cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/43264971
In the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam, hatred against Kashmiris and Kashmiri students in particular surged in at least four northern states and Jammu, fuelled by right-wing groups. We spoke with Kashmiri students who had exams to write but had no institutional support. Hiding in their rooms, hoping for the worst to pass without violence, they spoke of mental and emotional trauma.
The Indian genocide of Kashmir is all too often forgotten.
Can you elaborate?
Genocide is a bit much, imo. Kashmir has been fighting a separatist movement against India since a long time, to merge with Pakistan or be a separate country. Secular and democratic means of resistance such as the ‘Plebiscite Front’ being banned and a rigged election in 1987 led to violent terrorism in the 90s. War crimes, enforced disappearances, harsh search operations, civilian casualties and further suppression of dissent in wartime led to disillusionment with the Indian state among Kashmiri Muslims. Indigenous armed movements were quickly hijacked by Pakistan, which turned them more Islamist in character. They even ratted on less obviously Islamist (but still not quite secular) militants to the Indian Army, who took them down. This was because the JKLF was pro independance and anti Pakistan-merger (For this, see the history of the Hizbul Mujahideen and pro-Independence JKLF).
The was in a context of Pakistani support to the Afghan Mujahiddeen backed by the US, and the various groups it spawned, some quite dangerous like the Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is now banned in Pak. (For this, see Ajmal Kasab’s confession that his uncle fought in Afghanistan. Also look up said guy, and his associates.)
The colour of the insurgency changed, the Hindu minority in the region was driven out after violent pogroms and estranged from the local Muslim populace in the 90s. Trust was lost, and the movement lost any legitimacy it had. The Indian Army clamped down, war crimes were committed, some of which were quite horrific. Militants, like Bitta Karate targeted Kashmiri Hindus for being non-Muslim, or for the broad perception that they were pro-India. Many perceived India, which at that time was largely secular (unlike now) to be a Hindu country.
The secular, democratic movement decades ago that enjoyed some support among Hindus like Prem Nath Bazaz degraded to a Pak-based insurgency that alienated non-Muslims in the region. I’ve never heard of any K Hindus who harbour any warm feelings for HM now, it’s virtually unheard of. It isn’t really similar to Palestine, because even Hamas did not violently drive out Palestinian Christians in the region, unlike the Hizbul Mujahideen, who did it gleefully. Anyway, any revolutionary sentiment was lost out to an inter-imperialist proxy war between Pak and India.
In the 2000s, there was a resurgence of stone-pelting and terrorism, but things changed after 2019, when the state’s special status was revoked. Earlier, non-Kashmiris buying land in Kashmir wasn’t allowed and they also had their own constitution. After 2019, people could buy land in Kashmir and there were internet shutdowns, a police state and hardline measures to clamp down dissent in any form. Fears of demographic change, and comparisons to Palestine are due to the current right wing government. It’s quite complicated, especially since there never really has been a Kashmiri equivalent to the PLO, and the involvement of extreme terrorist orgs like Lashkar-e-Toiba in terrorist attacks like 26/11 has killed a lot of legitimacy it had. That said, war crimes committed on both sides need to be acknowledged and the Kashmiri Hindus, who generally do not support separatism now, whether it is in a secular or Islamist form and have not returned to their homes out of fear of growing radicalisation in the region must be addressed. It is a very complicated situatiation.
Genocidal intent, afaik, wasn’t shown in the past. India’s position in the media was that there was no indigenous movement, and Kashmiris are largely peaceful and dislike Pakistani ‘terrorism’ (here, terrorism = separatism of all kinds). This has changed to, “Kashmiri Muslims are brainwashed terrorists who hate Hindus.” Pakistan’s media position has been that the Kashmiris ought to have a referendum as was promised to them (which Nehru did promise, but it never happened. Ambedkar was of that opinion too, before anyone here accuses me of terror apologia), and that they never got involved, to the point that they refused to take back their dead killed in the Kargil War, and the last rites were done by India. Most Indians have no idea about the crimes of the Army in Kashmir, so please don’t equate them Israeli settlers.
Neo-fascism has led to some inflammatory content online. The Genocide Watch issued a warning in 2022 that India is at risk of genocide towards Indian Muslims. However, using the very high bar of genocidal intent in Lemkin’s definition of genocide, the central government’s policies have not been genocidal. Though there is considerable risk as Modi’s actions in 2002 have shown both genocidal acts and genocidal intent.
Edit: non-Indians —> non-Kashmiris.
India has been committing genocide in Kashmir in a similar way to Israel with Paleatine and it receives very little coverage.
Here is a great video which is banned in India https://youtu.be/cvhddK3tWNY
This video used 2008 Mumbai attacks footage to show militants (to use the neutral term, not out of any respect towards suicide bombing) attacking Indian authorities. Those weren’t military targets they were killing which you’re being shown. If you’ve been alive when it happened, all credibility goes out of the window when you remember just how horrific it was. It is also a very surface level analysis, and I am saying this as someone who is very critical of the Indian government’s crimes in Kashmir, which are many and horrifying, and of Israel’s very obvious genocide in Palestine.
Motive “Islamic terrorism”
Man Wikipedia is a cesspool of Western imperialism and racism.
Truthfully, you’re really fucking dumb if you think 26/11 was anything but that. Dumb at best. How old are you? I’m pretty sure international media covered it. Read. Even the Taliban is more defensible.
Yes they suddenly decided to do “Islamic Terrorism”. Great explanation.
It recieves zero coverage outside anti-India coteries because there is zero evidence that holds up to scrutiny, despite billions of dollars being poured into international media to legitimise it.
Most of the “evidence” you’ll find is from Pakistan funded or allied sources, and Pakistan is not a neutral actor in Kashmir.
The video cites all its sources. Get out of here with this Indian genocide denial BS.
The Indian government is openly proclaiming they want to do genocide Israel style in Kashmir these days.
The Indian government is openly proclaiming they want to do genocide Israel style in Kashmir these days.
Give the Indian Government source please.
You’re simply cheapening the word genocide by using it everywhere like this. Which government official called for an Israel like bombing in Kashmir? Do you even know India’s stand on Palestine?
India historically has been staunchly pro Palestine. There was a stamp in 1980 in solidarity. Gandhi and Nehru were pro Palestine. India was one of the few countries that opposed the partition of Palestine and the formation of Israel in the UN.
Right now, it has shifted to neutral in the right wing government. To say something so overtly pro Israel would be suicidal, considering its official non alignment stance. However, right wingers do have an affinity to Israel. That is disgusting, but they really aren’t anything more than influencers.
You posted a silly, sensationalist article and didn’t even read it. The government didn’t proclaim anything other than suspension treaties with Pakistan.
My local news channel has been focusing on the kindness and aid provided by Kashmiris who helped tourists after the attack and urging unity. Arnab Goswami is a warmongering clown. The article ignores the countless shows that were positive and focuses on only one show in the media. Every news channel I saw spoke about the one Kashmiri who was killed in the attack. Social media being awful is nothing new in India, we’ve all seen it. Most of my friends and family would be horrified at the notion of bombing Kashmir. These are the actions of a genocidal state? This is why western journalism about India is so shit. They don’t know anything on the ground.
Maybe rely on local journalism that isn’t in the government’s pocket, like newslaundry? Left wing journalism survives in India. Don’t condescend to us. It’s not our fault that western sources barring some investigative journalism are absolutely clueless.
There certainly was disturbing genocidal rhetoric in social media. This is not what a normal society does. But to claim that the central government is going to break every precedent and straight up bomb Kashmir is delusional.
But then again you are defending the Taj Hotel attack so maybe this isn’t worth it.
I want to learn more about the region. Can you share the local news channels you mentioned and any other non biased sources.
There is no neutrality in occupation. You either condemn crimes or you don’t. I shall assume that the baseline is that the source must condemn heinous crimes. I will admit my own biases; I am pro-liberation, but not pro-terrorism, which differs from my stance on Palestine as Hamas never harmed Palestinians and is genuinely fighting a colonial entity.
There is no understanding this conflict without history. A left-leaning Kashmiri historian had recommended Christopher Snedden’s books to me; I shall pass that along. He is quite sympathetic to independance. For the Pakistani involvement in the conflict, I’d recommend Manoj Joshi’s ‘Lost Rebellion.’ He is an Indian and worked for the government, so bias is inevitable, but he does condemn crimes in the region and has inside insights on the imperialism of both nations. It is a very balanced book. ‘Our Moon Has Blood Clots’ by Rahul Pandita is about the persecution and exodus of Kashmiri Hindus. There are other books but they must be read with a critical eye. I shall not recommend them as I think you aren’t looking for such a deep dive into the historiography of Kashmir.
News sources are difficult. Foreign journalists are banned in the region since 2019, and the press is not free. Indian sources are almost useless without context since they’ll never have the guts to condemn the occupation even if the individual journalist knows better. Liberal media organisations that typically critique the government fearlessly, do not give opinions on Kashmir because breaking India is too far out of the overton window and will never gather public funding, on which these run.
Free Press Kashmir is decent enough for a Kashmiri Muslim perspective. The Kashmir Walla was banned in India, it is also local. Newslaundry did some investigations into press freedom there as well. For human rights violations, JKCCS has some reports, in particular, ‘Torture’ was excellently sourced. It was also censored in India using DNS tampering (I think), seems unbanned now. It is quite harrowing though; do not read if you have a history of trauma.
Edit: if you meant the local news channel I mentioned, I’m afraid you wouldn’t understand it, it was in Marathi.
Middle East “experts” could fantasize about anything, including flying donkeys. Doesn’t make them relevant.
