Eyewitness account of Eidgah Chalo call

It was August 21. At 1:00 pm, I arrived at the Farooq’s house to pick up everyone who was going to Eidgah to participate in the million man strong rally. I had to write on how strong the rally was and who participated.

At 1:30 pm we left Lal Chowk and arrived at Karan Nagar at 2:00pm. After we parked the SUMO we headed to the Eidgah. At the beginning, we got close to the gate of the ground, where we stood there for about one hour struggling to make our way through the crowd. And after about a half-hour there in this location, our group of 9 split up and we got involved with what was going on.

I knew by the volume of the crowd that we already, (and this was at 3:30PM) had more men in this area than the Pampore gathering and UN March at Sonawar. At exactly 4:00, I called up my photojournalist friend who was clinging by a tree to get the vista shot. He said Eidgah had a record-breaking crowd of 10,00,000 present.

Hurriyat leaders had called for the march, but it was people’s day, and even though they will try to milk it for all it is worth, people (1million home-crowd) took the March from them.

All the social, political, and religious leaders know that it was the people’s day. The problem that affect, is that leaders are out of touch with reality and their people.

Most of them might feel that it was a benefit for people to be around them, when in actuality they should feel more than privilege to be around their people. Leaders like Geelani, Mirvaiz, Shah, Malik, Mir and etcetera do not represent people...people represent them.

I was more than thankful to those who made it possible for me to be there, not representing the Hurriyat leaders, but writing on people who represented them here in Eidgah.

I feel this was something people needed to do several decades back. From the beginning I had a hunch that something different was going to happen in Srinagar.

The spirit of the march surprised me. People from across the valley had gathered. Everywhere one was sloganeering in favour of freedom and against “Indian suppression”. Some were talking about the problems that were affecting them today here in the valley.

However, people came together from all areas of this nation to witness and find out a solution about the “oppression” they face. Killings, Jails, Harassment, Custodial disappearances, Rapes, their roles as brothers and nation builders, and leaders in their neighborhoods. The oppressor’s media have defamed Kashmiri in this part of the globe so much but I feel that people are the solution to the problems someone else has created. Yes, the oppressor has done them many bad and will continue to do so, because ‘Big Bossism’ is so deep-rooted in ‘Big Country’ that it does not realize the things it say and does. It says that it is a good democracy, but whatever bad the world knows has been done to these people, I realize. It is their modus operandi, but people say that they cannot let this come on them. And they have realized that they cannot become like India. Because then they will become the wicked which they talk and battle against for the last 62 years.

There were people from all parts of Valley, enveloping everything under the sun. Political, social, economic and religious organizations. Lawyers, doctors, cops in civvies, white collar employees, blue-collar employees. Children’s gangs, Womens guild, Cart pushers, the destitute and even the differently able (Handicapped) were present.
From now, my friend says, “I will always hold my head high and be proud of the line of attack we opted against our oppressor. I have come out with the fear of men in uniform. I am happy to have presented ourselves on Friday. It was not only a historical event, but the event was a sacred one. No matter what happens in our future, I will always look back to this Friday and can say; that I stood among the proud, 1 million Kashmiris.”

And what a show of might it was.

People voiced their concerns for fellow Kashmiris. Yes, it was pro-kashmiri, but in all sincerity, nothing bad from mouths came against the people of India who have been left ignorant by the politicians they vote for.

Protesters talked about culture and history and the great men and women in valley who cared. They were not a serious and grim crowd. They sang the songs of freedom, and lauded martyrs to tribute them. They had green liberation flags fluttering over, while they were sloganeering for freedom and liberation. They prayed Allah and reaffirmed their stance.

I met a friend from Batamaloo who was annoyed at me because I did not bring members of my family with me. He didn’t know that I have become a writer after 5 years of our college days. It was quite motivating what he said. And I quote; "Brother, come Monday bring your family to Lal Chowk’s sit in, we need to show the world that people’s movements can turn the tables.”

But less he knew that I had come for something else. To write only.

Everyone who recognized me because of the green T-shirt, said; "Free Kashmir". One person who hugged me said; "the hug is for the colour of your shirt and not you,” before disappearing into a ring of youngsters who were set up for a “Raghda Dance”—Kashmir’s new protest jazz in which a group of youngsters huddle and stomp towards a common middle point while sloganeering, “Trample the oppressor, Trample the corroborators and so on…”

One of the elderly women prayed that all the positive things that happened reach the world body particularly United Nations. And that Kashmiris brave up and start building a powerful and peaceful resistance community.

But I feel they have a lot of hard work before them, but all they have to do is be busy and try becoming self-reliant.

I express thanks to all those who challenged them. Because otherwise they won’t have come out. Still it will be a stiff and long road, but I believe they are going to do it.

The thing is they called for hundreds, but one million strong showed up.

Even their sisters and toddlers were there, standing alongside, serving water and food to thirsty crowd. 1 million Kashmiris turned up and promised to start anew.

But it was a placard that I loved the most. A young boy of 14 was carrying it. It read, “You [to Indian troops] want to win our hearts, leave our homes first.”