This is how we are shamefully losing out on the next generation of Kashmiris

A few years back, I had written an editorial on why Kashmir should be given independence. That article of mine invited a huge debate and a lot of ire from people who felt that I was being unpatriotic. If one just bases one’s responses on emotions, yes, it is hard to accept this independence proposition; but for all practical purposes, we would probably do more good to the region and its people by leaving it free, than by holding on to it forcefully. It is not that the government has not made an attempt, but all its attempts have backfired. As a result of all this, Kashmir has long back lost its charm of being the heaven on earth. Unfortunately, those are its people who have been perpetually at the receiving end and have actually experienced a near hell-like situation in the region. And it is not just that they have been living under constant fear and surveillance, but also that basic freedom has become a thing of the past. From laws that prohibit prepaid cell phones connections to ban on ownership of land, almost all democratic rights have ceased in the region. So much so that every other month, a couple of cases of police or governmental brutality make the headlines; and the very next week get swept under the carpet.

The ban on prepaid cell phones and land acquisition is still fine, owing to the kind of turbulence the region has been experiencing, but the biggest damage has been Kashmir’s juvenile justice law, which is causing unprecedented ramifications for the future. What more, not only is this law against Indian and even international human rights conventions, but is actually against the law of nature too!
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