Let
the dust of media frenzy, hyperbole and jingoism settle down in TV studios. Let
our electronic media get free after mindlessly indulging in meaningless debates
after every Indian soldier dies. Let the hyper nationalistic (read: pseudo
nationalistic) slogan shouting end. Wake me up when all this ends. We all will
be woken up once either the ruling party or the opposition announces its candidate
for that could be our next President of India. Snap! The news cycle will
change. All the deaths of soldiers and the turmoil of Jammu and Kashmir will be
forgotten and the screams and cries of the families of martyrs will cease to
echo in our hearts and minds.
I
am not writing this blog to again talk about media vitiating the atmosphere or
the ruling party endangering our National Security paradigm. I have written
enough of the latter, in my previous write-ups and any level headed thinking
individual will agree with my assessment. I am not a strategic expert or a
foreign policy pundit who would give you ten pointers on “How-India-should-deal-with-terrorism”
and so on. I follow as much news and events from the very same sources as the
readers who are reading this blog. (Or may be less) I am certainly going to ask
some tough questions to the establishment.
In
my humble opinion, RSS and the BJP are deliberately ruining the state of Jammu
and Kashmir – the only minority dominated state of India, in order to win votes
in the rest of the country. They are deliberately creating conditions in the
state, especially in the valley, so that they are able to show to the rest of
India- how “tough” they are in dealing with a certain religious identity. The
BJP which is born, brought up, nurtured and rests on the edifice of religious
fissures is using all means to make a point to the rest of majority dominated
India, that it can ruin the happiness of a minority dominated state.
The
political fortunes of BJP have always risen when it creates conditions of
division between communities- we have seen that in the past with the Babri
Masjid demolition and in Gujarat 2002. We are now witnessing this in Jammu and
Kashmir. This time the politics is not so overt. It is more nuanced and more
subtle- dipped in ‘nationalism’.
The
earlier incidents of the unrest in Jawaharlal Nehru University and the recent
unrest in Delhi University which leverages its germination to Kashmiri
separatism, gives credence to this kind of propaganda politics.
The
BJP will never take to task the real Pakistani backed separatists in Jammu and
Kashmir, will never prosecute them, will never jail them (no superficial house
arrests please) because they want the flame of Kashmiri separatism to burn and
show to the rest of India two politically important aspects.
First,
the Jammu and Kashmir problem is a baggage of the Congress party and is a
legacy issue which they are inheriting. They forget that, Jammu and Kashmir
during the Congress led UPA regime has been the most peaceful in the past 70
years.
Secondly,
they want to project, that the problem of Jammu and Kashmir is a religious one-
not a political one. That is why no eyebrows are raised when the valley sees
ISIS or Pakistani flags being openly displayed in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.
There
is no doubt that since last July, Jammu and Kashmir has seen lot. Be it chaos
and violence after the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani, or the raising of ISIS
flags in the heart of Srinagar. Be it the burning of schools or be it the spate
of bank robberies. Be it the abysmal percentage of voting in the Srinagar by
poll or the cancellation of Anantnag bypoll, from where the Chief Minister’s
brother was fighting elections. Be it the radicalization of young stone pelters
and luring them by anti-national separatists or be it the visuals of school
girls throwing stones at security forces.
Jammu
and Kashmir has witnessed the worst of the times, alienation is increasing. And
the only National Force, which could have saved the situation in the state was
the Bharatiya Janata Party, is using the state as a bait to attract more
majority votes from the Hindi heartland. I may be completely wrong in my
assessment, and may be trashed for jumping to such a conclusion. But even my
baiters cannot deny that the situation is grim and the BJP is solely
responsible for such a sad and terrible state of affairs.
Jammu
and Kashmir is an inseparable part of India, and I have no two doubts about
that. May be people will question my limited knowledge about the state, and may
be they will be correct to do that- But I strongly feel that the Narendra Modi
Government has miserably lost the trust of people of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir.
Indictment from own
Jammu
and Kashmir CM, Mehbooba Mufti met the Prime Minister recently, and urged to
follow the footsteps of Vajpayee with
respect to dialogue in the state Her statement is a strong indictment of PM’s Kashmir
Policy and shows that the BJP-PDP has miserably failed in the last 2 years. The
people of Jammu and Kashmir are bearing the brunt of the policy paralysis of
the BJP-PDP Government in the past 2 years.
His
“Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat and Kashmiriyat”
is only an empty slogan and nothing concrete has happened in terms of
development and peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP’s
In-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav in a recent interview accepted that
the BJP-PDP Government has failed in its responsibility to maintain peace in
the state.
Lip service through delegations
A
year ago, an All Party Parliamentary delegation went to Jammu and Kashmir to
talk to citizens, but the Centre has not followed it up with any concrete
action.
The
much hyped Yashwant Sinha report which was prepared by meeting separatist
leader Syed Shah Geelani has been again put in cold storage, with the Centre
distancing itself from the same.
Alliance continues to dither and
speak in contradictory voices
Purely
opportunistic alliance between BJP-PDP has neither an ideological foundation
nor a purpose other than a pure lust for power. Leaders from both sides give
contradictory statements to divert attention and befool and then share the
power together.
Senior
PDP members recently accused the BJP of acting against the Agenda of Alliance
following the national party’s leaders justifying use of force to control
violence.
While
referring to the controversy over CRPF jawans using a human shield, BJP leader
Ram Madhav had said, “everything is fair in love and war.” Chander Prakash
Ganga, Minister in the Mehabooba Mufti Government, had justified use of bullets
against stone-pelters. “If Kashmiris are perceived as enemies and
anti-nationals, why did BJP agree in principle for an Agenda of Alliance?
BJP
unfortunately seems shying away from its responsibility as coalition partner on
the ground,” Minister for Education Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari asked. He
alleged that Madhav’s remarks were aimed at legitimising human right
violations.
Earlier,
when terrorist Burhan Wani was killed, Deputy CM , Nirmal Singh, had said that
the incident was an accident, which was in direct contraction to what happened.
Congress ensured peace
When
the Congress Government came to power in Jammu and Kashmir – during UPA- It inherited
a legacy of massive unrest, violence and a culture of stone pelting- During
those 10 years, the Congress ensured a new paradigm of democracy and dialogue
upto the Gram Panchayat level as also job opportunities for the youth by
launching Skill Development programmes like Udaan. Congress Vice
President, Rahul Gandhi had taken a
delegation of India Inc to Jammu and Kashmir and several schemes were started.
Therefore, the Congress could ensure lasting peace and harmony in Jammu and
Kashmir.
BJP- the national party has failed
us
Since
May, 2014, India has lost more than 200 Jawans and 91 civilians in terror
incidents in the state. This is almost double the count when Congress-UPA was
in power. 1343 ceasefire violations have taken place and 12 direct attacks on
our Army, Air Force and security establishment have taken place. The people of
India elected the BJP because it was perceived as a stronger deterrent to such
mayhem, but unfortunately, due to its political thirst of power, it has failed
the people’s mandate and endangered National Security.
It
is an unwritten convention in Jammu and Kashmir politics, that a national party
plays an important role in the formation of the Government, so that India’s
core interests remain intact. BJP has miserably faltered on that count.
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