Hectored Kashmir

Ancestors say that in the moments of injustice and crisis, we should recall the old legends and stories and recite them out loud so that the people who have forgotten the lessons of wisdom remember them and examine their conscience…

For ten years Endean army besieged the Vale of Troy. Trampled its green, smudged its beauty, dishonored its holy waters. Their war-shoes trampled the Chinar leaves as well as bruised the young faces. They uprooted trees and clans likewise. Crushed each and everything that came their way. For ten years they kept Troy under curfew and turned its holy land into Kurukshetra. Their whole culture spawned around the walls of vale. They marked its sacredness with bullets and embraced it with pointed barbedness but, still could not break its mighty wall. It stood before them undaunted. They could not mark its end nor trace its beginning. Bewildered by their loss, they called upon Indra to give them Achilles, the beloved of Zeus.

With all the gods behind him and all the laws and all the constitutions of Endean states, He represented the “collective conscience” of Endean people and this mighty “collective conscience” which stood like Ares resolved very patiently that the “collective conscience” can be satisfied only by killing innocent Hector in a duel.

Hector agreed on the condition that none among them will abuse anyone’s corpse. But, Achilles mad with war rage and adamant on fulfilling his own conscience, represented in the “collective conscience”, dishonored Hector’s body and soul by spitting and abusing him before the fight.

Zeus and Indra stood by Athena and asked her to please herself as she deems fit and she in a presidential voice took Achilles as his favorite. But, brave Hector could not be defeated. So, Athena disguised herself as a fellow Trojan and prompted Hector to confess a brave fight. Hector had only one shot, so had Achilles. Achilles missed Hector. Hector hit Achilles right in the heart but was saved by ‘Amazing Force Sacrosanctly Protected Armor’ gifted by gods. The duel was balanced rightly. But, Athena in a moment of deceit gave back Achilles his fallen spear and he slit Hector right by the throat.

Hector was dying. He kept asking Achilles to send his body back to his Mother and Wife and Son and to fellow Trojans so that they can bury him with all the necessary rites. But, Achilles proud of his AFSPA, with mind full of satisfied conscience refused an honorable burial. He refused to give back his body. He invited all the other Kauravas and they stabbed Abhimanyu’s young and beautiful body saying that Hector is not evoking terror now.

Finally, Achilles cut through the tendons of Hector and tied his legs to his chariot with a rope and shamelessly dragged his innocent and lifeless body for twelve days.

Hector’s wife Andromache and mother Hecuba mourned his death. On Hecuba’s shoulders was a weight many times heavier than that of Gandhari. She sung mournfully:

tcha kamu soni myani bram didh neonakho

tchay kihyo gai myani dayai

tchak trav dai malale wond china eewan

tchay kihyo gai myani dayai

nisaf raatan bar waith traie meo

saatha yekh na tche

phairi chune kinh ti phairi chuk pawaan

tchay kihyo gai myani dayai

When the individual and collective consciences were satisfied, Achilles gave back Hector’s body. But, by mistreating and dishonoring Hector’s body Achilles revealed his weakness, his heel, and revealing also that his body as well as his soul is like his heel.

And heel has to kneel.