Sharda Lal
By each day the situation in Kashmir is getting increasingly serious. It needs to be tackled with still greater seriousness. Hundreds and thousands of experts and common citizens have paid heartfelt tributes to the martyred Jawans of pre and post 14/02/2019 incident in which 40 CRPF personnel made their supreme sacrifice. Suggestions continue to be put forth to end the root cause of this bloodshed. However, one cannot help saying that while taking appropriate and comprehensive action at various levels to end terrorism and separatism besides to ensure foolproof security for the innocent nationalists, the situation needs to be understood by the government too in its entirety.
Even as of now, the Kashmiris can be grouped into four categories. Majority of the people are peace loving and progressive, but politically still neutral. Most of the others favour secular constitution of India. Unfortunately, both of these categories have been silenced by the guns of terrorists. Third kind of persons is those who challenge the authority of India under the religious frenzy whipped up by the Pakistani government and its maverick offshoots. They are desperate to weaken and divide the country, what come may. From time to time, such people have persistently intimidated, terrorized, butchered and extradited from their homeland not only the Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, but also the Muslims and people of other faiths to realize their nefarious designs. This category of people is making consistent efforts to spread amongst the civilized society, the hatred, fear and violence against India.
It needs to be further understood that there is also a fourth class of persons in Kashmir and Jammu who are totally devoted to India and would spare no occasion and opportunity to teach appropriate lesson to the terrorists and anti-nationals, particularly when provided a proper patronage.
The Government of India and the Media must not look at all the Kashmiris as anti-national. The issue is very sensitive and all of them should neither be portrayed as anti-national nor they be pushed to the wall through words or behavior. Under the existing trying circumstances, it is the duty of the Government to identify the persons of these four categories to prevent harassment of common innocent nationalist citizens, but the anti-national elements and terrorists must be isolated and not spared. They must be fought to the finish.
Whereas, the local nationalists need to be provided full security, it is also their duty not to fall prey to the machinations of the enemy of humanity and the country. Rather, they should make every effort to wean away the separatists and the terrorists from their chosen path as that is the path of self-destruction. Only peace, security and prosperity can lead them all along the path of legitimate freedom.
It is the duty of the parents and siblings in the families, teachers and leaders in the society to educate, motivate and mobilize their children, youth, friends and followers and tell them about the secular, multi-cultural and progressive structure of India. They must be encouraged to remain away from the flame of terrorism. They must play an active role in building up an environment of security and trust. The fire of fundamentalism kindled by separatists in Kashmir has recently invited a backlash in the rest of the country and all should come together to extinguish the fire. It is high time to wage an active multipronged and joint war against the thought of terrorism and separatism by more and more people of Kashmir as well as Jammu, national security agencies, intelligence agencies and the countrymen. Let it be understood that a moth which burns itself in the candle flame is never called the martyr.
All citizens should make every possible effort to bring the prodigal children back on the right track of humanity. In case they don't relent and continue their ill chosen journey of misery and bloodshed, then India will be desperate to have the only option to teach them the painful lesson as Mother India.
