Kashmir was Once Known as Little Iran 

“Ye Anasir Ka Purana Khel, Ye Dunya-e-Doon

Sakinan-e-Arsh-e-Azam Ki Tamanaon Ka Khoon

Usski Barbadi Pe Aaj Aamada Hai Who Kaar-saaz

Jis Ne UssKa Nam RakhaTha Jahan-e-Kaaf-o-Noon”

[Dr Allama Iqbal (Devil’s Conference /Iblis ‎kiMajlis)]

(This ancient game of elements, this base world!;The frustration of the longings of the great Empyreans’ dwellers,

Upon its destruction is bent to‐day that Fashioner of things; Who gave it the name, The world of be it so!)

On 12th April, when day was giving way to dusk, social media was abuzz with the news of two young Kashmiris boys getting killed in cold blood by the paramilitary forces. Ironically, our national media found the name changing of Gurgaon to be more news worthy and hardly reported the killings. There was no Arnab Goswami shouting “the nation wants to know” on his show because the sufferings of Kashmiris hardly hold any importance for these mainstream news channels. Indian media, which thrives on sensational news, seems to find the routine killings in Kashmir too mundane and boring to report.

However, it is time the nation should know the truth about Kashmir- the so called integral part of India. Five innocent people have already lost their lives and their only crime was being Kashmiri. These two young boys were not shouting slogans and demanding freedom or revocation of AFSPA. They were merely protesting the molestation of a teenage girl. Just like the whole nation protested during the Nirbhaya rape case. But they forgot one simple thing- this is Kashmir and here the answer to every question is bullets.

The national media only woke up and decided to report these mass murders when they had enough fabricated proofs and statements to save the face of the democratic nation that India claims to be and also the pseudo-dignity of the so called brave Indian Jawaans. They repeatedly played the video of the Handwara girl, denying any molestation by the soldier, even though the origin of the video was unknown and doubtful. Also, this video, which became a wakeup alarm for the national media to dignify their journalistic duties, was unlawfully circulated in the first place. These news channels conveniently forgot the constitutional laws, which they invoke every now and then when labelling students and Kashmiris as anti-nationalists, while circulating the statement of a girl who was under tremendous stress and might have said anything under pressure.

Turmoil is nothing new to Kashmir. Kashmiris have been facing the tyranny and wrath of rulers since decades. Even the Guinness book of world records reports Kashmir as the highest militarized area in the world as more than 8 lakh troops reside here.
Allama Iqbal perfectly described the ground reality of Kashmir in his poem
“Aaj Woh Kashmir Hai Mehkoom-o-Majboor-o-Faqeer“- He wrote,
“Sina’ay Aflaak Se Uthti Hai Aah-e-SozNaak;
Mard-E-Haq HotaHai Jab Maroob-e-Sultan-O-Ameer"
Which translates into:
A Cry of burning lament issues forth from the heavens; when the man of truth is overawed by the power and pomp of king and landlord.
What happened in Handwara is not something new to Kashmir. In fact, it is a routine for the Kashmiris. On 29th May 2009 in Shopian, the battered bodies of Asiya and Niloofar, who had gone to tend to their apple orchard, were found in Rambi Ara, a stream which flows by an army camp in the area. Their bodies showed clear signs of struggle and rape. Even though the culprits, who were clearly known, our constitution and justice system allowed them to walk free even when the gynecologist who examined the women confirmed rape and said, "What was done to these women could not have been done even by animals".

Seven years after the Shopian rape case, the media still continues to defend these soldiers by saying the two women died of drowning. The same pattern can be seen today where the media circulates fabricated reports to protect the guilty and give a free pass to them. In this game of politics, we are losing our future, our youth. Kashmiri blood is being spilled so callously as if it has no value at all. I can hear the dead crying from their grave, “Please don't forget us and don't forgive our murderers. Today it is us and tomorrow it will be you. Fight and drive these evil forces out of the land of saints. Seek justice, seek freedom. Don’t let our deaths go in vain. Fight and avenge every brother, sister, daughter and son, who became the victims of this tyrant ruler.”
"Aaj Woh Kashmir Hai Mehkoom-o-Majboor-o-Faqeer,
Kal Jise Ahl-e-Nazar Kehte Thay Iran-e-Sagheer"
(Today that land of Kashmir, under the heels of the enemy, has become weak, helpless and poor, once known among the wise as little Iran).

By Aaqib Javaid

The author is a Student of intellectual property rights at Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi. ‎The views expressed are personal