Quote:
I wanted to confront an uncomfortable question: Why Indian Muslims of the mainland don't speak up for Kashmiris?
Some of us do. Most don't. And I recognise that Kashmiris are comparatively forthcoming to mainland Muslims.
I want to break down as to why this is in a thread.
1) Firstly, most Indian Muslims are not politicised, only a tiny minority is. Most of our community members are not financially well off and lack the knowledge of conflicts such as the ones in Kashmir, north east, Dandakaranya etc.
Kashmiris on the other hand, were politicised over three generations, thanks in great part a movement that started in earnest in the 1930s.
2) Most politicised Indian Muslims get their news on Kashmir from biased, if not propagandist Indian news channels that function like instrumentalities of the state. Thanks to this, a lot of them view Kashmir from the prism of a foreign backed insurgency, rather than a fight for self determination.
I have myself, tried unsuccessfully to educate and sensitise many of them on the issue. Alas, they have been brainwashed by Indian statist propaganda in news media and popular culture which has convinced them that their country is in the right, even when they use overt anti-Muslim bigotry to justify their occupation of Kashmir.
However, some of us do read up on Kashmir, many a time, writings of Kashmiris themselves and emerge sensitised and educated. However, it is still too few of us.
3) Even the politicised Indian Muslims who do sympathise with Kashmiris are fearful of speaking out in public. Kashmir is the biggest irritant to this stridently majoritarian state and society. So, mainland Muslims keep silent on the issue to protect themselves insulated from othering at schools and workplaces and frankly, police action. Indian police hands out sedition charges like its candy.
I have personally asked by my father to not speak on Kashmir and especially avoid voicing support for Kashmiri self determination. I haven't been listening to him, of course. Even so, it allows one to gauge what the situation is like.
If some Muslims from the mainland have been insensitive to you, then we're sorry about that but know that things aren't as simple as they seem. My interactions with Kashmiris in real life have been less political, strangely. On social media, however, my interactions with Kashmiris are almost entirely political. Many a time, they express dissapointment with Indian Muslims. Much of it is justified but please try to understand us and not generalise.
4) Studies have shown that Indian Muslims are slowly and steadily getting more politicised and assertive. The more they learn, the more likely they are to speak up for Kashmiris. I know that I and several other Muslim handles on here do.
5) We are more than happy to answer to Kashmiris over this issue but we can hardly be judged by the likes of Pakistani nationalists. Some of the latter are sensible, others are not. This lot while sitting comfortably in a Muslim-majority country judge Indian Muslims, who are a minority in a hostile majoritarian nation. Some of them even heap vile abuse on us, tell us we deserve to be brutalised by Hindutvawadis and the state because we "don't support Kashmiris". The poor Muslims who are massacred in slums don't even know what the Kashmir issue is.
6) Lastly, I would like to once again point out that Kashmiris are indeed more forthcoming to Indian Muslims than we have been to them.
They are quick to articulate their moral support for Muslims of the mainland. They even made Urdu the language of their revolution.
Some of us do. Most don't. And I recognise that Kashmiris are comparatively forthcoming to mainland Muslims.
I want to break down as to why this is in a thread.
1) Firstly, most Indian Muslims are not politicised, only a tiny minority is. Most of our community members are not financially well off and lack the knowledge of conflicts such as the ones in Kashmir, north east, Dandakaranya etc.
Kashmiris on the other hand, were politicised over three generations, thanks in great part a movement that started in earnest in the 1930s.
2) Most politicised Indian Muslims get their news on Kashmir from biased, if not propagandist Indian news channels that function like instrumentalities of the state. Thanks to this, a lot of them view Kashmir from the prism of a foreign backed insurgency, rather than a fight for self determination.
I have myself, tried unsuccessfully to educate and sensitise many of them on the issue. Alas, they have been brainwashed by Indian statist propaganda in news media and popular culture which has convinced them that their country is in the right, even when they use overt anti-Muslim bigotry to justify their occupation of Kashmir.
However, some of us do read up on Kashmir, many a time, writings of Kashmiris themselves and emerge sensitised and educated. However, it is still too few of us.
3) Even the politicised Indian Muslims who do sympathise with Kashmiris are fearful of speaking out in public. Kashmir is the biggest irritant to this stridently majoritarian state and society. So, mainland Muslims keep silent on the issue to protect themselves insulated from othering at schools and workplaces and frankly, police action. Indian police hands out sedition charges like its candy.
I have personally asked by my father to not speak on Kashmir and especially avoid voicing support for Kashmiri self determination. I haven't been listening to him, of course. Even so, it allows one to gauge what the situation is like.
If some Muslims from the mainland have been insensitive to you, then we're sorry about that but know that things aren't as simple as they seem. My interactions with Kashmiris in real life have been less political, strangely. On social media, however, my interactions with Kashmiris are almost entirely political. Many a time, they express dissapointment with Indian Muslims. Much of it is justified but please try to understand us and not generalise.
4) Studies have shown that Indian Muslims are slowly and steadily getting more politicised and assertive. The more they learn, the more likely they are to speak up for Kashmiris. I know that I and several other Muslim handles on here do.
5) We are more than happy to answer to Kashmiris over this issue but we can hardly be judged by the likes of Pakistani nationalists. Some of the latter are sensible, others are not. This lot while sitting comfortably in a Muslim-majority country judge Indian Muslims, who are a minority in a hostile majoritarian nation. Some of them even heap vile abuse on us, tell us we deserve to be brutalised by Hindutvawadis and the state because we "don't support Kashmiris". The poor Muslims who are massacred in slums don't even know what the Kashmir issue is.
6) Lastly, I would like to once again point out that Kashmiris are indeed more forthcoming to Indian Muslims than we have been to them.
They are quick to articulate their moral support for Muslims of the mainland. They even made Urdu the language of their revolution.
