The turmoil in Jammu has revived fears of secession and boosted Islamism, writes David Devadas in DNA
Kashmiri Muslim protesters run for cover as tear gas shells explode near them during a march on Srinagar-to-Muzzfarbad road in Srinagar, India, Monday, Aug. 11, 2008.
The current violence in and around Jammu has promoted the two-nation theory. There is a growing tendency there to see not only Kashmiris but all Muslims as recalcitrant anti-nationals — to be taught a lesson by flag-waving nationalists. In the valley too, the highway blockade has sharpened the perception that Kashmiris/Muslims are persecuted in Hindu-dominated India (the valley press uses words like ‘fanatic’ and ‘extremists’ to describe Jammu agitators). Further, it has not only resuscitated secessionism but also boosted Islamism — by buttressing the Utopian construct already budding in public discourse that Kashmiri means Muslim and, since Islam is pristine, social, political and moral imperfections must stem from flawed religious practice, for which the blame lies with Indian “occupation.” That increasingly used term is, of course, calculated to club Kashmir with Palestine, and an economic blockade adds grist to that mill.
Similar Posts:
- A quarter of the world is Muslim
- Home and away
- What Muslims think
- Stem cell banking in India
- Kashmir’s first family
0 Responses to “Divided Valley”
Leave a Reply