Mohammad Ahseem
The debate generated over the arrest of a Kashmir University student recently attains meaning only when perceived in its proper context. Divorcing the context from the immediate incident of the student’s arrest and those following it obfuscates the perilous reality with which the valley’s youth live on their daily basis. The incident is not only another example in itself, like thousands of others but in fact is symbolic of a broader reality that we have over the years learnt to subtly consume more than oxygen.
The inability of the Vice Chancellor, a portfolio sometimes paralleled with the governor of the state, to secure the release of the arrested student, in the face of protest demonstration by hundreds of university students, highlights the credibility deficit that institutions other than those of security establishments face in the state. The government could have maintained the request of the varsity’s head by immediately releasing the student thus restoring the sanctity of the institution. For three days the institution became dysfunctional and the students lost hundreds of hours of class and research work. Assuming that the arrested student had links with some militant organizations, the government could have utilized more soft means to treat him, without radicalizing the whole atmosphere of the varsity. Even if going by the book, the student should have been brought to the court of law within twenty four hours of his arrest and allowed the judiciary to decide on his fate. It is only when students of other universities started protesting in solidarity with Kashmir University students and the issue started to snowball into a major controversy, the government managed the release of student on bail.
The stubbornness of the law and order establishment forced the varsity to close the hostels and suspend teaching and sent hundreds of boarders back home, many of whom had to leave behind books and other educational resources.
Another recent incident in which a senior Journalist and his spouse were first insulted and then manhandled by the police personnel escorting one of the senior ministers is again indicative of the absolute authoritarianism of the law and order agencies and at the same time the powerlessness of the man on the street. Even after the issue received overwhelming media coverage, not a single erring personnel was punished.
The reported firing of tear smoke shells inside the Grand Masjid of Srinagar is yet another incident of brazen disregard for common man and mockery of the code of conduct by state police. Nobody has the right to blemish the sanctity of religious places in ‘Secular India’, but here in Kashmir things go the police way.
The recently released report by Amnesty International has in fact highlighted this lawlessness in the state where every man in uniform is a law unto himself. The agency has shown serious concern over the utter disregard for human rights by the state security establishment.
All this is happening in spite of the fact the new dispensation promised to bring about perceivable change in the security situation in Kashmir and give the much-needed respite to common man.
Mufti’s last tenure brought much relief from this arrogant attitude of the men in uniform towards the commoners. But as things are turning right now, in the state of affairs, police and security establishment seem to carry all the authority.
