Pulwama and not putting up with Bullshit anymore

Much before Pulwama attacks happened and for almost two decades now, Kashmiri Muslims have been studying, working, carrying out businesses and living in several parts of India. Even in the peak years of militancy, and despite the massacre and forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the image of Kashmir for most Indians has been that of a paradise, of a tranquil Dal lake, of hospitality and of a memorable tourist visit. The spiritual, cultural and historical fountainhead that Kashmir is for Hindus, has almost been neglible in the public conscious. The political integration of Kashmir from Independence and it's favourable concessions are even less known, let alone understood.

Slowly, facts from these domains are coming out for consumption by the public, but it is much slower than the rate at which Kashmiri Muslims themselves have been given impetus to abhor the India State and find affinity with Pakistan. It would be a fallacy to believe that Kashmiri students and professionals in various parts of the country, feel any sense of gratitude for the opportunities received in equal measure to every other Indian. In fact, most of them only feel a sense of entitlement, political empowerment and ethnic superiority when compared to their clueless and gullible local hosts. Make no mistake, India is only a tertiary choice for most of them, if at all it were a choice.

The rise of social media has lent space and speed to movement of relevant information. This is true for all sides of political or ideological spectrum. But the big differentiator is this. The exposure, and evenness it affords to people who no longer have to put up with the Kashmiri's affinity for Pakistan. Kashmiri students and professionals come and go, belittle India, radicalise local Muslims and influence them in favour of Pakistan all within their small and large closeted circles. This nomadic churn worked in their favour, but Social Media has blown all pretense out in the open.

So Pulwama happens, and hundreds of them celebrate a terrorist attack on Indian Soil. The other side of the spectrum, now also with information and social media access hits back on Social Media. And yet, the so called purveyors of neutral reporting, those who vowed to put Ceaser's wife to shame, that Megalith called the Indian Mainstream Media and it's fanboys and girls immediately spring to the protection of the Kashmiri's who celebrated and abused a terrorist activity, without so much as a whimper of reporting on the hateful posts by them in the first place. A reaction on social media to a hateful post becomes the issue, rather than the hateful post itself. If the terrorist attack was deemed cowardice, then such reporting is also cowardice. The least they can do is acknowledge the anger of normal citizens and criticise the incitement from the posts celebrated the terrorist attack.

This is of course playing as per the script envisaged by the Pakistani establishment. They tutored and expected such posts on Social Media from Kashmiri Muslims, other non-Kashmiri Muslims and even Modi hating Hindus and others. The reactions on Media, calling crazy a large number of citizens asking for retribution is also going as per script. Now, imagine if most of the citizenry just had a sober reaction to this attack. That would also be a great win for the enemy as it would mean that we are indifferent to the cause of the Indian Union. In effect, this terrorist action has been a win-win strategy for the Pakistani deep state.

The call for responding in equal measure of violence is no crazy ask. Those asking may never risk their lives for it. But by asking for it and not putting up with nonsensical misplaced notions of Freedom of Expression and Determination of Self-Right bullshit we now have a wave of people who will not tolerate the separation of Kashmir from India. There will be a new determination to see the Whole of Kashmir as one with India. No more bullshit.