what happens to the community or the people in general. In a way they have no will of their own. They are nursed by a master and have to be loyal to him. They were at one time termed by the first species as the “worms of the gutter” but they themselves proved worst than that! In earlier days barbers used to have pet leeches in Kashmir. They would use these to lessen the blood pressure and the method was quite popular as well as acceptable. It may be part of our psyche that we are tolerating such type of leeches in every sphere of our life. One of the reasons for us for being so gullible to them!

Third group consists of a very dangerous species. They are floating parasites that like Chameleons change their colour with the environment they are in at any particular moment. After subjecting poor people to worst atrocities on the pretence of being extra loyal citizens of the country, they once again became healers of their wounds on losing the power. The tall promises of giving succour to the suffering people from day to day atrocities of the security forces were forgotten the moment they captured the seat of power. They had no remorse for their earlier actions and even took credit for the events, which were a result of the blood of thousands of innocents spilled over last half a century. Again after being dethroned they have started shamelessly to beguile the people with self-governance and many other similar mantras. It is said that parasites cannot survive on alcohol but some species in Kashmir have been found to grow and live on it and that too of a black label category!

The most tragic part of this whole story is the people themselves who are equally responsible for the actions of all these species. Why are we so gullible? Is it a weakness of our character? Is it our material greed? Is it our total selfishness? Is it our lack of will to stand up for the right against any wrong? It is really an enigma for all outside observers! Some say it is our survival instinct in the face of the worst calamities both natural as well as man-made. They may be right to some extent, as we are the only people in the sub-continent with a 5000-year-old history. It is also admitted by all that Kashmiris are a very intelligent people. Their patience borders on passivity but they know and observe everything that is happening around them. However, they also know how to survive and when it is the opportune time to make their point, they do it. It is advisable for all those political leaders taking the poor and gullible Kashmiris for a ride to take a lesson from the pages of history, which is replete with the fate of the people who indulged in similar things in the past and exceeded the limit of their patience only to be swept away like straws before a storm.