Amidst the escalating tension between arch rivals India and Pakistan, I see many people getting excited for a war. Perhaps people forget that a war is a war and not a game of cricket!

It's the politics that determine the policy on war and people are just dragged along.

I'd like to quote Hermann Georing here:

Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

But essentially common people never want a war:

"Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood."
-- Hermann Georing

Who can forget Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day?

It was only last weekend on 23^rd February that Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day reminded us of gruesome mass rape and torture in the twin Kashmiri villages of Kunan and Poshpora in 1991.

On the night of February 23-24, 1991, a battalion of the 4th Rajputana Rifles 68th Brigade conducted a cordon and-search operation in the twin Kunan-Poshpora villages in North Kashmir's Kupwara district. All village men were locked in a building and then soldiers went on an alleged mass rape with isolated village women of age ranging from 7 years to 70 years.

This incident is very well documented in a book published 3 years back viz. **Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? ** published by Zubaan Publishers. I'd like to quote a small excerpt from this book's chapter The Knock on Durri's Door below:

My sister and I hugged the kangri even closer. We were scared of that knocking. It seemed someone wanted to break down the door of our house. My grandfather quickly got up and opened the door. I heard few words "Kitnai admi ho ghar mai" (how many men are you in the house). "Koi nahi sahib bas mai hun" (no one, just me). I tried to stand up. I was stopped by someone. It was Amina, she held my hand tight. As I turned towards her, I could see the disapproval on her face. Now I tried to hear more clearly. I noticed Amina and Fatimah were doing the same. In middle of all this I could hear a female voice. My mother was pleading with someone. Suddenly 'toth' screamed "Haa Khudayo" (Oh God!). Within no time an army soldier appeared infront of us. I could smell something awful from him and then I saw that he had a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

My throat was dry. I could not even scream. I could not even stand, it was as if the earth had gripped me. My sister Fatimah and Amina held me tight from both sides. I could feel their fi ngers digging into my arms. From one the soldiers became six as others joined the first one. I wanted to scream. I could not hear my grandfather speak. I didn’t know where they took my mother. One of them gripped my hair. I held his feet. I remember begging him, "khuda kai liyai humai chhod do, hum nai kuch nahi kiya" (for god’s sake please leave us, we are innocent). I even bowed my forehead onto his shoes. He dragged me to kitchen.

History is witness that all war and armed conflict results in militarization on women - a systemic state-sponsored sexual violence that accompanies militarization. The involvement of 125 personnel of 4 Rajputana Rifles in this unforgettable mass rape incident should be enough for common citizens to deny any solution through wars.

Unfortunately, people find it an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism. But what good is that patriotism that murders humanity?

Are you cheering for war?

To put in Fatima Bhutto's words:

There is nothing uglier than people cheering for war.

War or Peace? Is it a difficult choice?

If you're still wondering to use the hashtag #saynotowar, please read this Fatima Bhuto's piece indicating the number of possible casualties if India & Pakistan go to a war:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/27/opinion/india-pakistan-crisis.html

If you don't agree, you're free to label me as "an anti-national traitor". But honestly, I don't care!