Open Letters on the Kashmir violence of July,2016

Violence is again back in the valley. Since the death of an hitherto unknown terrorist (or separatist? Or extremist?) by the name of Burhan Wani at the hands of security forces Kashmir is on the boil. At least 34 people have so far died and many hundreds are injured; some permanently blinded. Media and social media has also been active on this Kashmir issue; some favoring the nationalism and the actions of the armed forces while others standing in solidarity with the Kashmiri population.

Recently an open letter surfaced on social media written by an army veteran by the name of Major Gaurav Arya. And then there was this response to that open letter written by a Kashmiri settled in Mumbai. These two open letters more or less captures holistically the mood and countering opinions from either side.

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First the Open Letter from Major Gaurav Arya.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/dont-miss-it-major-gaurav-arya-writes-open-letter-to-departed-terrorist-burhan-wani-blasts-separatists-must-read_1908182.html

Dear Departed,

Ever since you were terminated in a forces-led operation in the Valley, 23 people have died. I don’t know why they died. The majority were possibly overcome with grief and fury and wanted to avenge your death. That did not happen, for obvious reasons. A policeman was thrown along with his vehicle into a river and he drowned. I grieve with your family and with the families of all those who lost their lives. Despicable though you may have been, I cannot find it in my heart to blame your family.

You could have been an engineer, a doctor, an archeologist or a software programmer but your fate drew you to the seductive world of social media, with its instant celebrity hood and all encompassing fame. You posted pictures on the internet with your “brothers”, all you fine young Rambos holding assault rifles and radio sets. It was right out of Hollywood. Your rifle’s fire selector switch was set to “safe” and your weapon rested on your shoulder. I know it’s too late to advise you on such matters, but NEVER do that in an operational area.

The day you started with your social media blitzkrieg, you were a dead man. You encouraged young men of Kashmir to kill Indian soldiers, all from behind the safety of your Facebook account. Your female fan following was delirious. You were a social media rage. Unknown to you, there was probably some nerd with a laptop sitting in HQ XV Corps, tracking you 24/7. You died when you were 22. Had you survived this operation, you would have died when you were 23. Just a different date on the calendar, that’s all. The intensity of violence and the result would have been the same.

I wish we had met and I could have explained to you (before killing you) that the old men of the Hurriyat Conference are like leech. They feed on the blood of men. They send young Kashmiris to face the Indian Army. What sort of a war is this, where lambs are sent to fight lions?

I would have shown you the sheer duplicity of the Hurriyat, with their sons living abroad, pursuing professions other than jihad. Name one relative of Syed Ali Geelani, the head of the Hurriyat Conference, who is fighting the so-called Indian “occupation”? His son Nayeem Geelani is a doctor in Rawalpindi, and lives under the patronage of the Pakistani ISI. Zahoor, his second son, lives in South Delhi. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s sister Rabia is a doctor in the US. Mariyam Andrabi, sister of head of the radical Dukhtran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, along with her family lives in Malaysia. Every Kashmiri separatist leader’s daughter or son is rich and safe, outside Kashmir. Jihad is for other people’s sons.

And your parent’s son is dead. Dead from a 7.62 mm full metal jacket round to the head.

Kashmir’s young and restless blame the security forces for killing them. But they never question the Hurriyat. No one asks Syed Ali Geelani why Burhan Wani is not from his family.

Pakistani media was ecstatic when Kashmiris celebrated Eid this year along with Pakistan and not with the rest of India. This was reported as a blow to the unity of India. This is the first time in the 1400 year history of Islam that Eid was declared, not by witnessing the Shawwal moon, but by looking towards Pakistan. Well done.

The Hurriyat has nothing to do with Kashmiris. This unrest, this bloodshed is just another business. If not, I would like to see the list of martyrs from the Hurriyat leadership’s families.

The Hurriyat knows too well that Kashmir has fallen off the map of the world’s attention. No one cares and everyone knows that it is an artificially manufactured conflict. The Kashmir dispute exists because it is an inexpensive way for Pakistan to keep Indian forces bogged down in the valley.

You were a terrorist. You chose to wage war against India. Like for all other such perpetrators in the past, it didn’t go too well for you. When you choose to fight against the Indian Army, know this; THEY WILL KILL YOU.

Your supporters now want blood. So be it.

Cheers! 

Major Gaurav Arya (Veteran)

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Now response to the open letter from Wasim Khan (https://www.facebook.com/wazzzim) through his Facebook post.

https://www.facebook.com/wazzzim/posts/10157431282810508

Dear Major Gaurav Arya,

I was about to board a flight when I came across your letter. To be honest in retrospect I wish I had not read it but I was curious to understand your point of view so I went ahead and did read it. Your words stayed with me and for the next two hours. I kept thinking about the issues you touched. As time progressed the meaning of your words threw my mind into a state of frenzied thoughts. I could talk about each one of those issues but I think there’s a bigger issue here that’s gone missing. I want to talk about that because I don’t want my friends, especially in India to feel proud about what’s happening in Kashmir right now. I want them to know the truth, which according to your letter I find half told.

Let me begin by saying that I get your point straight up. Burhan Wani was a Hizbul commander. He challenged the Indian army and he met his fate. I understand and in fact I respect that as your point of view being an army officer. This is war. No two ways about it. Lets not be confused and that’s your job. The army is in Kashmir to kill insurgents and has been doing so successfully for about two and a half decades now. You being an army officer should take pride in that and so should the fellow countrymen. I will not take this back to history and talk about why there is insurgency to begin with. I’m sure you are well aware of it. If not then you’re being conveniently ignorant.

But here’s my worry. I get a feeling you didn’t write this letter because you were just proud of the army’s achievements. You wrote this letter because of the backlash that came about after it resulting in many deaths in the recent days and that bothered you. Not the deaths, but the backlash.

You Major Arya are a part of a mighty force. I think fifth strongest in the world but then you forget. More than the might of the army you are also a part of worlds largest democracy. If J&K is an 'integral' part of India then why do not the laws of democracy apply there? In statistics they do. Don't you think that's being hypocritical?

Going by your words had Burhan survived at 22 he would have died at 23. You know I didn’t even about know about him till recently. I actually googled him after his death and he became news to me along with the rest of my friends in India. Apparently he became a militant because the army trashed his brother unconscious in front of him. That probably was the first nail.

This reminds me. Let me tell you something about myself. When the army in Srinagar beat me up for the first time I was ten years old. Ask me why and I’ll tell you I don’t know. I seriously don’t. I was just walking on the road and a soldier decided to frisk me then slap me and then he and his fellow mighty warriors together kicked me. There was no social media then and I didn’t threaten them. Last I remembered was that I offered water to one soldier standing outside my house on a hot sunny day.

The second time I was beaten up by the BSF I was still ten years old. The third time I was beaten up by the CRPF I was still ten years old and then next fifteen sixteen times I was beaten up I was STILL ten years old. I remember this one time. A few years later I was pulled over and the soldier pushed me aside as I got out of the car. I told him to take it easy and barely finished my sentence when I felt a gun butt on my neck. I fell down. This was on the highway. When I regained consciousness I managed to spot an officer. I walked up to him and tried to reason. Before I could even get close enough he gestured me to stop. Then he said, ‘Tum sab h******* ke saath yehi karna chahiyae. Get lost’. He then got in his gypsy along with his mighty force and drove off. I just stood there and watched them disappear. The damage had been done. I didn’t catch his nameplate but I hope that wasn’t you.

If you could ask my friends they’d tell you how I didn’t let that or any similar experiences bother me. Also post these beatings I didn’t resort to violence. It did cross my mind a few times but it wasn’t in me. I wouldn’t be out of place if I even told you that all the times I was beaten up weren’t because I was protesting. I was beaten up because I just looked at someone in uniform and the person my best guess is that the soldier probably felt threatened. Trust me when I say I only looked because I was curious. I can’t say I felt much curious after that.

In the early nineties the strength of militants was about 4000 in the valley. You can check this with the nerd at HQ XV Corps. He’ll agree. Today the number of militants is about 66 in south Kashmir and about 40 in the north and rest of the valley. However the number of the army in the early nineties was about five hundred thousand and today it’s a little over seven hundred thousand. The nerd will agree to this too. So, if the army has successfully eradicated so many insurgents what is the need for the might to grow now?

Now, coming to the recent deaths. Something that’s bothering me more than the Kashmir issue. More than bilateral or trilateral talks. The reason why I chose to write back to your letter. When you joined the army you were a graduate. Then you went to the prestigious Indian Military Academy and come out as a polished officer. I too have visited the IMA and man was I also impressed. I have more than ten friends in the Army. Many of my friends are army officer’s children and not once the thought crossed my mind that why didn’t they as army officer’s children join the army. I’m saying this to you so that we are not confused why Geelani’s or someone from Mirwaiz Omar’s family is abroad. It’s not relevant to what’s happening in Kashmir or is it? You really think that they would or could have done something to stop the killings? I want to drop the words Hurriyat, Jihad and Allah from this conversation and keep it only to the deaths are being caused because of the use of force from the mighty army on little children.

Lets say I protest in Delhi today would I be shot at? What sort of force would the security forces use on me? Probably water canons? Lets say I loose my cool and physically assault them then what sort of force would they use on me? Probably lathis. Lets say I pelt stones on them then what sort of force would they use on me? Tear gas? And finally if I behaved like a lunatic because I feel oppressed would I still be shot at? In Delhi or Mumbai – NO. In Kashmir – YES.

I don’t want to argue about the might or the force. The right or the wrong. I just want you to know that your words “WE WILL SHOOT YOU” are ringing in my head and its scary. It’s scary because its not limited to insurgents, millitants or terrorists. I haven’t even challenged you but you’re scaring all of us.

I’ll also admit that at this point I get a feeling that the same thought process is being used irrespective. On unarmed ten year olds. Dear Major Arya there is no might there. There is no might in blinding them. There is no might in crippling them. There definitely is no might in killing them. Lets get off of our high horses and see this as human beings.

I hope this letter somehow trails back you so that you can see this from a simpler point of view. I hope that you can get to sit across me and look me in the eye and say there if there is any might or virtue in this. Just recently a mighty soldier of your army was denied cremation on basis of his caste. What happened to his mighty sacrifice? Did he die in vain?

You are an army officer. I’m a civilian. Neither of us are politicians nor do we need votes. Lets just be honest and save the ones we can.

And lastly, please don't get me wrong. I feel that even after reading your letter another child is shot in the name of patriotism, nationalism you'd have done more harm than good.

Signed – Anyone in Kashmir.

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