Big brother India!

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On a rather hot summer afternoon in Srinagar, a friend spoke about the sense of isolation an average Kashmiri youth feels outside the Valley. I retorted, "But then Kashmiris have to accept India first, which most of them refuse to". He was no lawyer, but my friend made his point simply, "Don't you think India should act as a big brother and accept Kashmiris first". The debate was left for yet another day.

The recent incidents did put the argument back on the table. A young Kashmiri cricketer, who had a local cricket board vouching for him, gets held up for alleged terror links. RDX traces in his bag, said the Bangalore police. An embarrassing admittance, especially after the forensic report proved otherwise. And then by a strange coincidence, earlier in the day, the Services Cricket Team had refused to play in Jammu and Kashmir.

Apologies and clearances followed. Somehow, these incidents did send out a message that supported my friend's argument.

Close to it, the Home Ministry had announced a ban on pre-paid services in the state. Though security reasons are justified to some extent, an average resident is drawing parallels with violent situations in the Northeast and Naxal-affected areas. When the Home Minister was questioned here in Jammu, he says this decision should not be given alarmist proportion. But then before hastily withdrawing 38 lakh connections and Rs 30 crore of monthly business, at least time-bound warnings could have been issued. The axe should have fallen later. In the state which had been cellphone deprived till 2003, mobile services were being associated with return of normalcy. It could not get more ironical as the ban came with claims of improving situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Perhaps these incidents do increase Kashmir's sense of isolation. Tariq Dar (the Kashmiri model who was held for alleged terror links) and Pervez Rasool will come up during discussions more often than a Kashmiri boy getting into the IAS. Somehow, these incidents stay longer in the minds of people than the Centre's announcements of economic packages. Just call it the "rule of negativity".

With smaller setbacks like these, the larger picture of quiet diplomacy feels the dent. Kashmir's sense of victimisation gets reinforced further. For years now, the country has invested its men and money in large proportions in Kashmir. Somehow, someday in a hope to emotionally integrate this part with the rest of the nation. And possible to get anywhere close to it, maybe by the sheer size and the idea of it, India should act as a big brother in true sense.