Indian Chutzpah in Kashmir

Shaping up of a cancerous collective conscience in India as Kashmir enters its third month of lockdown

Collective conscience is a broad term used to identify ideologies, beliefs and attitudes which a community feels defines its people or way of life. In the India of this decade it is not liberal or even centrist by any stretch — ask a dead Kashmiri who was sentenced to satisfy this attitude and you will know without being answered. Ask a living one and he will call it what it is — an acceptable catchphrase to justify majoritarian mob culture running rampant in India.

As the Kashmir valley enters a third month of being cut off from the world one might ask what shapes this collective conscience of jingoistic Indians— is it that they have been pandered to relentlessly by politicians who’s singular claim to fame has been orating verses of veiled hate against muslims— it would make sense then for Kashmir being painted with a bulls eye. Or is it just a growing amalgamation of confident xenophobic individuals in important places and their say on matters political or apolitical across India? Apolitical because the discourse is not only lead in political circles but in the judiciary — this is where matters already riddled with biased hegemony land for zero justice. Also ironic is the fact that two key matters being discussed at the moment involve land and muslims. One of a demolished Masjid in Gujarat and one of native right to land in Kashmir.

After the failure of the parliament, I think, its safe to announce there are no checks and balances for this flawed collective conscience being contained or challenged in any Indian Court of Law. As i write this, the highest court of India in all its wisdom has deferred hearing of all cases pertaining to the situation in Kashmir to November. They have another rather important decade old land related case to adjudge which is not affecting lives anywhere but the sentiments of the majority.

The judiciary like the parliament is a part of this society. The Indian society it seems is solely lead by individuals and communities with a heinous collective conscience fuelled by misplaced nationalism and a new found love for jingoism.

And right now this collective conscience is cancer for the minorities and Kashmiris alike.

Is this narrative misleading you ask? Think as to why there has not been a single major protest outside of Kashmir and within India against the crippling of normal life in Kashmir? Am i wrong to judge an average desi of being a closeted bigot supporting fascism? I might be wrong after all — India is big and diverse. Then there is fear. Fear of persecution for speaking up in India. Ask the former home minister of India or that Doctor in Uttar Pradesh or the 50 celebrities who have been slapped with an FIR for writing a letter against mob lynchings of the minority.

But then again — BJP had a landslide victory this year, remember?

Whatever may be the cause, we have to measure the effect. It cannot be dissapointment and fear for long. Why you ask? The minority is still 200 million strong albeit without a spine or direction at the moment. There is still some semblance of integrity in the Indian liberal (or maybe not if Shashi Tharoor is the lead example on offer). The pendulum swings both ways and it will come to the other side. How fast and for how long will depend on the current swing.

For the Kashmiris their long and painful journey continues — “This too shall pass” will be their solace for now.

Will it? Or do we need to speak the truth without fear?

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