Opinion | Why the 9th and 11th of February Go Unnoticed in Kashmir

The symbolism of these dates now passing like any other winter day carries a powerful message. It tells us that Kashmiris are reclaiming time, itself refusing to let the past dictate the present. The Valley’s crowded markets, bustling highways, and thriving tourist seasons are not mere optics; they are lived realities shaped by everyday choices.

For decades, certain dates on Kashmir’s calendar carried a weight heavier than the winter snow. Historically, the dates of 9th and 11th February of every year were days of shutdowns, protests, violence, and stone pelting in the Valley. In simple terms, they used to be days of disruption of all kinds, as these days marked the hanging of Afzal Guru on the 9th and Maqbool Bhat on the 11th, the former being convicted in the 2001 terror attack on Parliament and the latter being the founder of JKLF and convicted in the sabotage and murder of a CID officer.

So, on these dates, agents of Pakistan planted inside the Valley would manipulate and radicalize innocent Kashmiri youth. Propagandists would mark their calendars, mobilize local citizens, give radical sermons, and put local boys on the roads to damage property and unleash violence. These used to be dates of heightened tensions, communication blockages, and strikes. But now the tables have completely turned. These days now go fully unnoticed; these dates are now a forgotten history that resides in the dungeons of the past. Today, schools function, network lines remain operational, businesses run smoothly, and normal life is calm and well-poised.

But a big question remains: how and why? Days that were once known for violence, disruption, hartals, and the ceasing of normal activity have now lost relevance. Nothing of that nature happens anymore. Life is peaceful without hartals, stone pelting, violence, or disruptions. The silence and peace surrounding these days are not accidental but reflect the reality of a transforming Kashmir from darkness to light, from terrorism to peace, and from propaganda to integration. It is the hard work and efforts of our security forces, government, and administration, along with the brave and unwavering spirit of Kashmiris who have been victims of Pakistan-backed terrorism, to uproot and eliminate the terror ecosystem. It shows that the people of Kashmir have given their mandate to peace and development over hartals and terrorism , Kashmiris no longer buy a story of 9 or 11 February, something that was put onto their shoulder through force and manipulation by those who wanted to appease Pakistan .Treating these days as the normals days of the calendar sends a clear message from Kashmir to ISI, Pakistan and whole world that Kashmiris love peace and reject commemoration of terrorists and their dates of death. That reality has changed.

Today, the absence of shutdowns on these dates signals a decisive shift in public consciousness. Kashmiris particularly the younger generation are increasingly unwilling to sacrifice education, livelihoods, and peace for symbolic protests that yielded no tangible benefit. The lived experience of the past three decades has taught a hard lesson: perpetual disruption impoverishes society, fractures families, and robs youth of opportunity. Memory, once weaponized, is now being disowned.

The transformation cannot be understood in isolation; there are many partners that wholeheartedly contribute to this change. It coincides with new governance, new security measures and top most the rejection of separatism and terrorism in any form by Kashmiris. There are many factors that show why such dates have lost relevance: tourism, education, development, enhanced security measures, and progress are among them. When schools function normally, children go to school, colleges and universities function smoothly, tourism thrives, roads and hospitals are built, and security is guaranteed. When you know your son is safe, when you know that your son who is out in the market at 11 at night will not be picked up or killed by terrorists, and when you are sure of his return, why would you remember dates that brought violence? When you know that you are safe in the market and that no grenade attack will cost you your life, why would you commemorate days like the 9th and 11th of February that do nothing but haunt? When you know you have better opportunities, human dignity, and social welfare at your doorstep, why would someone remember the dates of someone’s hanging that brought nothing but turmoil to your home? When you know your family is safe and protected, why would you take to the roads? When you know your child can pick up a laptop, a bat, a pen, or a book instead of a petrol bomb, why would anyone look to dates that are now history?

When separatists can contest elections or drop separatist tags, why would a commoner who once fell into their radical speeches painted with sacrifice and so-called resistance continue to do so? When those who once opposed India can shower praise on India for bringing peace and stability to the region, the very idea of commemoration and the relevance of such dates dies there. What instead takes birth is change and acknowledgment even from those who were once the flag bearers of these propaganda dates.

In a nutshell, these dates, along with the history of past decades, have brought misery to the Valley, but that was the past. The fading of that era of disruption is not the end of history but the start of a new chapter, exclusively written by and for common Kashmiris, hand in hand with our Army and government. It is a phase where our time is not held hostage to past dates, where progress is not delayed for symbolic calendars and performative politics. It is a Kashmir that belongs to Kashmiris, where every Kashmiri is learning, writing, playing, enjoying, participating, thriving, and growing within a democratic and secular India.

ALIZAROON@112GMAIL.COM