Making and unmaking heroes –symbolism of Indian state vs symbolism of people and militants in Kashmir

People of Jammu and Kashmir have always positioned themselves spatially in time and emerged as reactionaries to oppressive and alien regimes. Both in present conflict with Indian state and against Hindu Dogra Maharajas the wave of movement has shown continuous ebbs and crests. The people’s political movements of resistance, struggle and change have shaped up the consequential and momentous dogmatic scenarios thereby. In the continuous struggle between people and state, each side has constructed “imagery” , symbolism and heroes for and of a presumed “self” to influence the perceived or actual other, in order to win it over or scare it out, besides demonizing and smearing the “other”. The making and unmaking of heroes has been part of a continuous process that involves tools of language, myth making machinery, adoption of titles and nom de guerre , contemplating a mythical glorious past and contextualizing its symbols in present era with promises and assurances of revival. Symbolism and construction has been however not a domain of state and everyday forms of protest only, but also became a subject and constituency of armed insurgency as and when it erupted. This paper is an attempt to explain and put in perspective the common observations and experiences of making and unmaking of heroes, symbols, myths and mechanical efforts that manufacture “self” and “other” and the continuous tussle between the two.