The valley of Kashmir has always been referred to as the inn of saints and seers and is praised for its natural beauty worldwide. A place of crystal clear streams gushing down the mountains serene with mirror like sheen, heart capturing lakes and pleasant vistas; it is this beauty of Kashmir that has over the ages influenced the poets and writers to eulogize its divine aspect with such abandon.
But, unfortunately that is not all about Kashmir, the Valley has an ugly face too which the people need to be averse about and rise against. Apart from corruption, drug abuse, nepotism, aristocracy and killings there is one more monstrous evil which is fast tarnishing the pure and pious image of Kashmir and destroying its traditional and cultural thread to utter peril. The demonous thing responsible for all this is the ever increasing rise in flesh-trade and women trafficking which is slowly but certainly transforming Kashmir into a beautiful brothel. Prostitution is emerging out to be a big industry in Kashmir supplying its products (women/girls) to every nook and corner of India especially the metropolitans. The predicament inside Kashmir is even grimmer and no better. There are many brothels operating in every district of Kashmir, Srinagar and Islamabad being on the top of the list. Majority of these brothels run in posh localities and famous hotels and these evil institutions are mostly backed by influential people deeply connected with system in one way or the other. Hence, almost all the times any voice raised against these evils is crushed down and never given any chance or space to reach out to the common people and stake holders at large.
Kashmir the beautiful Princess of mother Earth which was once thronged by tourists and visitors to refresh their mind and soul with the enchanting, pious and pure vistas of nature is thronged even today but the motives of most of the visitors stand changed, many of whom now come to satiate their evil physical desires exploiting and ravaging the chastity our mothers and sisters. Ironically it’s the same Kashmir, which a few decades back stood as an epitome of chivalry and reverence for women, where they were not even dared to stare or glance at but has now turned into a gothic arena where our mothers and sisters are sighted with evil intentions and thought of as exciting and titillating sex machines and pimps to be exploited and played upon. Now people here are looking for reasons and excuses to exploit our female folk morally as well as physically and deteriorate their chastity. There have always been fake alarms and pseudo hoots against this monster from majority of the leaders (main stream as well as off-stream) just to befool the people, whereas they have never acted or come on to the field against it and have always failed to do anything substantial against it. The very fact sends shudders down the spines of a common man when he discovers that the majority of these leaders are apprehended to be hand-in-glove with the sex/prostitution mafia.
The above facts set me all praise for Engineer. Hilal Ahmed War (Chairman Peoples’ political party of Kashmir) whatever be his ideology, by going contra to the already set convention of the leaders and coming out against it openly and on the field. He is a man of conscience, a man with mettle and one of the few leaders to be highly and technically qualified in the off-stream camp, consequently making him a great as well as reactionary leader. He is one of the only leaders who have always come out openly against this deep rooted evil and protested openly against it to the hilt and the edge. He was the first leader who came out against the scandal busted at Hotel Nida in Srinagar sub-urb as well as the racket revealed in Habba Kadal locality of downtown Srinagar. He has always acted against it on the ground and also played a very important role in generating awareness among the masses against such social and moral evils of the society and virtually acting as a Watergate to the Kashmiri society. Apart from fulfilling his political responsibilities, he never lets loose on his social and moral duties and can be often discovered in hospitals donating blood to the needy without blowing trumpets about the same in media for fame and mass appeal. He is also revered and respected for his acumen and is often called for reconciliation and resolution of disputes, whether domestic or market related. He is one of the few sons of the soil who are trying their levels best to unveil the kingpins of these evils and hold them accountable and unmasked in front of the common masses and purify the Kashmiri society again into a land of innocence and an inn of saints and seers as it used to be earlier.
But, the masses need to bear one thing in their minds, that a single Hilal War or a few like him cannot compel the system to turn 180 degrees (topsy-turvy) and fight these big monsters alone, it needs a mass revolution walking in unison with such leaders who are fighting for social purification of the society in reality and working to uproot these evils from the society; the onus shifts on to us ‘the masses’,who will have to pull up their socks and get ready for the fight against the social evils of the society. So, what the masses need to bear in their minds and hold onto is that walking shoulder-to-shoulder against all evils and wrongs in general and the growing flesh-trade in particular is the need of the hour.
We will have to stop zipping our conscience and soul and abandon being silent over such issues despite knowing everything. We will have to understand that our life will be all futile and no better than that of a perverted incest if we keep on avoiding and tolerating such heinous and evil activities. We should always remember that if we remain silent today, tomorrow our mother/sister can be ambushed in this dirty trap of flesh-trade, virtually transforming us into their pimps. So getting up and getting alive against these evils in our respective capacities is the necessity of the present. The people tainted with such anti-social activities if not prosecuted by the State must face the highest form of social boycott and detachment at least. If we fail doing our moral and social duty we will ourselves without even knowing fall prey to this humiliating and fatal trap, wherein we will be able to find ourselves nowhere and which will ultimately leave us rubbing our hands for ever in repentance. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) guide us and give us strength to fight and rise against these social evils and keep us under his vast shade of blessings and protection always (Ameen Ya Rabbul Aalameen).
(tauseef_sunny2000@yahoo.co.in)
