Real Kashmir and The Media
Muneer Ahmad Wani
(former M.Phil. Scholar of LPU, Department of English)
Introduction to the Author:
Muneer Ahmad Wani hails from a small village of Srinagar, Jammu &Kashmir, a former student of Lovely Professional University, where he completed M.Phil. (English). Presently, he is preparing for CBSE NET.
His paper on Kashmir analyses the situations in Kashmir and presents an insider’s acount of the condition. He is trying to highlight the media buzz around the issue.
Abstract:
Kashmir being known for its scenic beauty all over the world. Famous Persian poet giving Kashmir the title of heaven on earth. But, the media has presented the image of Kashmir altogether different, they did not present it as it is. The main aim of the present article is to mould the thinking of people who took Kashmiri people as terrorists. This propaganda has been created by some mean politicians to create such thinking among the people.
Key words: Kashmir, heaven, terrorist, tourism, media, politicians.
Analysis
The famous Persian poet, musician, and scholar Khawaja Amir Kusrao: when he came to Kashmir, he was really amused and attracted by the natural beauty of Kashmir and he quoted in Farsi:
“Agar firdous bar roo-e-zameen ast
Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast”
The English translation will be like this “if at all there is paradise on earth: that is it, that is it, that is it.” Kashmir has been considered as heaven on earth for its scenic beauty, but the image of Kashmir presented by media and cinema is altogether different. Edward Said rightly says “Orient is not the Orient as it is, but the Orient as it has been Orientalised” (Said 473), Similarly the image of Kashmir presented is altogether different from reality as it is. Kashmir is considered as “disputed territory” as lot of people especially politicians try to grind their own axe in the same. They try to divide the state on the name of religion. Basically, who is a Kashmiri? Firstly, we should try to clear the concept of being Kashmiri. Kashmiri is not the Muslims living in the valley, Pandits, Sikhs, and especially migrants are also an important part of it.
Media has exaggerated the events and accidents of the valley. May be the regular political struggles and freedom mayhem presented by media is to some extant true, but most part of the representation is mere a drama of propaganda. Some people grind their own axes in the havoc created in Kashmir, for their benefit they sanction the blind and ruthless laws (AFSPA) through which life of common people has become woeful and hard to live. I am no body to tell that who is culprit after this propaganda, who so ever it is, I just want to present the Kashmir, as it really is. I will start it with the giving idea of life of common Kashmiri people, as being a villager and citizen of the same. Everybody from Kashmir, may be it villagers, people of city, people from far flung areas, pony wallas, shikara wallas, rickshaw drivers, or a person selling bread, is a true representative of Kashmir. Everyone has right to claim equally of their representation. The villagers grow up in the lap of nature surrounded by the sights and sounds of natural beauty, much like most rural parts of the world. Usually, village people are deprived of having their opinions about Kashmir. Although, the Kashmiri youngsters are very talented, but they are facing a lot of problems in other states as well as in metropolitan centres. It is also true that they are not very well equipped to face the challenges of the globalised world. There is a wide gulf between the children of village and city, villagers who are happy and have been so through the generations, without ever being influenced by the rhetoric of an economy driven by consumerism. Their happiness is not a slave to their purchasing power. While a child in the metros is forced to score good marks, to be competitive.
The difference in upbringing which has been created among the two geographical sects has led to the difference in the mindsets, carrier as well as behaviour. The learned citizens get admission in good colleges, gets best jobs and a good life set. The villager, on the other hand, has his farms, orchards, family to look after. I am not here to draw the contrast between the ways of life but to portray the picture of life Kashmiri people are living. Another group of people, who have to flee from the Kashmir due to the turmoil of the 1990s, although some of them are returning back to their respected places, getting heartily welcomes from the people of Kashmir. Probably the past coexistence of these two sects is coming back. But, with great heavy heart, I would say that media has used the term ‘terrorists’ for the Kashmiri people. There is phobia among people in the country that being a Kashmiri is a terrorist. The concept of Kashmiri’s being a terrorist is created by media, which put an adverse effect among the people of the world, affected our economy and tourism sector.
J&K State is well known for its horticulture both in India and in abroad. The state offers good scope for cultivation of horticulture crops, covering a variety of temperate fruits like apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot, almond, cherry and sub-tropical fruits like mango, litchi etc. “There are around 6 lakh families comprising about 30 lakh people who are directly or indirectly associated with Horticulture” (Horticulture 2). The apples of Kashmir are world famous. So point here to take into consideration is that people of Kashmir are busy in their households, lands farms, Kashmiri youngsters being busy in their education and making their career, but alas the media who just exploit the sentiments and reality of people for their mere TRP. They only cover the events of chaos and mend them according to their own interests, they never presented the real Kashmir. Media is often considered as a mirror of the society. The main objective should be to inform, educate and entertain the people. These days, media has solely become the voice of some political parties. It presents the information in a more sensationalized form than ever before. There are many things that are wrong with the society, and the media should engage itself in the betterment of society and the nation as a whole. By addressing itself to the needs of the people, it can strengthen the very root of democracy.
References:
Dhar, K.N, ed. A Rosary of Hundred Beads: A Century of The Shruks by N und-Reshi. Delhi: Makoff, 2004. Print.
Horticulture – Planing and Development Department: www.jandkplanning.com/…/17-horticulture
Said, Edward. “Crisis [in Orientalism].” Ed. A.H. Tak. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2011. 473-488. Print.