Z for Zalim: Semiotics and the Occupation of Kashmir

By: Shivam Vij

A for Apple and Z for Zebra. Children are taught the alphabet with the help of images. And the association of images with sound. It helps them associate the sound of A with the sound of Apple, and associate that in turn with the image of an apple. The alphabet book depend

s on images that may be familiar to children. The word Apple is a signifier, and the apple itself is the signified. This is, most simply, what semiotics or the study of signs and sign processes.

In a future world, if there are no zebras, alphabet books may have to replace the last entry with something else. What could it be? Zebra crossing? Zimbabwe?

Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir Police registered a case of sedition, defamation and criminal conspiracy against six officials of BoSE, the government’s very own Board of School Education, for this:

This is a page from a book called Baharistaan-e-Urdu. This attempt to teach Kashmiri children the Urdu alphabet (note to self: this is what I need to learn Nastaliq!) makes them say, “Zoi se Zalim,” Z for Zalim, meaning cruel. That is only one of four examples. The other two are: zaroof (utensils), zahir (visible) and zareef (humorist).

The maker of the textbook no doubt wanted to used such signifiers and signified images that Kashmiri children can relate to. So just as you could say P for Pheran and a child would know what that is, you could say Z for Zalim and refer to the security forces, because a child in Kashmir hears them be called that all the time. It is time for scholars of semiotics to study the Kashmir conflict, but it needs no scholar to tell you how this incident is illustrative of what the people of Kashmir, whom Indians say are fellow Indians, fell about the security forces Indians say provide security to the people of Kashmir.

It would be ridiculous to suggest that the maker of this textbook was not being political, or that the political import of this act is unintentional. Such is the repression in Kashmir that everyone is deeply aware, and in fact over-cautious about acts of speech. Who should this be said to, how should I frame it, should I keep my counsel? No, no, I don’t want azadi. Come tomorrow and I’ll want it.

The textbook image resembles a private security guard and not a policeman, but it is obvious that a “security” person is being used to stand-in for much more than, say, an ATM security guard. It is certainly not the image of a “hooligan” as the BoSE chairman would have us believe. That the textbook writer did not place a police, paramilitary or army person there is practical: the book wouldn’t have escaped attention on its way to the printing press. The clever toning down again suggests s/he was aware of how political his/her small act was. S/he knew it would go much farther in fostering dissent against the state than a post in a blog an op-ed in a newspaper.

The incident shows how easily, in the smallest of ways, the Indian state’s claims of Peace and Normalcy in Kashmir crumble! India and its Kashmir spokespersons and experts and defenders on Kashmir have been telling the whole world about how this was a Peaceful Year in Kashmir, because, well, the security forces were not asked to kill any stone-pelters by shooting into their skulls!

What a peaceful year it has been in the beautiful valley of Kashmir, indeed, a year so peaceful when a textbook published by the state was teaching Z for Zalim about people who provided this peace and security! What an ungrateful people indeed!

Writing in the Economic Times, Najeeb Mubarki is confused. He writes, “It is a truth often verified that school textbooks across south Asia are filled with hilarities and downright stupid mistakes. An exercise in seeking something to be offended by would probably throw up umpteen examples. That, in general, is a sad commentary on the primary school systems in the region.” And then he further writes: “…in its harsh suppression of dissent and opposition within Kashmir, in its seeking to blatantly —and, one might add, arguably illegally too — criminalise extant political realities in Kashmir, the administration often works and functions like a police state.” The state can’t possibly be crushing dissent and opposition here because according to Mubarki, there was no dissent in the textbook writer’s act, it was only a “downright stupid mistake,” a “hilarity” like the rest of her/his South Asian counterparts!

Mubarki wonders why the state police wastes time trawling through textbooks – but in fact, the book had been in circulation for a year. It could just have been that a police officer sat down to teach his child and was embarrassed to see this. (I wonder why Kashmiris sometimes try to suggest that state repression in Kashmir is mindless. See for instance this article by Burhan Qureshi that recollects memories of repression but not the revolt that the repression was responding to.)

Mubarki’s piece has an excellent title though: Where the state charges itself with sedition. It must be sad for the BoSE chief, Sheikh Bashir, to be accused of sedition. For those who don’t know, Bashir is one of the most patriotic Indians in Kashmir. Bashir is such an Indian nationalist that he even paid from his own pocket to be honoured with the Bharat Gaurav Award The award was ‘given’ by a certain NRI organisation called the India International Friendship Society. So happy was the BoSE Chairman about being called the Pride of India that he decided to use tax-payers’ money to issue advertisements in newspapers congratulating himself on being ‘awarded’ the Bharat Gaurav Award. Bashir is the sort of ‘Indian’ who is singled out in Kashmir for outsiders to be shown – look, he’s Kashmiri and a patriotic Indian! For all such patriots the Indian government should institute a special award so they don’t have to buy it any more.

News of this funny incident has been reported all over the world, thus once again giving away the bad planning of the Indian version of How to Have an Occupation and Pretend it Ain’t One. Perhaps the Home Ministry’s Kashmir Division should learn from the Kashmiris themselves; for instance, from this comment by a Kashmiri on Facebook:

"The emperor hereby orders deletion of the letter zoi alphabet from Urdu, Kashmiri, Gojri, Pahari, Sheena and Balti languages of his colony. Thus words like zaalim and zulm naturally stand obliterated from the lexicon.

The subjects are hereby directed to unlearn zoi and any word beginning with zoi. In addition, by the same decree, mazloom is also designated as a forbidden word from these languages unless used by the authorities in their official pursuits. Anybody found using zoi or its derivatives will be punishable with minimum 14 years of imprisonment by the newly promulgated Indic Alphabetica Act.

The order is implemented with immediate effect."

Appeared Earlier On: kafila

FRONTLINE KASHMIR page with 28,000 members blocked in Kashmir and India by TRAI. Hell with Indian Democracy

In another bid to muzzle the voice of innocent and oppressed Kashmiris, Telecom regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has blocked the URL of the largest Pro-freedom Kashmiri facebook Page "FRONTLINE KASHMIR" with 28,000 above regular members. FRONTLINE KASHMIR page is no more visible in Occupied Kashmir and in India. It was the page which spearheaded the Online Struggle of the Kashmiris against the illegitimate occupation of Kashmir by the Indian forces. It used to update and inform the masses about the atrocities and crimes committed by the Indian forces and it's puppet authorities against the innocent Kashmiris. This page was also hacked previously in August 2010 by the Indian hackers but admins were successfully able to rebuild the page.

India claims to be the largest democracy of the world, yet it's hell bent on snatching all the basic human rights of Kashmiris. Local and Foreign media is banned in Kashmir since last summer and only Pro-indian media networks are allowed to operate in Occupied Kashmir. Facebook is the only mean to keep the world updated and informed about the daily happenings but now Indian authorities are trying to put a curb on social networks too, using all its means to suppress the voice of oppressed Kashmiris who are struggling for Freedom from India since past 63 years.

India can try to silence us by torturing us, killing our brothers, raping our sisters and detaining our elders, putting curbs on media and blocking our pages and websites but it won't be able to break our resolve, determination, Passion and motivation for the Freedom Of Kashmir.


Facebook link : www.facebook.com/kashmirazadi

Asscociated pages : 
www.facebook.com/aalaw
 www.facebook.com/KashmirTheBurningParadise

Twitter page :

https://twitter.com/#!/FK_kashmir

Academic dissent stifled in Kashmir by India

By : Haroon Mirani


Kashmir University, one of the largest universities in Indian-administered Kashmir, is also one of the most watched universities in India to ensure not a whimper of academic dissent emerges. But there are signs that the political climate may be changing.

Some Kashmiri academics say now is the time to speak out because the Indian government does not want to be embarrassed internationally as it emerges as a potential superpower.

Some 43,000 people have lost their lives (As per Indian government's stats, actual figures of killings are more than the double of stated figure) in the last two decades of insurgency in Kashmir, according to government figures, and this is regarded by human rights organisations as a conservative estimate.

Yet Kashmir University (KU) in Srinagar rarely allows research to be published on these burning issues.

The state suppression of academics is intended to prevent the emergence of authentic literature on Kashmir's contemporary history, where India often appears in a negative light, experts say.

And although violence in Kashmir is at the lowest level since its eruption in 1990, fear of reprisals still rules. Even seminars and workshops at KU are on strictly a-political themes and research students are encouraged to pursue 'safe' topics.

"We have books depicting Pakistan's point of view and the Indian point of view but our academics don't produce research papers, theses and books from the Kashmiri point of view, even though Kashmiris have suffered the most," said Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a law professor at Kashmir University.

New university departments have been created such as the Kashmir Institute. Prior to its establishment at KU in 2008, the institute was an independent body that produced commendable work often critical of the establishment. "It was a brilliant institute and had produced at least three dozen academically-acclaimed papers," lamented Showkat. Now it is entirely pro-government.

In 2010 the government banned a postgraduate course in human rights in KU without giving concrete reasons. Insiders say the government was embarrassed by research papers that emerged from the department, which squarely blamed the Indian army for gross human rights violations in Kashmir.

After much public outcry the department was allowed to resume work this year, albeit under scrutiny by the university authorities - those who express critical views of the government forego promotions or are thrown out.

Mohammed Yousuf Ganai, a history lecturer and president of the Kashmir University Teachers' Association, said: "If anybody talks openly, even if it is based on research, knives are out to harm him either professionally or personally"

"Such is the situation that even victims refuse to mention their ordeal as they fear it will invite more wrath," Ganai said.

The problem is widespread in all universities in Kashmir. "They are all same, with KU being the leading example of big [academic] resources rendered wasted by state control," said Parvez Imroz, a human rights activist and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies.

Despite burning issues related to the conflict like mass graves or the high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and other conflict-induced phenomenon that need analysis and investigation, "no research dealing directly with the Kashmir conflict is coming out of KU".

Imroz pointed out that his coalition receives students from major universities like Harvard and Yale who want to research the Kashmir conflict, often on the very issues Kashmiri academics will not or cannot touch.

Instead, Kashmiri academics "choose neutral and safe topics like orphanages, culture, roads, architecture and climate change," Imroz told University World News, adding:

"Academics don't want to come out of their safe zone and assert their position. The fear of even remotely displeasing the state and the possible repercussions scares them. Nobody in academia is ready to fight and take on the state head-on over these visible and invisible curbs."

But not absolutely everyone is content to remain within their personal safety zone.

Hamida Nayeem, a professor in KU's English department, has had her passport impounded by the government for the past three years, for her outspoken criticism of government policies. She continues to speak out.

Nayeem said academic dissent was necessary. "It is they [academics] who can show dissent using proof and historical evidence, and reach to the bottom of truth with free and fair investigation of things."

But it is not easy. During the last 20 years the government has managed to handpick professors and lecturers in KU, according to Showkat, the law professor. "These people are not worthy of the position and to continue their prime position, they become easy collaborators."

According to many academics, the government has cultivated a wide network of sources to keep an eye on them. And action can be swift.

Last December Noor Muhammad Bhat, an English lecturer at a KU, was arrested on charges of sedition after he had set an examination paper in which one translation question included a passage related to youths stone-pelting Indian forces in Kashmir.

The police accused Baht of setting an 'anti-national' and 'anti-establishment' exam paper. Bhat was later granted interim bail by the high court after 23 days of detention, causing a huge outcry in Kashmir. Many academics came out in his support.

"The police have no role in matters of academia. It is for the university to see whether a passage is controversial or otherwise," Bhat told local reporters on his release.

Also in December, the police registered a case of obscenity against KU professor Shad Ramzaan of the department of Kashmiri studies, although they did not arrest him. Ramzaan had taken a passage from a book about the evolution of mammary glands of females for a translation examination paper.

Shad called the charges against him "academic terrorism".

"I took this paragraph from a text book of Unani (traditional) medicine. The police should first book the author [of that book] and then they should book the people who prescribed it. They should also ban medical colleges and MBBS course because it is all being taught there," he told a news agency.

Ramzaan was stripped of his post as head of KU's Kashmiri department and blacklisted from setting exam papers for 10 years.

But some academics feel now is the time to speak out. English professor Nayeem felt things had changed in the last five years in Kashmir, primarily due to the decline in the armed insurgency.

Previously at the height of the violence the government was quick to brand academics 'anti-national' if they spoke out, claiming it was curbing militancy. But now if academics speak with one voice, the authorities might not dare to act against them. "They can punish us singly but not entire academic community," said Nayeem.

Many academics are optimistic, citing the decline in violence, India's rising superpower status and, most crucially, the country's democratic image as the biggest deterrents to persecutions similar to those that took place during the worst times, particularly the early 1990s.

"India won't like to be internationally embarrassed in this era of mass media by persecuting intellectuals," said Showkat. "There is hope that if academics rise to command authority and freedom of expression at this juncture, we will see a big change in Kashmir University."

But Nayeem pointed to the continued timidity of the academic community after years of repression: "Unfortunately academics are not coming forward," she said.

This article was originally published at UNIVERSITY WORLD NEWS