On 16th January, film actor Swara Bhasker shared the banner of an event titled “Jashn-e-Shaheen.” The event, as it claims, celebrates “resistance” against the Union Government through poetry and songs. Swara urged Delhites to be a part of the event. Nevertheless, the day the Anti-CAA lobby is set to celebrate “resistance” happens to be the same day the Kashmiri Pandits faced resistance in their homeland at the hands of radical Islamists.
Dilli waalon! #ShaheenBagh pahuncho! 19 January pic.twitter.com/hDxZkWJTkD
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 16, 2020
The event is scheduled to take place on 19th January 2020 at Shaheen Bagh, the Mecca of anti-CAA protests in India. Protestors largely comprising of Muslim women have been on a 24/7 sit-in for 34 days now. This agitation has led to the blockage of a major highway that connects Faridabad- Delhi- Noida, resulting in traffic jams and public outcry.
A couple of days back, a viral video had also raised doubts about the credibility of these organised protests. The man in the video had claimed that several women participating in these protests work in shifts for a daily wage of ₹500 -₹700. BJP Spokesperson, Amit Malviya has also questioned the motives behind these protests, as none living in Shaheen Bagh is directly or indirectly impacted by the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
Nevertheless, the day the Anti-CAA lobby is set to celebrate “resistance” happens to be the same day the Kashmiri Pandits faced resistance in their homeland at the hands of radical Islamists. 19 January marks a black-lettered day in the history of Kashmir. 30 years back, Kashmiri Pandits became refugees in their own state. They were left with 3 choices – to leave Kashmir, convert to Islam or face death. Overnight, a whooping 1 lac Kashmiri Pandits left the Valley.
The forcible exodus was accompanied by destruction of houses, demolition of temples and gruesome murders. Here is a radical Islamist Bitta Karate confessing to killing Kashmiri pandits.
Appeasement politics and the advent of pseudo-secularism meant the genocide was tactfully brushed under the carpet. Abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 has paved the path for the resettlement and rehabilitation in their lost home.
It has been 30 years and the Pandits are looking up to the current political dispensation for a reprise. It should come as no surprise as to why the cabal that has spearheaded anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh or “celebrating resistance” has maintained a stoic silence on this issue.
