More Indians need to watch this…
Ashvin Kumar’s documentary Inshallah Kashmir was released online in 2012 on 26th January (India’s Republic day). In 2013, It won in “Best Investigative film” category of 60th National Film Award.
The documentary recounts tales of ordinary Kashmiris affected by the militancy and its terrible response in last 2 decades. Among other things; it covers Kashmiri nationalist narrative, the rigging of 1987 State assembly elections, rise of armed militancy, Islamist hijack, Pandit exodus, Army’s brutal response (Srinagar’s Papa-II detention center; CRPF’s Gawkadal massacre, alleged mass rape in Kunan Poshpora by jawans of Rashtriya Rifles), APDP’s struggle to recover missing persons and a senior babu Wajahat Habibullah’s backgrounder on the conflicting narratives & India’s goofups.
It is my view that self-censorship on Kashmir, by mainstream Indian media has done more harm than good- it has fed the shallow hypernationalist narrative (thus increasing the gulf b/w Kashmiri & Non-Kashmiri Indians) and in past allowed Security forces to get away with gross human right violations (further alienating local populace). It is not my case that the Lashkars/Mujahids or the urban semi-educated Islamist youths can offer any salvation for Kashmir. Independent or within Indian Union, only a secular democratic model with free trade, travel & interactions with India (and Pakistan) can bring long lasting peace & prosperity to Kashmiris and to the next door Jammu region (where large communities of Hindus & Muslims live cheek by jowl). Having said that, if India’s claims to a democratic and federal republic are anything more than a hollow rhetoric, high time non-Kashmiri Indians, start taking note of concerns of Kashmiris as fellow equal Indians (or else not crib when Kashmiris raise banners of Azadi).
PS: A good news- After 4 long years, ban on Texting has been finally uplifted in Kashmir, though by now Kashmiris had shifted to Whatsapp
