Javed Beigh
Last few days in Kashmir valley have shamed the people of Kashmir valley in the eyes of global community due to the bloody, gruesome and cowardly selective target killing of members of non-local migrant labor force from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal etc., who have been working hard and earning their livelihood in different parts of Kashmir valley for past many years. The killings, whose responsibility has been taken by a newly formed umbrella militant organization of former militant organizations operating in Kashmir valley has badly damaged an already bad image of Kashmiris as supporters of violence and bloodshed.
Kashmir valley in any case has had an extremely negative image of hosting a religious and extremist separatist movement that is hostile to religious, sectarian and ethnic minorities, despite whatever belief Kashmiri Muslims might themselves have of Kashmir’s aspiration movement.
The majority community of Kashmir, which is still made to answer as to what happened to Kashmir’s largest religious minority of Kashmiri Hindu Pundits has increasingly been asked more uncomfortable questions on the racist, exclusionary and radical nature of Kashmir’s separatist movement, which most political analysts view as just another violent Islamist jihadi movement, regardless of the false comforting view that Kashmiri Muslims have of their aspiration movement being a peaceful, secular and purely political movement. No one in the international community as well as among Muslim nations worldwide believes that Kashmiri Muslims are running a peaceful and secular political movement.
While world knows what happened to Kashmiri Hindu Pundits, the fact remains that not all Muslims in Kashmir valley have been lending their unconditional support to separatist movement as well. Kashmir’s almost 10 Lakh Gujjar & Bakarwal community, which is also a Muslim community has never wholeheartedly been with Kashmir’s separatist movement because of racism and ethnic hatred that people of Kashmir historically have had against Gujjar & Bakarwals. Within Kashmir valley itself, a large number of members of Shia community have had their own apprehensions against Kashmir’s separatist movement, which is largely seen as Sunni sect driven movement. Additionally, the rise of puritan religious ideologies in Kashmir valley over last two decades with extreme anti Shia hatred has also made Shia community of Kashmir apprehensive.
Local migrant labor force has been working in almost all parts of Kashmir valley for past many decades. Most of these are from extremely poor and marginalized families in poorer parts of states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. While most of them are from poor Pasmanda Caste Muslim families of UP and Bihar, the rest are mostly Dalits and Adivasis from these states. The non-local migrant force has literally built Kashmir in last three decades by extending their manual labor and services to do wide range of laborious activities in all parts of Kashmir valley, ranging from construction related activities, working in brick klins to working in agricultural fields and orchids to offering their services in semi-skilled jobs like carpentry, plumbing etc. The collective value of the services provided by non-local labor force is extremely valuable for operation of day-to-day economy of Kashmir valley.
Most political analysts are linking militant attacks on non-local labor force to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and part of Pakistan’s push to revive instability in Kashmir valley. The success of Taliban’s take-over of Pakistan has emboldened its army and ISI to once again revive insurgency in Kashmir valley, which had gone down drastically over last few years.
Further since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India in 2019, Pakistan and its intelligence forces have been trying to instigate violence against non-Local and non-Kashmiri settlers to send a political message across. Targeting of few remaining Kashmiri Pundits and Sikh community of Kashmir valley and an unprecedented scale of target killings of non-Local migrant force working in Kashmir valley are part of this game plan of Pakistan to revive militancy and instability in Kashmir valley.
Members of non-Local migrant force have been targeted in the past, but never on this scale. It is not that civilian population of Kashmir itself has a blot free record in treating non-Local labor force itself. Our non-local labor force, which is mostly from north Indian state are derogatively called as “Bihari” an insulting word that makes fun of dark complexion and looks of people from mainland India. Members of non-local labor force often complain of racism and religious fanaticism that they have to constantly face in all parts of Kashmir valley. Unfortunately, this distinct feature and complexion also makes non-local working labor force easily identifiable from rest of local Kashmiri community and thus making them susceptible to violence.
As on the date of writing this article, the fear psychosis that has set amongst non-local labor force working in different parts of Kashmir valley has already started a near mass exodus of non-local labor force from Kashmir valley, back to their homes in different parts of North India.
While most people in Kashmir valley would blame violence on non-local labor force as conspiracy by Delhi to defame Kashmiri Muslims, the fact is that Kashmiri people have themselves never treated our non-local labor force with respect and dignity. We have been and continue to subject them to racist humiliation and religious discrimination, especially non-Muslim labor force.
Besides attacks on poor and hardworking members of non-local labor force like Golgappa vendors and carpenters are carried out by Kashmiri militants with the support and intelligence of the local Kashmiri civilian population. Therefore, Kashmiri people cannot simply absolve their role in the unjust killings of innocent non-local labor force by putting entire blame on conspiracy theories only.
The fact is that the image of both Kashmir and the people of Kashmir valley has taken a big beating and these killings have badly damaged an already ruined image of Kashmiri Muslim community as violence loving, Islamic radical people. These killings of innocent lives of people who were actually serving the people of Kashmir are not only un-Islamic but it is also against the very spirit of Kashmiriyat that was known for humanity and hospitality.
Javed Beigh is a Senior Political Leader & General Secretary of People’s Democratic Front. He fought DDC elections from Beerwah Constituency of Central Kashmirs Budgam District.He is also a distinguished Writer and renowned Public Speaker. He can be reached @javedbeigh across Social Media Platforms. His email is [email protected]. Views expressed his personal.