After the sedition fracas, Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the JNU student union, finally reclaimed his patriot status by reiterating that Kashmir is an integral part of India. This statement is the mother of all gold standards for proving one’s patriotism in India. In addition to its shorthand use, this statement also becomes an analytic for many Indians to understand Kashmir. It is nothing new. Kanhaiya is just a newer version of the patriot that India will be proud of when time comes. Also one cannot negate his personal safety in the wake of sedition charges. And this brings me to the speech he delivered upon his release.
Being a Kashmiri, I was riveted by what Kanhaiya called his “jail ka anubhav” … Really, does a policeman talk to you like that when you are detained?
Kanhaiya’s speech–part heart, part strategy–resonated with most who watched. Being a Kashmiri, I was riveted by what Kanhaiya called his “jail ka anubhav” (experiences in jail), his conversations with a policeman while imprisoned. Really, does a policeman talk to you like that when you are detained? For Kashmiris, the primary mode of communication from the police and by implication the army, the paramilitary and the renegade militia is not talking but use of mental and physical torture, sexual harassment, rape, or death – be it instant, or deferred. This is not to say that police dispensed star treatment to Kanhaiya or that they do not abuse their own citizens, but that is another topic altogether.
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