By: Zahoor Bhat
The last three years have seen an upsurge in protests against Indian rule in Kashmir. We saw mostly teenage boys and young men in their 20s, have been killed. From an armed rebellion in 1989, the opposition to Indian rule in this restive state is morphing into an “ammunition-free” struggle, on where youth make use of both traditional and more sophisticated methods of protest such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
The Issue
Kashmir has got its own language, its own natural resources which provided self-sustainment
and autonomy, and its own rich, ancient and distinct culture completely different from rest of the subcontinent. Before the British Raj officially came into being in 1858, the British colonizers already had vast amounts of soldiers occupying several parts of the South-eastern Asia subcontinent including Kashmir, which they wanted to strip of its history and absorb into their growing Indian empire. The Britishers sold Kashmir to a monarch in 1846, making the Dogra dynasty the undisputed rulers of the Valley. The Dogras committed a century of atrocities against
the Kashmiris.
When a student of history scans through the events that led to Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh to sign the Instrument of Accession and sending it to Lord Mountbatten, the then Governor General for acceptance, one finds that while accepting the Instrument of Accession Lord Mountb
atten wrote a letter to Maharaja Hari Singh, in reply to his letter which had accompanied the Instrument of Accession, wrote “my Government have decided to accept the Accession of Kashmir State to the Dominion of India. In consistence with their policy that in the case of any State where the issue of accession has been the subject of dispute, the question of accession should be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people of the State, it is my Government’s wish tha
t as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir and its soil cleared of the invader, the question of State’s accession should be settled by a reference to the people”.
A lot has been written and said about Kashmir problem yet it defies resolution. The dispute has led both the nations to war at more than once occasions. Several options have been proposed for solution of Kashmir dispute but this problem has remained unsolved so far.
Social Networking
By social networking, internet users use networks of online friends and group memberships to keep in touch with friends, reconnect with old friends or create real–life friendships. Some social networking sites help members find a job or establish business contacts. In addition to blogs and forums, members can express themselves by designing their profile page to reflect their personality. The most popular extra features include music and video sections. Members can read bios of their favorite music artists from the artist’s profile page as well as listen to their favorite songs and watch music videos.
Users are making decisions and getting information from conversations taking place on social networking sites, online tools that help people connect with others who share similar interests, or with those who are interested in exploring new interests and activities. Social networking sites can help organizations to increase awareness about an issue, find signatures for a petition, and encourage supporters to take action. Maintaining social networking profile is like maintaining a mini website.
Tool in the times of crisis
Social networking sites are being used as a tool in times of crisis. A college student backpacking in Southeast Asia started a Facebook group called Support the Monks Protest in Burma to draw attention to the pro-democracy protests led by the country’s revered Buddhist monks. The group found more than 400,000 supporters from around the world and helped attract attention to the monks cause.
Social networking in Kashmir
The streets of Kashmir Valley during unrest of 2008, 2009 and 2010 were not the only places burning with angry protests over the civilian killings. Youngsters were using their personal or community internet pages in the Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Youtube etc to express their anger. Restrictions like curfews may have prevented youth to vent their anger on streets in shape of protests but it certainly could not stop them from expressing their anger on social networking websites including Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and Youtube.
At some time the state government banned local News Channels and sms-service in realizing that it was the medium through which people were communicating and spreading information across. But youths started social networking sites as alternative source. With student discussion group banned and thousands of security operatives believed to be snooping on protesters, the youth of Kashmir were using Internet as a virtual meeting place.
Social networking sites, though presumably under Indian surveillance, have proven to be more effective than any previous form of political communication in Kashmir. The protesters were using Facebook to debate the weekly calendar of protests, discuss ways to hold Kashmiri leaders accountable and trade daily news updates as we saw last year. Marketing and information technology experts estimated last year that at least 40,000 Kashmir residents are on Facebook.
Social networking sites provided a platform to the people of valley to have their say. The social networking sites have tens of thousands of users from valley. Ironically, hundreds of communities active on issues like culture and entertainment have also engaged in political debates and been busy breaking news about unrest in the valley. Users were regularly reading the status through the posts for latest happenings across the valley the times reeling under curfews.
Cutting across the barriers and borders, users from almost every part of the world are also connected to Kashmir conflict through these social networking sites.
Social Scientist’s Speak
Social scientists argue that social networking sites can help cool tempers and make masses less tense because people to vent their anger and stay connected which in turn helps in lowering of tensions and anxiety, as people get to know well-being of relatives.
In Short
Social networking sites have emerged as a fast means for circulating news for beleaguered residents of Kashmir. The social networking sites are providing a chance to arrange virtual get-together for friends and relatives who have not been able to see each other due to the turmoil. The ‘Social Networking revolution of 2010’ in Kashmir if didn’t achieved the desired goal but it certainly made the over 10 million Indian online community aware that the people in Kashmir want justice. It also led to increased international media interest in the Kashmir agitation.
