September-October 1999

Over the last month Kashmiri freedom fighters have struck devastating blows (See box) at the Government of India’s occupation force in Kashmir. The decade-long reign of terror, which has taken the lives of 70,000 Kashmiris, has failed to crush their aspirations for freedom. The terror of the Indian state-hired mercenaries continues unabated. On June 28, the army killed 17 family members, including three women and three minor girls, of top leaders of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Earlier, in August last year, 19 family members of a top Harkat-ul-Jihad leader, were butchered. While the mercenary forces resort to the most vile forms of rape, loot, torture and murders, the freedom fighters target mostly the government forces and their agents.

While the government widely propagates the fighters as fundamentalists, their own official figures show that the number of hindu civilians killed were an insignificant fraction of the total — most of whom were, no doubt, government spies.

While the govermnent propagates that the discontent in Kashmir is the result of Pakistani infiltration, why does it need such a massive force to deal with a handful of infiltrators ? It has stationed in Kashmir 40 battalions of the BSF, 21 of the Rashtriya Rifles, 29 of the CRPF and ITBF and an undisclosed number of armymen (58 battalions were shifted to the border from J&K during the Kargil war). This massive force of nearly one lakh, coupled with armed VDCs (so-called Village Defence Committees) and a number of organised vigillante hoodlums, is being utilised, not against so-called infiltrators as made out by the media, but against the Kashmiri people themselves. The present offensive of the militants, inspite of such a massive force, would be inconceivable unless they enjoyed extensive support of the Kashmiri people.

The Kargil war and the continuing chauvinist hysteria within the country, serves not only the expansionist policies of the Indian ruling classes, serves not only the need to divert attention from the real problems at home, serves not only the BJP’s electoral interests .... it also gives legitimacy to government terror against the nationality movements, particularly that of Kashmir. It is then no wonder, that, even though the war has concluded, the chauvinist hysteria is being maintained at a high pitch.

In the post-war scenario : the BJP’s main electoral plank is Kargil; the prime minister himself has no other agenda except Kargil and Pakistan in his speeches; the ‘independence’ day messages of both the PM and the President were nothing but chauvinist trash; armymen are sought to be glorified with the president granting awards (various ‘Chakras’) after a gap of 11 years; anti-Pak sabre-rattling continues and a Pakistani plane is shot down near the Gujarat border (such an action is unheard of except at times of war); the cricket board disallows the yearly test match between India and Pakistan, due to be played at Toronto; the government announces an aggressive nuclear doctrine and its intention to deploy the Agni-2 missile....

But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The real mass phobia and hate campaign are being whipped up through the media on a scale rarely seen in the past 52 years. Not only has the radio and TV been going on a chauvinist over-kill, a series of high profile films have been released which convey a similar message. It began one year back with the award-winning film Border. This is now followed by three current films — Sarfarosh (tax free), Hindustan Ki Kasam and Kohram. All have top stars acting and are being widely propagated throughout the country. Besides, the regional languages also have their share of films and programmes on the same theme.

Added to all this, a scare is sought to be created, by the ‘sudden discovery’ of ISI agents (and RDX) all over the country. In this, even Bangladesh has not been spared..... wherein Indian operators, infringing upon the territorial integrity of Bangladesh, entered deep into Bangladesh and captured supposed (ULFA-linked) ISI agents. Now, clashes have even been instigated at the Bangladesh border. Earlier, the Kashmiri movement was linked to the ISI; of late, the ULFA is being similarly bracketed; tomorrow any dissident can acquire that label. Muslims and Christians, especially the former are being compelled to demonstrate their "patriotism" by shouting the loudest in support of the national chauvinist and anti-Pak propaganda of the Indian ruling classes out of fear that they may be considered "traitors" to the country.

Our country and its people are paying a high price for this national chauvinist agenda — not only in the form of increased fascist repression at home, but in the actual costs incurred. The Kargil war is now estimated to have cost Rs. 10,000 to 15,000 crores; the army has demanded Rs. 8,000 crores more in artillery purchases; the cost of stationing troops at Kargil is estimated at Rs. 15 crore per day or Rs. 4,500 crore in the year; and there is the added cost of the nuclearisation and missile programmes. In other words, the Indian people will have to bear an additional burden of a massive Rs. 25,000 crores this year. No doubt, this will be extracted after the elections, either through a direct Kargil cess, or indirectly through increased taxation and cuts in welfare measures. While big business, both Indian and foreign, will get a boost from these vast sums expended; while the politicians, bureaucrats and top army officials will make huge amounts in kickbacks on the deals; while arms-dealers, black-marketeers and corrupt officials will be in ecstasy over the proposed contracts.... the mass of the people will sufler the maximum and be made to bear the entire burden.

That is why opposition to the chauvinist agenda is not only in the interests of the Kashmiri and other nationality peoples, it is also in the interests of the entire people of India. Their fight, has a common enemy. The people of Kashmir have stepped up their struggle for freedom. The people of India must not only support this struggle but must also step up the struggle for their own freedom.

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