Peace can't be imposed, say Kashmiris in national Capital

NEW DELHI: Kashmiri students in the national Capital on Monday observed that the government's decision on Kashmir would not be able to bring peace to the valley because peace can not be 'imposed'. The students and youth also said that they were not able to contact the families in Kashmir as the phone lines were shut which kept them in worry for the family and vice-versa.

"I am not able to contact my family from the last night. There is a complete shutdown in the valley. I do not even know that if my parents are safe or not neither they can reach me out," said Saqib Yetoo who is a student of St Stephen College in Delhi. He also said,

"The article 370 and 35A were provisions of faith and by repealing these article the government can not impose peace on the valley. Historically we agreed to be part of India and these articles gave us protection but now that window of faith is removed."

The students across the Capital raised their concerns through social media from the day when the government started sending troops to the valley. "I think that the Indian government has no idea of the ground condition in Kashmir. The decisions of the government will only escalate the situation in the valley and will bring no solution," said Rizwan Khan, a student of Delhi School of Economics.

Amid the unfolding of various events in Kashmir, the issue of Kashmiri Pandits also came into discussion. "I am a Kashmiri Pandit residing from Jammu and I feel alienated at times when people put tags like anti-national for taking sides. Whenever something happens in Kashmir then people bring the debate of what happened with Kashmiri Pandits in the 90s. What happened with the Pandits was devastating just the way Chittisinghpura massacre on Kashmiri Sikhs were devastating too but people should not use Kashmiri Pandits to show their hatred for Kashmiri Muslims. We have a long history of and now that history is being shattered. Terming us as Kashmiri Hindu Pandits is not the right thing we are Kashmiri Pandits and calling us Hindu Pandits is communalisation." said Sagarika Kissu, a journalist. On the decision of the government, Kissu said, "The decision of bifurcation by the Indian government is fraudulent because nobody was consulted with the people in the ground. The leaders are under arrest and the decision is taken forcefully. I don't think peace can be achieved forcefully."