FOR those that call the shots in Delhi, especially those tasked with overseeing Kashmir policy, the fact that a ‘new’ type of fighter is emerging in the held territory should be a matter of concern. However, it is unlikely that India will see the problem through a rational lens where India-held Kashmir is concerned, as it deals with the region in a colonial manner; and especially during the BJP’s rule at the centre, the Indian state has treated Kashmir with increasing arrogance and contempt. The killing of young resistance fighter Burhan Wani by Indian security forces in 2016 had sparked a series of protests in the held region, with Kashmiris facing brutal tactics as they bravely took to the streets to demand freedom and dignity. Now, another killing of a Kashmiri fighter has shown that highly educated individuals are taking the path of armed resistance to fight the Indian occupation. Manan Wani, a former PhD scholar at Aligarh University, was killed on Thursday by Indian forces. Kashmiri leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have expressed their anguish at the loss of “a budding intellectual and writer”. Indeed, the details emerging about Manan Wani reveal a well-read, eloquent young man with a scholarly bent. Those that killed him need to indulge in some soul-searching to comprehend why this academically inclined man dropped his books and picked up a gun.

The India establishment only has itself to blame for the estrangement of the Kashmiri people. By smothering under the jackboot their desire for freedom, India has turned a peaceful campaign for self-determination into an armed struggle. Kashmiris are disillusioned with the political process and feel their only option is to fight India in the field. That is why fighters like Burhan and Manan Wani (not related) are being feted as folk heroes and symbols of the anti-India struggle. Delhi can still salvage the situation by dealing with the Kashmiris with respect — or, it can continue on the same path and perpetuate the cycle of violence.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018