Which lines are there? Those which
the departing British drew on the map of South Asia, especially from the
snow-capped glaciers of Ladakh down to the plains of Jammu. These are lines
which are crossed by bullets and by fighters but not by ordinary people who
stand hours to wave at their relatives
on the other side. These are the lines of Kashmir over which Pakistan and India
have been at war in 1947-48, 1965 and again at Kargil in 1999. These lines
provide the title for Pervez Hoodbboy and Zia Mian’s movie on Kashmir which is
sub-titled: ‘A story of people at war
over Borders and Boundaries: Kashmir, Pakistan, India!
The movie, produced by the Eqbal Ahmed Foundation, is meant to make Pakistanis, Indians and the world conscious about a conflict which has caused untold misery in a part of the world which is so beautiful that one finds it difficult to believe that it is stalked by death all the year round. Those who have made the movie, Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mian, are very well known peace activists and physicists. Eqbal Ahmad, whose name has been given to the institution which sponsored the movie, was the role model for these and other peace activists and liberal humanists. However, peace should not be a concern of any small group. It should be the chief concern of everybody---especially of South Asia--- because if there is any part of the earth which is in danger of nuclear war, it is South Asia. And since it is Kashmir which is the bone of contention between Pakistan and India, this movie should be watched by all South Asians.
The movie starts with groups of Pakistanis and Indians expressing the deep and violent emotions the Kashmir issue invokes in them. While Pakistanis rave about conquering the Red Fort of Delhi, Indian nationalists fume at the mouth calling for war and destruction of Pakistan. The movie then goes on to tell us why the two sides are so intransigent and so violence-prone. One reason given in the movie is that there is a lot of propaganda, especially in school books, in both countries about Kashmir. While the Indian state calls it the integral part of India (atoot ang), the Pakistani state hopes for integrating it with Pakistan (Kashmir banega Pakistan). In between the slogans the reality is that Kashmiris are dying, being forced out of their homes, being put into camps and becoming cannon fodder.
The movie takes us briefly into the history of the conflict giving the outlines. Then it takes us to Kashmir as it is now. The Kashmiri pandits, who are not known to most Pakistanis, are shown experiencing one of the worst tragedies of history. The Kashmiri Muslims, also forced out of their homes by the Indian military, are also shown suffering dislocation. Both communities are suffering but the war goes on.
The most courageous aspect of the film is the way the fighters (jihadis) were trained in Pakistan and sent to fight in Kashmir. There are snapshots of Islamic groups collecting charities in the name of jihad, the madrassas inspiring the fighters, and the religious groups, presumably supported by the army, launching a covert military operation in Kashmir. The link of the army has, however, been implied but not shown nor have any interviews by military officers, serving or retired, been shown. The screening of these links and even the interviews must have been impossible. However, the movie does show the Islamic leaders investing emotionally, economically and logistically in the ‘jihad’. The state of the jihad after the reversal of this policy in December 2002 by General Pervez Musharraf is not shown. It is one of the various omissions in the movie but, given the level of secrecy, it is inconceivable that the movie-makers would have been given access to the latest situation of the jihadi camps and their supporters.
The movie mentions the militarization of Pakistan making the point that Islam was brought into the service of this militarization and that it was Kashmir which facilitated it. Crossing the border, the Hinduization of India is also mentioned. It too supports a militant policy in Kashmir which makes this link very important.
The movie is moving and has a clear impact. It tells us that, because of our nuclear capability and this festering dispute in Kashmir, South Asia could face death and destruction any moment. It makes the important point that nuclear weapons are not necessarily deterrents against all kinds of violence. After all, the Kargil conflict occurred because Pakistani decision-makers thought India would not dare attack in full force even if violent incidents went on.
The movie is very useful for introducing people, especially Western people, to the Kashmir conflict. It is very unbiased although Pakistan’s case is covered in more detail than that of India. It does have omissions some of which have been mentioned above. Those were excusable because of the level of secrecy in both countries and because access was so difficult. There are also some other omissions which could, perhaps, have been avoided. Firstly, the terms of the princely states’ acceding to India or Pakistan, accepted by both the Congress and the Muslim League, were flawed. They left accession to the will of the rulers and neither the will nor the religion of the people. Nor did they visualize the partition of the states though the provinces of Punjab and Bengal were partitioned along religious lines. This flaw should have been given more space but it was not. Secondly, the number of interviews from actors in the Kashmir dispute are fewer than one would have expected. It is possible that decision-makers may have avoided being interviewed but surely there are many who might have. Also, perhaps the expert opinion of Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi and Dr. Ayesha Agha might have been an added as far as the militarization of Pakistan is concerned. One would also have expected some kind of survey as to what solution, if any, may be acceptable to a cross section of people and pressure groups in Pakistan, India and Kashmir. But these omissions do not distract from the very powerful impact of this movie. The idea of the movie and the making of it are achievements of which Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy and Dr. Zia Mian may be proud. The movie should be compulsory viewing for all Pakistanis and Indians who have it in their power to make these smiling lands a graveyard!