By Shazia Cheema
Kashmiris all over the world observe October 27 as Black Day or also “Black Day for Kashmir”.
This darkness prevails since illegal accession was signed between Maharaja of Kashmir and the Indian government on October 26, 1947, and Indian forces occupied a part of Kashmir against the will of Kashmiris.
Since the illegal occupation of Kashmir, Kashmiris try their best to resist, revolt and retaliate. One generation almost got lost in that long dark labyrinth of oppression
These past years Kashmir has not seen a beacon of ray which can become the source of hope for them. Let us not get emotional today. Let us talk logic and reason.
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Since the illegal occupation of Kashmir, Kashmiris try their best to resist, revolt, and retaliate. One generation almost got lost in that long dark labyrinth of oppression, finding their way out to light on every turn but every new turn takes them further deep in that maze.
Kashmiris have never been denied their birthright of freedom, all the paperwork has been done, the convention has been made, the resolution has been passed but still, Kashmir is not free.
As spectacle observers, we have seen and read about many oppressions and get the basic dynamics between, oppressors and oppressed. Kashmir is a maze of dark oppression hence unique as a case study.
The world even after acknowledging the fact that Kashmiris must be free from force occupation unable to rescue them. Every new turn gives false hope of getting out of the dark maze of torture, misery, and pain but at every turning point there starts a new dark path, providing uncertainty, unpredictability accompanied by pain and fear.
Kashmiris have never been denied their birthright of freedom, all the paperwork has been done, the convention has been made, the resolution has been passed but still, Kashmir is not free.
The world even after acknowledging the fact that Kashmiris must be free from force occupation unable to rescue them.
Every new turn gives false hope of getting out of the dark maze of torture, misery, and pain but at every turning point there starts a new dark path, providing uncertainty, unpredictability accompanied by pain and fear.
Just for a second put yourself in that situation; where your path is unknown, pain is obvious, fear is the ultimate truth but you still moving to an unknown destination which was once called freedom to live. A human mind cannot perform if the element of belief is not functional. Believing is a driving force for a civilized modern society.
Now compare Kashmiri society with any other normal society, to your utmost unease, you will find all the units blurred in a haze. The basic most entity of society; a family unit is totally tarnished, despite missing love, hope, lust for life that unit miss brother, sisters, fathers and sons and daughter.
I wonder how Kashmiris have managed to hold their belief after spending almost a quarter a century in the darkness of uncertainty.
Normal societies have generic structures; a family unit, a policing system, future planning, and securing institutions, such as education and medical facilities and recreational facilities. Now compare Kashmiri society with any other normal society, to your utmost unease, you will find all the units blurred in a haze.
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The basic most entity of society; a family unit is totally tarnished, despite missing love, hope, lust for life that unit miss brother, sisters, fathers, and sons, and daughter. These elements have been snatched from almost every family in Kashmir. The distorted social and domestic structure has created a vacuum. Should the leftover Kashmiri humans be married and dare to start a new family, if yes what they will have in store for their kids; how norms a tradition be transferred, and why? if there is no clarity of near and far future, must newlywed plan to have kids, plan their kids’ education, must they tell them how to become prosperous how to flourish, this thought increases my ache that no such thing could manifest in Kashmiri society.
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Life is a series of events and societies play their role to make human beings realize that in this series of the event there is nothing unknown. Life has set a cycle from life to death and keeping different milestones in mind, human find themself in control. Being in control is another important feeling which makes our cognitive system functional.
Let us not get in spirituality and divinity about who has ultimate control, I just want to make the basic scientific point clear here. It is very important for a human brain to get the signals from the outer world that the brain can reason, judge, evaluate, and act. And these higher-order cognitive functions are the basis of human evolution.
Black Day for Kashmiris is being observed every 27 October but without understanding the gravity of the darkness they are talking about.
However, in Kashmiri society, we see that collective wisdom has been targeted ruthlessly by impairing an individual sense of control. Members of Kashmiri society are forcefully being exercised to surrender their basic human will to survive, which of course requires planning and programming. Kashmiri mothers are not sure if they will see their kids again, they are not sure they will get help if get sick, they are not sure their kids should go to school, they are not sure their young’s should start a new family, they are not sure if they will get food on the table.
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Going out in a park, smile and laugh has no meaning for Kashmiri people. Evening family time is an alien idea, social gathering seems monotonous because of having one meaning for them; a funeral and they have enough of them. I am not against big ideas and big talks, but I never understand how these big talks can neglect the very basic facts of life.
Black Day for Kashmiris is being observed every 27 October but without understanding the gravity of the darkness they are talking about.
Sometimes very simple and baseline things make the maximum sense. Let’s put ourselves in a dark labyrinth for almost a century; blindfolded, wounded, hungry, cold, and your surrounding are filled with screams and cries, imagine yourself running in that chaos to find your way out…then maybe you will understand the darkness in Kashmir.
Note: The writer Shazia Cheema is an analyst writing for national and international media outlets including the Nation, Pakistan Today, Pakistan Observer, Eurasia Diary, InSight, and Mina News Agency. She heads the DND Thought Center. She did her MA in Cognitive Semiotics from Aarhus University Denmark and is currently registered as a Ph.D. Scholar of Semiotics and Philosophy of Communication at Charles University Prague. She can be reached at her: Twitter @ShaziaAnwerCh Email: shaziaanwer@yahoo.com
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article/Opinion/Comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk (DND). Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk News Agency.
