When terrorism first raised its ugly head in Kashmir Valley more than three decades ago, it was complemented with a craftily orchestrated campaign that was extraordinarily high in emotional content. Beguiled by promises that “azadi [freedom] was just around the corner,” the people of J&K heartily welcomed the armed Kashmiri youth [calling themselves ‘freedom fighters’] who had been trained and armed by Pakistan army’s intelligence wing Inter Services Intelligence [ISI] and would ‘liberate’ Kashmir through an ‘armed struggle’.

So strong was the prevailing euphoria then that locals failed to see the ugly underbelly of the so-called ‘armed struggle’ and discern ISI’s sinister game-plan of turning J&K into a battleground for its proxy war against India as well as using its people as ‘cannon-fodder’. What followed was a tragedy of humongous proportions- unquestioningly obeying the diktat of their sponsors terrorists went on a killing spree, assassinating all those opposing Pakistani involvement in Kashmir and even those who questioned J&K’s accession to India and supported the ‘right to self determination’ weren’t spared.

While ‘azadi’ is as elusive today as it was more than three decades ago, its connotation too has undergone a complete change. After enticing people of J&K with promises of freedom and a glorious future, ISI realised that similar emotions encouraging secessionist ideology could well find a place in the minds of those living in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir [PoJK], making Pakistan’s illegal occupation of this region difficult. So, without even consulting the people of J&K, the ISI replaced the very idea of ‘azadi’ by the “Kashmir banega Pakistan” [Kashmir will become part of Pakistan] slogan.

When its proxy Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front [JKLF] refused to give up its demand for ‘freedom’, ISI created the Hizbul Mujahideen [HM] terrorist group to decimate JKLF and propagate Pakistan’s weird interpretation of ‘azadi’ making it synonymous to J&K’s merger with Pakistan. By professing jihadist ideology and indulging in widespread killings, HM shed all pretence of fighting for the people of J&K and instead unashamedly worked as ISI’s proxy in J&K. The fact that HM chief Syed........

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