Kashmir is the land of eternal beauty but for many Indians it is so only in their dreams. For years Kashmir is troubled and burning thanks to the insurgency instigated by the Pakistan based terror groups. This policy of Pakistan of bleeding India with thousand cuts after it lost two wars is paying rich dividends and some of the fault lies even with the successive governments for mishandling the problem and politicians playing dirty politics putting their personal interests ahead of national security and sovereignty.
What shocks all is despite Kashmir allocated huge number of funds, Army helping them in floods saving their lives even that of the separatists, they burn tri color, raise anti India slogans playing victim card and angering all right thinking Indians. Now once again Kashmir is burning after the encounter of dreaded Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.
Instead of celebrating Army's success, political parties, opposition like National Conference and Congress started blaming Indian Government instead of raising fingers against Pakistan instigated protests where even small kids are throwing stones,acid bombs etc. They are even opposing the use of pellet guns. Now stone pelter JD who was jailed four times came with shocking demands.
He said he wanted police job and also azadi. JD was 15 years old when he threw first rock at the security forces in 2008 and at that time he said "That drives them crazy," Now with things changed he says "My father ill. His kidneys are giving him a lot of trouble and he is diabetic. My mom is old and I have a sister. Abbu's business — he used to supply walnut furniture to the Indian Army — has almost come to a halt. There's no money in the house. It's now up to me to find a job and look after them. I will have to work, even if it is with police, whom I have hated all my life. With my qualification, Class 12th fail, I can only be a special police officer. That will give me Rs 6,000 a month."
He shares how Army is abused in Kashmir. "They (CRPF) hate being called 'pagal' (mad)." On Why they are abused as Bhel Puri he says "That's because they come here from India to sell bhel puri around street corners to us." JD was arrested by cops twice,once in 2010 and then in 2011.
He says "They came at night to my house in Nowhatta (downtown Srinagar). That's the only way they can get us, by surprise. My mother cried and abbu begged. But that's how life is for us." He says there is more refrain and adds "It seems so. There are stones being pelted even in places like Rangreth, which is close to the JAKLI (Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry) headquarters. There are these two kids, one is four and another seven, 'DK' and 'PK'.
"Nobody leads mobs like they do. They know dozens of slogans by heart. You have to listen to them. When has this happened before?" He adds "Many militant leaders have died before this. Burhan was different. He was a good man. He once let an army man go in Tral when the soldier spoke about his six sisters who had to be looked after and married off. Burhan's blood has coloured Kashmir now."
On how they get stones he says "I don't think that happens. Yes, once I did find a truckload of these things dumped at a place very convenient for us. But most of the time, we break walls and steal from construction sites. Also, this is not the deserts of Rajasthan. There are stones everywhere." On Wani's successor Zakir Rashid Bhat asking youth not to join police force as it will sabotage the movement JD adds "He can afford to talk like that. He is the son of a rich man. My father is a carpenter."
Protests continue in Kashmir as a 6 year old boy with silver brick in hand calls CRPF men "Aye, Bihari" and goes on "Bhel puri, Kallu" and people chanting "Pagal, pagal" The boy pees in the direction of the security men.
