South Asian Politics (Death Of Militant Burhan Wani)

Kashmir
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Introduction
After the killing of the young Burhan Wani at the age of 22 years, there have been some elements of resurgence (Shah, 2016). This has brought up the question as to whether, the resurgence has been due to the fact that one of the young resistance leaders has been killed and the majority of the youths in Kashmir are revolting against the same. However, this does not offer a satisfactory answer as to why there has been a rising element of tension in the valley with constant violent acts across the region.
The element of resurgence after a long instance of peace and tranquility could not however been caused by the death of one person. Ideally, the death of the young Wani was simply part of what sparked the deep-seated revolt intentions. The zeal within the people of Kashmir was to achieve political and social liberties in the region. For the longest time, dating back to the time of independence in the year 1945, the people of Kashmir have been oppressed and marginalized. Torn between two warring factions from either side of their borders. On one side the Pakistan invade and try to take control and on the other, the Indian government intimidate and manipulate the people of Kashmir ("Why the death of militant Burhan Wani has Kashmiris up in arms - BBC News", 2017). In the quest for their freedom, the people revolted and demanded for their rights.
It is crucial to understand the puzzle that has baffled many and one that has led to thousands of deaths in the region. It is also important to explain the misunderstanding that exists, especially with reference to the fact that, the people of Kashmir who revolt against these oppressions have been labeled terrorists, hunted down and killed.
The first section explains the existing information about the feud, the second section elaborates on the theory of what is the theorized cause of the resurgence while the third section uses empirical data and elaborates on the cause for the feud.
Literature review
The Kashmir insurgency has lasted for quite some time, with some of the records indicating that it may have started in the 80s, while others indicate that it goes further than that. The insurgence that escalated in the year 1989 was associated with the fact that, there were incidences indicating that the elections had been rigged. The Indian government was accused of rigging the elections despite the facts that the Muslim United Front was actually expected to be the winner, on a technical. However, the Indian government made a fatal error and announced Dr. Farooq Abdullah as the leader. Farooq had been running for the seat using the National Conference Party ticket when he was declared the winner. This was followed by a bitter revolt from the people of Kashmir, with a feeling they had being politically duped.
‘Both India and Pakistan acknowledge that the number of militants coming into the territory from Pakistani-administered Kashmir has dwindled significantly. The Kashmir uprising of the last three decades can perhaps be categorised into two distinct periods - discontent over Delhi's rule surfacing in the 1980s, leading to the rise of groups backed by Pakistan from the early 1990s onwards, and the gradual but dramatic reduction in violence in the territory in recent years. The influence of militant groups such as Al-Badr Mujahideen, which was once very powerful in the mid-1990s, has now waned to such an extent that it is no longer considered to present a threat. Another group that has lost influence and power is Jaish-e-Mohammad, launched in 1999 by Maulana Masood Azhar, a former militant commander released by India from prison for the 1999 hijacking of an airliner. It shot to prominence in 2000 for its role in the attack on the Red Fort in Delhi. But its activities in Kashmir failed to elicit public support, especially after a 2001 car bomb attack on the Kashmir state legislative assembly which killed more than 35 people, all civilians. Like other militant groups, it treated local people harshly and became unpopular for trying to change their social customs.’ ("Who are the Kashmir militants? - BBC News", 2017)
There have been times when the violence in this region has waned off. All the same the violence has been changing presenting a different front every other time. After a relative period of quiet, the violence is back on the streets following the death of the poster boy, Burhan Wani. This has led to mass protests, and most of the resistance groups are back on the streets with acts of violence leading to an escalation in tension. Killing the young leader, is one of the many incidences that have triggered the age old unresolved issues. Before his death, he had been one of the faces behind the new breed of insurgents who were educated and wanted to get the rest of the youths to stand against the oppression. Unlike most of the other insurgent leaders, Wani did not hide his face (Ahmad, 2016). He was also very vibrant on the social media. He would post videos, with his latest being about consequences that would befall the police if they continued to oppose the resistance efforts. He was of insurgence leaders that was keen on passing the massage to the people telling them to fight against a government that is exploitive. For the local police and the administration, he was considered a terrorist much like most of the other youths that join the resistance movement. However, for the locals he represented a spirit they respected and political aspirations they could work with in a new generation within Kashmiri. Fighting back the oppression as they demand for their rights.
Wani, as mentioned above represents a new generation of insurgents. He was educated and young and represented the current political and social aspirations in the India-administered Kashmir (Shah, 2016). He was a face of the political revolution that has been brewing in the underground platforms of the oppressed (Ahmad, 2016). At 22, he was vibrant and ambitious and wanted more for his people than some of the government officials would have wanted for the people of Kashmir (Shah, 2016).
‘A life lived well, his 22 years are better than a hundred years of a hundred thousand of us, wrote a Kashmiri in his 40s on Facebook late on Friday evening. Many in the Kashmir valley are in mourning, and there is creeping disquiet over the death of a young militant commander who sparked a resurgence in the decades-long insurrection in this restive region. Tellingly, his powerful weapon was social media. Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a 22-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM) ultra, was killed in a gun-battle with security forces on Friday (July 08) in a remote village in southern Kashmir. The HuM is a Muzaffarabad-based militant group that favours Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.’ (Shah, 2016)
Other than the fact that one of the most vibrant leaders was killed, there have been dozens of deaths, especially of youngsters, with numbers estimated to be above thirty (Shah, 2016). This is to show the much traction the struggle has had over the period that the insurgence has been building up, after a long period of quite (Shah, 2016). The government has been trying to gag the leadership of the insurgence in the valley and the efforts they have put into the process have led to more people joining in the liberation movement that is brewing (Shah, 2016). This is then coupled with high level of support in the society as was seen during his burial, where thousands were present, in support.
In theory and for most of the sources, the current resurgence may be associated with killing of the young leader. This is relative to the fact that, much of the riots and violent acts have come up after the killing of the young leader (Farooq, 2016). However, the resurgence is not associated with the killing of the leader as the primary cause. However, it is crucial to note that, it has played a crucial role in bringing to the surface the pressure that has been simmering under the surface ("What’s the real reason behind insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir? | India Live Today", 2017).