By Mehnat Kash Tareek
The partial success of the Peoples’ Rights Movement in Pakistani-administered Kashmir is reflective of historical continuity in the region and beyond; every time people come out on the streets organized, they force the ruling classes to concede to their demands.
On May 10, 2024, a popular uprising in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The movement was backed by massive popular support from the masses who stood by the leadership of the Joint Awami (people’s) Action Committee. (JAAC). From the very start, the ruling class attempted to divide the movement using different tactics. In the very beginning, the state tried to penetrate into the trade union rank and file thereby creating fissures within the already polarized leadership. Most of the leadership however took cognizance of these methods and openly disagreed with the leaders towing the statist line. The other tried and tested method by the Pakistani establishment has been to label any voice for human rights and freedom as the handiwork of the Indian spy agents. Local Kashmiri leadership has been doing this propaganda at the behest of Pakistan’s ruling establishment. The massive turnout in the recent uprisings has put all these false notions to rest. If the ruling classes in Pakistan show seriousness to resolving the popular grievances, they would no longer be taking part in the movement that the deep state believes is ‘orchestrated’ by Indian agents. This has been the constant cry from those demanding their rights from the highly militarized state apparatus of Pakistan. They pledge that they will no longer be part of these movements if the state accepts basic freedom and dignity for the people of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The leadership of Joint Awami (Peoples) Action Committee (JAAC), had participated in different negotiating efforts led by the ruling class in the past. The efficacy of these forums can be gauged from the fact that oftentimes, the members representing the government side were found absent from the meetings. On many occasions, these members had openly admitted that they had no mandate to and therefore no authority or even legitimacy over the assurances given in those negotiations.
A new popular consciousness was witnessed at the start of 2024 which brought the ruling class to the negotiating table yet again. JAAC was invited to the talks and the state partially agreed to fulfill some of its demands. A notification to that effect was also issued. The contents of the notification received scathing criticism from the populace as soon it was shared on the social media platforms. These sentiments ultimately led calls for protests on Februrary 5. The JAAC leadership resolved to build the popular momentum until its demands are fully accepted. The state saw this call as yet another half-hearted attempt by an already divided leadership. As the calls for the strike gained wider impetus, so did the state response to deal with the protests with an iron hand.
On the night of May 9, raids were conducted on the central leaders of JAAC and many leaders within its subcommittees cadre were also arrested. The next day JAAC leadership gave a call for general strike and protest rallies were led throughout the region. The day was marked by a tug of war between the police and the JAAC leadership. The clashes that erupted left many protestors severely injured. Adnan Qureshi, a sub-inspector received a bullet in his chest and soon succumbed to injuries, while he was rounding up protestors on the way to Muzaffarabad. As the protestors received Rawalakot, the government representative once again gave calls for negotiations in the most bizarre way only to keep marchers waiting for hours. The state had been under the impression that it would be easy to pacify the protestors through variety of means such as providing transportation to their homes and offering meals as had been the standard practice in the past. What it failed to comprehend was that a people that have been deprived of basic dignity and freedom cannot be coerced into submission with this kind of tokenism. Once the people are awakened to their objective condition, they can fight any and use every method regardless of the oppression by the ruling classes. The mass of the people refused to budge and resolved to continue the protest until all the demands are met.
Protestors marched to Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Pakistan administered Kashmir. Great scenes of comradeship were witnessed. People were dancing to the beat of the drums, offering food and cold drinks to each other along the way, while revolutionary songs played in the background. As these images started going viral on the internet, the ruling class resorted to repressive means yet again. This time, the internet services were suspended in the region. On May 12, paramilitary troops were called in and they opened fire on the unarmed protestors leading to the death of at least three while several received severe injuries. The horrific scenes pulled more crowds from the nearby mountains who joined to help the wounded. The ruling establishment in mainland Pakistan had been privy to these developments while the paramilitary troops deployed by the central state could not stand the mass of the people and started fleeing from the scene. The situation eventually forced the government to concede to the demands.
How to keep the gains of the movement intact?
The popular revolt not only instilled a new revolutionary spirit among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and beyond but also brought home the idea that if people come out in an organized, the state cannot deny them their basic rights for too long. Congratulatory messages started pouring in from the comrades, friends and allies and was followed by a greater resolve to launch a new movement for the rights of the people of Pakistani administered Kashmir. But for this to happen, it is imperative that the pressure is kept building up from our villages and towns. It is also necessary that the lessons learnt through this movement are shared among friends and comrades, and gender parity is ensured among the rank and file of the movement. It is also necessary that the demands for the creation of regulated markets in village and towns along with the demands to building hospitals are included in the charter of the movement.
It is only possible when popular committees are made part of the decisions and every new campaign is voted upon through democratic centralism. It is extremely important that the opinion of the minority is weighed more than that of the majority even if the initiators and the organizers are rendered a minority. This is the best way forward for bringing about equality, humility and collectivism. It is highly imperative that this entire process is channelized through people’s assemblies at the level of villages and towns and that workers lead these assemblies within their places of work. In every people’s assembly, the specific clauses of the constitution of Pakistan administered Kashmir that bar parties and individuals from demanding the right to self-determination as part of their election manifesto are challenged. There is a dire need to organize around the demand for an alternative constituent assembly. This seems to be the only way forward in order to keep the gains of the current moment alive and to respond to the machinations of the ruling class to keep the people impoverished.
Humility is our conscientious weapon
Pakistani administered Kashmir is ruled through neo colonial state apparatus. It is therefore imperative that the politics of freedom, autonomy and self-determination are mixed with sentiments of truthfulness, honesty and humility. In the aftermath of the recent people’s rights movement, many of the bourgeoisie intellectuals and nationalist-chauvinist were seen mocking and ridiculing the movement in real and online spaces. What we need to understand is that the current juncture in Pakistan is not a reactionary phase, but it is the beginning of pre-revolutionary conjuncture.
People have come to the realization that the state of Pakistan has failed to provide any kind of relief to the people of Kashmir. It has no say in the international market, unemployment has become a constant bane. The proletariat are ready to do away with the current state in place, the early signs of which were witnessed in the last general elections, but this can maximize into demands such as an end to machinations of deep state, the oppressive system against the peripheral nationalities and to the inflation and privatization. If a wider movement starts it would not be easy to stop. It is important to bear in mind that such movements have already surfaced in other oppressed nationalities i.e Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and now it is Kashmir’s turn. The more pressing need of the hour is that the rights movement in Kashmir reaches out to people of Pakistan to further build upon the gains of the current victory.
