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Journalism of Courage
It8217;s difficult to evolve the right perspective amidst a tide of blood. That has been Kashmir8217;s greatest tragedy. The mayhem that has come to mark the daily course of events in the state has resulted in a foreshortening of vision. While Pakistan doggedly pursues the politics of annexation, India is preoccupied with the task of firefighting. The result is that the real interests of the state and its people are forgotten, or at least completely overlooked. In fact, it is unlikely that New Delhi has a clue as to what the mindset of the average Kashmiri really is, content as it has been to allow the voluble Farooq Abdullah to interpret the state for the nation.
It is in this context that a recent poll 8212; conducted this April by one of Britain8217;s largest media organisation, Mori International 8212; assumes relevance. The idea of the poll was to gauge what the citizens of the state have to say about issues as varied as infiltration, militancy, Pakistani involvement, the division of J038;K along ethnic lines, and so on. The results come as a welcome surprise 8212; to the extent that Mori International even felt constrained to deny that the Indian government had a hand in them. For one, 61 per cent Kashmiris believe they are, both politically and economically, better off as Indian citizens. In contrast, only 6 per cent plumbed for Pakistan. That8217;s not all, an overwhelming 92 per cent of Kashmiris expressed their disagreement over dividing the state along ethnic and religious lines. But the real surprise was on the issue of popular support for militancy 8212; 86 per cent Kashmiris, including 78 per cent Muslims, want an end to militancy, and believe that the militants must leave the state for peace to return.
