Kashmir Awaits  a New Horizon

Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir. The whole world has an eagle eye on it. Repeatedly, Pakistan complained at the United Nations regarding human rights violations in Kashmir. What a poor state Pakistan is in. The nation that is surviving on aid money has a sick mind to fight India. Despite repeated warnings by India, Pakistan is hell bent on using the land and people of Kashmir for spreading radical elements and involving in terrorist activities. Pakistan should remember that India is now ruled by Narendra Modi-led government, who is dealing the terrorists with an iron hand. After the imposiition of Governor’s rule in Kashmir, the competent authorities would not leave any stone unturned to bring back normalcy in Kashmir. It is very important to take the Kashmiris into confidence, as they never wanted violence. It is the sponsored radical elements, who, in the name of azadi and autonomy, want to destabilise political process and create anarchy in the Valley. Even the local media in Kashmir is under tremendous pressure to run a free and fair press there. It is the responsibility of the Centre to curb terrorism in the Valley by hook or by crook. The opposition parties like unguided missiles should also refrain themselves from issuing statements that suit the radical elements to set their political goals. The problem of Kashmir has not evolved in a day or two. So, at least the Congress should abstain itself now from polluting the political environment in Kashmir.

It is no secret that former CM Mehbooba Mufti has always a soft corner for Pakistan and separatists. What a joke when she claims that one of her achievements was that she withdrew charges against 11,000 stone-pelters. She must know that whoever helps the enemy, i.e. terrorists, is also a terrorist. In fact, she had been instrumental in providing an institutional support towards the radical elements. The Mehbooba government also failed on another front, where only the PDP could have fought. This front was containing those crowds participating in funeral processions of terrorists, neutralised by security forces, and stone-pelters. Farooq Abdullah won Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election owing to boycott by the separatists. Otherwise, he might not have won it. Sonia’s Congress could not root out this network, because the Congress has no presence in the Valley.  As a result of this, one can say that political parties in the Valley don’t want peace there. For, the two main political parties of the Valley–National Conference and People’s Democratic Party–are dynastic.  It is interesting to mention that there is a raging debate on this issue within PDP. In March, former Finance Minister of the state,

Haseeb Drabu was ousted from the cabinet because he dared to accept the truth that the problem in Kashmir is not political, but social. Drabu’s acceptance of this fact could not be

conceded by the PDP, NC and Congress because of their dependence of political market on Kashmir’s problem.  This social cause in Kashmir Valley emerges because of corruption in bureaucracy, government jobs and distribution of state fund among some of the political families. This creates frustration among the common man of Kashmir.

Here, it cannot be gainsaid that Mehbooba Mufti tried her best to strike a balance between separatists and administration. But, she failed in doing so.   In other words, she was working on a new theme of riding two boats simultaneously.  What is more, from time to time, her government registered FIRs against security forces, and seeing this, one can say that she had entered in a situation, where it would have been wrong on her part to remain Chief Minister of the state. This situation was in favour of separatists. If we look at the history, her favour to separatists is not new. She has always been supported by separatists. A common Kashmiri had faith in the PDP-BJP government and he was genuinely expecting peace and development from the PDP, shunning separatists’ shadow over the party. Because of this alliance, even Kashmir Police started targeting  terrorists successfully. They martyred themselves for the peace of the state. But it looked like Mahbooba Mufti was not comfortable with Kashmiri people who wanted peace in the state. Security forces were fighting with terrorists and she was committed to saving all the stone-pelters. Truly speaking, the problem of Kashmir had reached to the stage where you had to stand with only one side–either with the common man of Kashmir or with separatists. But a big question arises: How can the common Kashmiri people fight with terrorists without knowing the true intent and strategy of the government?  At this juncture, Mehbooba faltered and betrayed the faith of the common Kashmiri people.

By Deepak Kumar Rath

(editor@udayindia.in)