What’s so special about Bharat mata ki jai?

Arun Joshi in Srinagar

This August 15, at the 71st Independence Day celebration, Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar echoed with Bollywood Veer-Zaara song Aisa des hai mera…: The song brings out the beauty of India, its rich traditions of universal love. The reality outside the heavily guarded stadium was shockingly different: Deserted streets and a disturbing silence contrasted against a colourful function that ran for less than an hour. A woman raising the Tricolour appeared at Lal Chowk against the backdrop of Clock Tower. She was whisked away by policemen who felt as if they had become a party to some sort of conspiracy in the sole voice chanting “Bharat Mata ki jai.”

There is another contrasting reality: a good number of Kashmiris have sent their children to study in mainland India and some businessmen have shifted their operations to places such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Goa and Shimla. The reason is obvious: they want to escape from violence and uncertainties in the Valley where things change quickly. 

Some memories linger on. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, in whose memory the stadium is named, had continued to chant "Azad Hindustan zindabad" even after he was forced to step down as prime minister of the state. He held rallies and chanted the same slogans. Then there was the historic welcome to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1975 when he entered into an agreement with Indira Gandhi and returned to power as chief minister. His oath ceremony and speech reaffirmed his faith in India and the Constitution. The function was broadcast several times by AIR. The idea of India was resurrected.

Separatist icon Syed Ali Shah Geelani was an MLA and took oath reaffirming his faith in the Indian constitution much before National Conference leader Omar Abdullah or his Farooq Abdullah entered the portals of legislature. 

The crowd at an election rally of the Muslim United Front (MUF), the original version of the Hurriyat Conference, at Iqbal Park in February 1987 left with a memorable line from Abdul Ghani Bhat: “I love Pakistan. That doesn't mean I hate India.” 

Things have dramatically changed since 1988. The celebrations had sizeable public participation where children would march to ‘sare jahaan se achha Hindustan hamara’ even after the official parade was over. The search for that ‘achha’ Hindustan is not being made as visible from deserted streets. And over two decades of conflict fatigue has led many people to shift out.