Jammu and Kashmir: It's time to take up arms, feel angry youths

Srinagar, Aug, 20: Enough is enough, say Kashmiri youth, fed up of the ongoing situation in the Valley. They say the day is not far when the Kashmiri youth take to arms and join the militant forces.

Many worry about the rise in the anti-Indian sentiment that seems to be taking over the youth. Many people retaliated against the killings of four men on July 18 by the Indian border police; a day of protests against an alleged desecration of the Koran.

The youths say that they cannot fight without any weapons and that may be the last resort to fight against India's rule. Many say that the rise in the attacks on the security forces is due to unemployment and a curb on the public speaking. Hence many youths are falling into the clutches of armed militants.Another reason is the rise of the conservative Islamists.

There is no one to conduct a dialogue or even initiate a debate among the people that can lead to a political solution. Most of the separatist leaders are either under house arrest or banned from public speaking.

On the other hand the number of fatalities has gone up drastically. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, 42 members of security forces have been killed so far this year. This when the nation is already battling upswing at the LoC with Pakistan.

Many laws like accessing limited SMS and internet and the presence of military and police forces in the Valley have curbed the freedom of the individuals.

Politicians are quick and warn that if the situation is left unchecked it could get out of hand. Some activists go back to 2010 and point out that radical opinion set in after over a 100 young protestors were killed and a campaign of arbitrary detention had kicked off.

A security source close to the anti-militant operations says that the anger against the police is justified because of the abuse of rights.

While many are hopeful of the day Kashmir will be independent of India and Pakistan, the youth in the valley refuse to back down.

One India News