Strengthening nationalist forces in the country is vital to perpetuation of the State and its democratic institutions. It has additional significance and importance when various divisive forces working under the impulse of vested interest are active. Nehru often used to say that India has not as much serious a threat of disruption from an external source as from internal subversion. Miscreants are trying to use democratic norms only negatively meaning they want rights without commitment to duties. This is extremely damaging to the country that is engrossed in fast economic and infrastructural development.
Strangely, some malevolent elements have begun to divert the attention of vast sections of people in our country from their dedication to the cause of the nation to imbecile and senseless debates and discourse that are nothing but wasteful in their true nature. For example they are challenging the term patriotism as something arbitrary in nature and nationalism as comprehensive ideology. In doing so, they want to accommodate all shades of anti-nationalism thereby making space for legalised sedition as has been experienced in the case of certain incidents.
Government of India’s Special Interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma has taken upon his shoulders a difficult and highly complicated task in the State — that of putting his finger on the pulse of the people of different shades, views and ideologies. He is a very competent bureaucrat with vast experience about Kashmir. He needs no briefing on the importance and relevance of consolidating nationalist forces in the State to pull it out of the morass of militancy, violence and bloodshed. We have always laid stress on consolidating nationalist forces in J&K, which can be done best by first clearly identifying these forces and then handling them with vision, fortitude and sagacity. While Pakistan is trying to set up the jihadis as the frontline defence of that country against India, we in our country should build up the nationalist social front against all subversive elements bent upon disintegrating our State.
There are other nationalist groups as well in the State let down by previous Governments and subtly sidelined by the previous local Governments. This policy has to be reversed. These have to be identified, patronized and consolidated. That is what we call nation building process and positive step towards integration of the State into the comprehensive national ethos. The Interlocutor should also interact with them and not expect them to seek him. He will come back a much informed and much wiser person.
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