Article 370

Happy Indian Independence day! Let’s talk.

Let’s start with the recent revocation of Article 370. For those who do not know, it allowed Jammu & Kashmir to be a sovereign state with its own flag, laws, and constitution. Notably, it barred Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there.

So why did India do it? The Hindu nationalist movement has, since 1947, been fighting for the “reorganization” of J&K. The BJP insists it would allow Kashmir to benefit from the Indian central government’s policies, by allowing it to be on the same footing as India. Nevermind the fact that most Kashmiris were against the revocation of 370. So the idea is that they will be absorbed into the Indian fold and abide by the Indian constitution. This would nullify their constitution and negate their ability to determine their own laws.

Most Kashmiris agree that the right to own property on their own land is important for maintaining nationhood and culture. And in the spirit of nationhood, naturally, Kashmiris will take to the streets to demand their rights. As a consequence, protestors will be arrested, maimed, tortured, or killed. Eventually. But for now the entire state is on lockdown. Schools, colleges, businesses are shut; elected officials are on house arrest; civilians have been threatened into staying home; military personnel have been stationed everywhere throughout the state. People outside of Kashmir do not know how their families are doing in the occupied area. There is no internet. There is a curfew. People are being harassed and targeted by Indian forces. 

I don’t know if this is going to ultimately be a good thing for Kashmir. Given the rise of the Hindutva movement, I’m skeptical. I’ve heard the argument that this would allow for economic gain by bringing jobs, investments, education. Maybe that’s true, however economic gain is not an argument for forced integration. This was an executive decision made in the dark with no vote. If this was meant to be such a great move, why did the Indian government do it on the down low? If this is going to give Kashmiris the rights they supposedly deserve, why is it happening without any input from the actual inhabitants? This isn’t just about territorial pissings. Let’s not sugar coat it. This is a form of identity theft. This is a very clear attempt at undermining the rights of Muslims and other minorities in India. Many say that by allowing other Indians to buy property in J&K, the BJP plans to saturate the Muslim-majority population in that area with Hindus.

That there have been tensions between Hindus and Muslims is a fact that’s been true for centuries. When Bangladesh and Pakistan were established, they were meant to be Islamic countries. India, however, was always meant to officially be a secular country. But the Hindu nationalist-led Indian government has allowed Hindutva to gain power and support from Indian-Hindus everywhere. And lately, it’s turned India into a de facto Hindu government. There are aspects of citizenship that are being determined not based off of ancestry or region, but by faith, with the obvious preference given to Hindus. There is a general feeling of lack of safety - both physically, and mentally. Both sides have sworn the demise of the other. They both point fingers at each other, unable to let go of the other’s crimes. Everyone feels entitled to something. It is easy to see how this political climate has greatly affected our greater sociological atmosphere. It’s a positive feedback loop: hate breeds hate. 

Where does that leave the rest of us, those without hate in their hearts? As a Hindu, I can speak from my Hindu point of view. I could tell you how I ignored the blatantly xenophobic commentary from my community growing up for my sanity. I can attest to how challenging it was and how those notions only brought me a world of complicated feelings about people I call friends and family and as a result, a loss of the aforementioned sanity. I cannot say that, even if by a fluke I somehow managed to sway a stray mind or two, I would have had any impact on the ways Hindus generally perceive Muslims in India today. How do we even do that, when our own parents and grandparents were there to witness the violence and crimes these groups inflicted upon each other? This isn’t a rhetorical question - I really want to know how. It makes me want to pull my hair out when I attempt this conversation with certain people in my community. I find myself, at times, unable to do anything but gape in wonder. How easily we can be sold propaganda. It hurts me to see someone view a group - an entire faith - as inherently “wrong.” There are some exceptions, they say, but when you ask for examples they are far and few, and even they are flawed.

As an NRI Hindu millennial, I feel all kinds of disappointment about the recent goings on in Kashmir. I feel a looming sense of guilt, as a Hindu often surrounded by anti-Islamic rhetoric, that I am largely unable to sway this rhetoric no matter how much or little I try. I feel angry because identity theft in the name of Hinduism is appalling. Perhaps most irrationally, I feel a gratuitous responsibility to speak out against Hindutva as an ally - just because I’m Hindu. I often find it difficult to toe that line of condemning what’s wrong and taking too much responsibility. And it's a helpless feeling because I want to let my friends know that I am here for them, and that I am not a proponent of these hateful notions. At the same time however, I have trouble negotiating my guilt about my complacency while trying to maintain my own identity as a Hindu. And even as I write about my complicated feelings, I cringe knowing there is someone somewhere out there reading this, nose wrinkled, shaking their heads, wondering how I could possibly feel this way when there are similar sentiments of hatred for Hindus among Muslims. That they called any violence inflicted on them onto themselves. I didn't realize we were living under Hammurabi's code.

So can we really wish ourselves a happy independence day? Sure. After all, India did overthrow a 300 year old empire and gain freedom and independence. India deserves to revel in that win. But it’s also important to be critical of the decisions made by the leaders of our motherland. What are they doing with all that newfound power? Oppressing others. Just to show the world they can. Weird flex, India. Weird flex.