Those doing it are no friends of Kashmir
The burning of schools in Kashmir valley is an ominous sign. It shows how the militant-driven are up in arms to destroy the educational institutions for future generations. If they are fighting for the ordinary citizens, then why are they destroying their sources of learning and livelihood, one of them being the schoolsIJ Certainly, the Pakistani-backed jihadis and their sympathisers in the valley are fighting for their nefarious designs to just disturb the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Despite knowing it fully well that they cannot win their war against the Indian state, they are simply pursuing a policy to spread the seeds of hatred and division among the youth in Jammu & Kashmir. Simply speaking, the enemies of modern education are loathe to the enlightenment of any Kashmiri children. And, they want to bring home a Taliban-style society under which their brethren will be no better than ill-informed servants. Nearly 30 schools have been burnt down in the valley so far in the past days.
We must collectively raise our voice against such acts of vandalism. Why are the liberals in the country keeping quiet over this issueIJ One fails to understand why and how we are tolerating the desecration of institutions that make the very foundations of our society, culture and polity. Burning down schools was never a practice of any demonstration in the past. Normally, police stations, military establishments and other Government buildings were the main targets of the miscreants. Schools were seen as neutral entities. The sudden change in tactics has caused serious concern for both the security agencies and particularly for the Government of Jammu & Kashmir. At least schools, where generally the poor and the middle class children studied, should have been spared. The militants are selective about destroying schools as they are leaving behind ones where some of the influential separatist leaders’ children and close relatives are studying. This reflects their ulterior motives. They seem to have gone beyond all civilised notions of living and shed even their facade.
At a time when the Mehbooba Mufti Government is trying to reopen the schools and declare an end to the sustained protest that started since the death of Burhan Wani on July 8, the new façade of destruction is all set to destabilise the State again. That any civilised society must undergo such insane violence, should concern all of us. Is it something that the separatists wantIJ An uneducated and unemployed generation which can be harnessed to pelt stones and fuel unrest in the StateIJ This kind of protest can no more be called as legitimate display of anger of the locals.
At the same time, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference stated that school burning was a “well-planned strategy to malign the ongoing movement and paint it as violence and anarchy”. This makes it amply clear how the separatist organisation intends to spread the message that Kashmir should not return to normalcy. The Government of India must not allow this to happen. Efforts taken by the Mehbooba Mufti Government in cooperation with the Centre should be able to defeat thejihadi elements sooner or later. Meanwhile, strong and active security surveillance across the line of Control will be helpful in preventing an escalation of unrest in the valley.