The Change Has To Come From Within

A senior journalist known for keeping the record straight recently tweeted: A cricket match in progress at Ghani Kashmir Memorial Stadium in downtown Srinagar late in the night. This is the place where the Kashmiri militants organized their first, brief but broad daylight parade on the Pakistani Independence Day on 14 August 1989.

Nothing is permanent or stagnant in this world. Times change, roles reverse. After the dark night, the sun shines – because the sun has to shine. We may not attribute this positive change to the events of this August 2019 – we should not do that. We cannot even attribute this change to any government policy. The only thing which truly defines this change is the fatigue of the Kashmiri people with violence.

Immaterial of the root cause, it is difficult for humankind globally to suffer violence for so long.

Today, boys play cricket under flood light in night hours at the same place where the disgruntled youth of 1989 organized the parade for Pakistan. Let us hope and pray that peace prevails, and our boys and girls keep shining in academics, sports and all wonderful activities.

We need efforts, particularly from the civil society of Kashmir, to enable our children to realize their dreams rather than fall prey to the vicious circle of violence which has consumed thousands of the budding youth in Kashmir. No government efforts can change or transform this society. At the most, the government can supplement the civil peace movement. The change has to come from within despite provocations from either side.