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The imperial hubris

By Tajamul Hussain. Dated: 7/28/2016 11:37:24 PM

Rulers and administrators, representing a strong 'center', always view the 'periphery', a less admirable segment of society; uncivilized and primitive to the boot. Small, isolated, largely illiterate, economically impoverished communities face the overwhelming military, economic and political force at the 'center'. The people in the 'periphery' are the despised strangers in their own homes and in the cities. Their voice is barely heard over the din and propaganda emanating from the ministry of information at the 'center'. For 'periphery' the 'center' is imperialist, corrupt, unjust and an occupation force.
The standard imperial tool-kit includes wars, enslavement, deportation and genocide. When the Romans invaded Scotland in 83-AD, they're met with fierce resistance from local Caledonian tribes and reacted by laying waste to their country. In reply to Roman peace offers the chieftain Calgacus called Romans, 'the-ruffians-of-the-world' and said that to 'plunder, slaughter and robbery they give the lying name of empire; they make a desert and call it peace'. Evolution has made humans, like other social mammals, a xenophobic creature. Homo sapiens instinctively divide humanity into, 'us' and 'them'. 'Us' is people like you and me who share our language, religion, and customs. 'We're-always-distinct-from-them-; and-owe-them-nothing; We-don't-care-an-iota-what-happens-in-their-territory; they're-barely-even-human'.
In a heated environment on an Indian TV news channel, a posse of experts, who seem to have monopolized resources, media attention, can invariably be seen derisively leveling the vaguest and the most baseless accusations (calling them even traitors) on the Kashmiri Muslims. The language of the accusations employs words to connect peaceful protest with the amorphous "terrorism". The loud-mouthed, opinionated bigots carry no compunction for ruthless killing of innocent civilians and shooting pallets into their eyes. As if set to monopolize to conflate and confuse Kashmir and Islam, doctrines and practice, theology and anthropology, jingoism and patriotism, self-determination and sedition, the breed of instant terror-experts, diplomats and media persons, with their ill-defined and shoddy concepts of security, democracy, terrorism, nationalism and all that trash become substitutes for legitimate scholarship that lacks empathy, courtesy, etiquettes, mannerism as also the understanding of the implications in the long run.
For many an Indian, and that too from a self-consciously lot connected to the age of globalization, and talking of human rights and democracy and self-determination, Kashmiri Muslims are ungrateful liars, who drove KPs out; 'we-feed-them-and-they-bite-us'; 'they-should-be-wiped-off-the-map-and-sent-packing-to-Pakistan'. For many of them, the best Kashmiri is the dead Kashmiri. With the blind spot when contemplating the despised community on their nation's 'periphery' too many will suddenly be transformed either into fire-breathing nationalists, coldly indifferent citizens, or close-minded bigots. They're not prepared to see any good in Kashmiris and will assail us as backward, primitive, thieving, and violent elements of society or simply terrorists. 'Kashmiris are anathema', they'll say, 'holding back or outright harming the development of the nation'. These amiable companions become chauvinistic nationalists at the mere mention of the name, reminding the dictum, 'patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel'.
In the newly minted war on terror (post 9/11) Muslim societies are now viewed as either infested with terrorists or offering a potential safe haven for them. The same people the USA once supported in their genuine demands for democracy, self-determination, human and civil rights and dignity were now targeted. In this situation, the 'central' governments were quick to use it to their benefit in the ongoing confrontation with their 'peripheries'. 'Central' governments cynically manipulated the USA in their suppression of the Muslim 'periphery'. What was clear was that imperceptibly and inexorably America's war on terror had become a global war against Islam.
Painting their 'peripheries' as associated with al-Qaeda/ISIS many countries seek to join terror network because of the extensive benefits that it brings. In any case, 'center' has a trump card up its sleeve; by applying the label 'Islamic-terrorism' it guarantees the world will cheer it on its mission without asking too many questions. It bolsters their economic, commercial and political credibility with the US and its allies. Today a spotting ISIS has become a favourite sport of security agencies throughout the world. Even a single line of conjecture by anyone is enough to damn an entire people in the eyes of the international community and set in motion a series of action calculated to condemn and harm them.
By linking Kashmir to the war on terror, India was able to translate this move into several important economic, military, political and nuclear arrangements with the US. The Kashmir issue stands effectively 'deep-frozen'. India's traditional foe Pakistan sidelined, India was recognized as a major player on the world stage. With the cynical maneuver, India tries now to become the legitimate interpreter of what's happening on the round, and seal fate of the Kashmiri 'periphery'. As the world is looking away, the security and Special Forces can proceed to do their bloody work without interruption or scrutiny from the prying eyes. Genocide may take place but it'd appear no one really cares.
— (hoosyn50@gmail.com)