Kashmir Integration Must Include People, Not Just Territory: A Call for Equality

Kashmir Integration Must Encompass People, Not Merely Territory

In a powerful critique, the discourse on Kashmir's integration is challenged to move beyond territorial claims and address the human dimension. The author emphasizes that Kashmiris are not internal adversaries to be surveilled and distrusted but are citizens deserving of fundamental rights under the law.

The Rhetoric of Unity Versus the Reality of Suspicion

While state narratives tout unity and strength, often invoking phrases like 'karara jawab', societal mechanisms have enabled the policing of Kashmiris in everyday spaces such as universities, markets, railway stations, workplaces, and homes. This vigilantism, the piece argues, thrives not in opposition to official discourse but as a consequence of it, creating a climate where fear is weaponized to obscure systemic failures.

Security Lapses and the Shift to Collective Blame

Incidents like the Pahalgam attack and the Red Fort blast are highlighted as significant security breaches under the current regime, despite promises of eradicating terrorism and fostering normalcy. Instead of prompting accountability, these events have led to a dangerous pattern where suspicion is directed not at flawed systems but at the Kashmiri populace as a whole. This manufactured ideology casts entire communities as proxies for threat, undermining the constitutional promise of equality.

The article details how Kashmiri students, traders, and residents across India face targeted hate and exclusion, often forced to prove their loyalty through demeaning acts. For instance, Kashmiri garment sellers in states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been harassed by groups associated with RSS offshoots, with videos documenting demands for religious slogans. Similarly, a young Kashmiri Muslim woman was denied housing solely based on her identity, an incident met with widespread indifference, reflecting a troubling normalization of such discrimination.

The Irony of Cultural Appropriation Versus Personal Policing

A poignant contrast is drawn between the celebration of Kashmiri culture, such as the pheran being adopted as a fashion statement in north India, and the suspicion faced by Kashmiris themselves. In mock drills, terrorists are depicted wearing pherans, symbolizing a deliberate stigmatization, while the same garment is worn freely by others. This dichotomy underscores a reality where culture is appropriated without granting belonging, reducing Kashmiris to objects of suspicion rather than integrated citizens.

The piece reiterates that the Indian Constitution prohibits guilt by association and collective punishment, principles now being eroded. The author calls for a reevaluation of what integration truly means: it must involve people, not just land, and equality must extend beyond political slogans to tangible rights. The current trend of reducing individuals to permanent suspects based on origin is flagged as a fundamental threat to democratic values.

Conclusion: A Plea for Dignity and True Integration

In closing, the argument is made that a nation demanding loyalty while denying dignity is inherently insecure. Kashmiris, as citizens, are entitled to privacy, liberty, and equality under the law. Anything less constitutes domination, not integration, and this stance is presented as non-negotiable for a just society.