Two points, not entirely connected to your post: first, I really felt awful at Mehbooba Mufti's statement saying that the Indian Army didn't know it was Burhan Wani cornered in that building otherwise they might have given him a chance to live.
That means two bloody awful things.
That means that exceptional people are to be given chances to live, and all others are to be killed even if they surrender.
That also means that he was not given a chance to surrender.
Do you see why I am horrified at her statements? Does she think this is true? If she does, she ought not to be Chief Minister, she ought to resign immediately.
Second, nobody WANTS the Indian Army in civilian areas of Kashmir, including the Indian Army itself. Kashmir is not a desired posting for the Army. What I meant was that in rural Kashmir, away from the hot points of the agitation (I will come to that in a moment), there are many who find the Army downright useful: in terms of employment, in terms of help in schooling, of help in road-making and maintenance and ways like these. There are also (richer) people who find it inconvenient: people who own apple orchards that have been taken over, or who have prime plots that have great tourist potential,and who want to exploit it without people being scared away due to a nearby Army camp. What it means is that far from it being a universally reviled force, it has its bitter opponents and its indifferent symbiotically linked partners. In the towns and cities where the Tehreek is strong, and at checkpoints and road blocks, they are hated. But ironically in such situations, it isn't even the Army; it could be the State Police or the central police forces, either the CRP, the most commonly found, the CISF, who are static guards of secured premises, the BSF, who really should be right on the border, closer to it than the Army, and who are pulled into counter-insurgency activity as an emergent measure.
The kids in town, teenagers in particular, are at the moment quite swept away by the Wani Wave. However, when they aren't, I know of several who have hopes and aspirations quite orthogonal to the direction of the Tehreek.
So who want India out?
- A small band around Ali Shah, who are committed to a conservative version of Islam, and who want to merge with Pakistan because Islamic communities belong with each other.
- Another group, the moderate Tehreek, cowed into submission by the physical assassination of the previous sad Mirwaiz;
- A larger band, who are committed to an independent Kashmir, Hashem Qureshi and the like;
- Parties of government employees and small and medium business men who are against staying on in India, and work as the arms and legs of the Tehreek; another set of these are for the status quo;
- Journalists and reporters who earn rich sums from their writing for the cause; a minority of the press, those reporting for outside papers and magazines, tend to be unconnected;
- Imams from Deoband;
- Religiously inclined youth;
- Youth in towns,mm free for mischief;
- Actual militants or armed supporters.