Don't take it on its face value, It's a letter from a feared Kashmiri

Shah Faisal, the decorated 2009 IAS topper from Kashmir, has written an article in Indian Express. As this is an article from a highly respected Indian Government official who is also a native of Kashmir, it automatically acquires a great importance for people like me, who earnestly yearn to understand what exactly is the psyche behind all the brouhaha that we have been witnessing on the streets of Kashmir for last three decades in general and for last 12 days, in particular.

The subject of the article is very apt and relevant as Faisal appeals to the Government of India to rein in the ever shouting and chest thumping Delhi based so-called national electronic media in the backdrop of youth unrest on the streets of Kashmir. He has named four channels, Zee News, Times Now, Aaj Tak and News X. His point is that, as all the traditional communication lines between the Center and the people of Kashmir have vanished, what these news channels are running or what the anchors there are commenting are being taken by Kashmiris as a de-facto Indian government stand and attitude towards Kashmir and Kashmiris. In his article, Faisal has very rightly represented the Kashmiri pain and agony towards Indian state and the treatment they are meted out in the hands of Indian security forces.

But what Faisal has completely missed is the Indian view-point which he is supposed to exhibit being part of the backbone of Indian bureaucracy that is Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He has not, even partially, mentioned the outright and overt support Pakistan is pouring in to flare up the situation in Kashmir. He has not, even for once, mentioned the atrocities and trauma people of Jammu and Kashmir undergo with in the hands of terrorists. He is mum on the issue of numerous foreign mercenaries fighting the “cause of Azadi” in Kashmir and abundant funding the terror network in Kashmir is receiving from many countries.

Killing of Burhan Wani can in no way be equated to rape of a Kashmiri girl by “demon Indian security forces” nor it could be misspelt as a fake encounter of some college going innocent guy. So I would be expecting Faisal to tell us about how a patriot Indian Kashmiri mind perceives the stone pelting events, continuous attacks on police stations and CRPF camps, murder of a cop by drowning him with a police vehicle in reaction to killing of a dreaded terrorist. And also, being a top administrative official, I would expect him to suggest some ways to the Government of India in dealing with violent mobs by Gandhian tricks if he is to blame only security forces for killing of around 50 Kashmiris in the aftermath of Wani encounter.

At last, coming to the theme of his article again that is taming, if not gagging the Delhi based national TV media (as he has very categorically absolved the newspapers from his tirade). It is amazing to know if the people of Kashmir are so naïve that they think Indian Government is actually communicating with them through Sudhir Chowdhary or Arnab Goswami or some anchor on Aaj Tak or News X. And if it so, why don’t they take recourse under the coverage of likes of Burkha Dutt and Rajdeep Sardesai. Indian media is full of all time powerful journalists who speak exactly what Geelanis and Maliks and even the Hafiz Saeeds and Salahuddins would love to hear. If Indian government has not tried to tame those till date, what logic works in favor of Faisal saheb’s suggestion against those who are “fomenting the poison of ulatra-nationalism”  through their news studios.

Well, having said all these things, I do understand the compulsions of Shah Faisal. In fact, he has articulated it in his article also when he writes that he don’t want to get killed by his own people only for Rs. 50,000 monthly salary and Rs. 50 lakh interest free home loan. This is where his article originated from when a news channel, just in its quest to tell the Kashmiris (and to the nation) that Burhan Wani is not the way the youth of Kashmir should sail towards, put his picture side by side to Wani. It might be an honest story telling method used by the channel to differentiate how youth of Kashimir should drive their dreams to build their state from the ruins of terror, but seeing it with Faisal’s perspective, this story telling method really exposes him to utter risk of life and property.

So, I think we should not take this article on its face value and the takeaway for the national media is that please take into account the safety and sensitivities of local personalities while doing stories from and for Kashmir.