Kashmir is not appropriating any blame to itself for the mess in which it is today. It lives in a denial mode, as usual. Rather it is watching helplessly streets becoming new classrooms, where degrees are earned by stone-throwing. The medium is hate.Kashmir encompasses far more than its beauty and hosting of tourists or terrorising the genuine learners. It represents an ethos, a heritage and culture of its own. In fact, it is the microcosm of many cultures – Islam, Hindu, Sikh, Mughal and Afghan.Kashmir lost some parts of its physical territory in 1947-1948 following Pakistan-sponsored tribesmen’s invasion of the state, and now it is watching itself losing its grip on its traditions. A mindset of conflict has replaced the yearning for learning, career advancement and preservation of culture and respect for elders. The psychological map of Kashmir is changing, and changing for the worse.All the blame for killings, bloodshed, street protests and human rights abuses is conveniently laid at the doors of Delhi. That is true in a wider sense. Over the decades, Delhi has made Kashmir a laboratory of political experiments with bags of money. It virtually outsourced Kashmir. Now, it is paying the price for that political idiocy.It was a poor copy of the Pakistani style. Pakistan was funding anti-India elements for it always wanted to create trouble in the state, which it is eyeing for its natural resources. Twin objectives are at work. Politically, it wants to showcase that the unrest in Kashmir is for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Secondly, it wants to grab the water resources.And it had the favourite tool of training, arming and infiltrating terrorists into the Indian side of the Line of Control. The most shameless act, apart from the wars of 1947-48, 1965 and 1971, was the Kargil war of 1999 when it sent its regulars to cross the LoC and sit in bunkers on the Indian side.Pakistan was flush with dollars after the “mujahideen” fought the Soviet troops in Afghanistan at the behest of America. And again, during its role in war against terror (9/11 onwards) it diverted arms, ammunition and money to set up the pillars of terrorism, call it militancy, if you may prefer so.India forgot that its stakes were far higher in Kashmir. This was not a cloak-and-dagger game, which had to be played with money and hollow promises. Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, not Pakistan. But it copied Pakistan in a poor fashion without applying the logic dictated by history, geography and urge for genuine democracy in Kashmir. Kashmir was seen through the prism of currency. That is where India failed.Kashmiri Muslims flaunt a justification for the unrest – they want “freedom from the occupation of India”. That’s why they are engaged in “freedom struggle”, the definition of which is not known to them even. History has been twisted to suit their version. Textbooks have become secondary to the parallel version of events and consequences.Kashmiri Muslims have lost thousands of lives and they’re in pursuit of what they call a “struggle” without scaling even a single milestone. Our struggle is in a “decisive phase” is a favourite sentence often heard from certain quarters. But this decisive phase seems to be landing nowhere. Let me sound as blunt as the reality on the ground is. India may be in a tight corner in Kashmir, but the Valley is in a tighter one.It is bizarre that India is investing billions of rupees in development, raising the level of human resources and making direct and indirect efforts to seal a deal for itself in Kashmir, still it has no one in the Valley to stand for it.This irony is particularly striking when Kashmiris come to see through Pakistani designs. But Pakistan’s fear and Rawalpindi’s killing power is so much that they take refuge in anti-India slogans to keep themselves safe from any reprisal.Whether or not India is losing Kashmir is a question before the nation. But Kashmiris are certainly losing Kashmir to violence and darkness.