Harsha Kakar
The calls for boycott of the J and K by- elections and instigation of violence against security forces deployed for its peaceful conduct by the Hurriyat,over the weekend, has been the latest in a series of anti-national activities on Indian soil, which continues to be tolerated silently by the State. It resulted in deaths and injuries to both parties, stone throwers and security forces, as also lowered the image of the nation in international eyes. The last few years has witnessed a spurt in such activities.
Anti-national protests in JNU and Jadhavpur University in 2015, Delhi University (DU), JNU and others last year indicate increased instigation at student levels by forces inimical to the state. Possibly for the first time, sedition charges were slapped against the ringleaders. In a surprising move, politicians from opposition parties flocked JNU in 2015, professing solidarity but ended up encouraging anti-national activists.
Such activities from the pro-Pak Hurriyat have always been expected, despite them enjoying security and free living at the cost of the Indian tax payer. The support provided by the
Army in the recent floods in Srinagar have been overlooked and immediately forgotten. Stone throwing and anti-India statements re-originated in the same areas during the by-elections. Amongst the latest to join the bandwagon and criticize the nation has been the National Conference (NC) Leadership of Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar. Their comments, during election rallies in Kashmir, supporting stone throwers including calling them nationalists and seeking the intervention of Donald Trump to resolve the Kashmir issue was excessive. When violence broke out on election day, they blamed the Government, however, were responsible for inciting the locals.
Pak and ISIS flags have been witnessed flying in Kashmir at regular intervals. These occasionally make an appearance at other places in the country. The playing of the Pak national anthem and wearing of their cricket team uniform in a friendly match in the Valley raised hackles across the nation, leading to the detention of those involved. These are indicators of a surge in anti-national activities, with possibly an increase since the present BJP Government assumed power.
In most countries, such actions would result in the perpetrators being imprisoned and severely dealt with. In Pakistan, mere words of claiming to be a Virat Kohli fan, landed a youth in prison. Those supporting secession of Baluchistan, Sind, PoK or Gilgit-Baltistan from Pakistan or Xinjiang and Tibet from China or Chechnya from Russia or even the Rohingya’s from Myanmar are either abroad or in hiding and waging an insurgency. None can demand independence openly while living within the country. It is a crime punishable by death or even worse by being detained and tortured by the State. However, the Government of India, following a policy of tolerance has become extra soft with its internal anti-national elements, especially in universities and the Valley.
The nation has tolerated separatists for decades, including providing out of turn Government jobs for their kith and kin, security, medical treatment and free travel to them and their families. While they have ensconced their children in safe havens abroad or in the country, they continue to support Pakistan and incite the population against the nation. Liberal funding from across the border, enables them to finance youth to indulge in stone throwing, resulting in avoidable injuries and deaths. They fail to mention casualties to security forces, caused by stone pelting and aggressive actions by locals in encounters. It impinges security forces operations and permits militants to flee. These are actions against the state.
Similar has been the case of the Abdullah family. It enjoys Indian largesse, but openly encourages anti-Indian activities. The same family, while in power,was holidaying when Kashmiri Pandits were being massacred and hounded out. It took no action to stem the flow, leading to a skewed demography in the valley, resulting in the situation which the nation faces today.
There has yet to be a serious debate within the nation, on whether the government needs to amend its laws or the courts should step in, to pass strictures against such acts and offenders. The National Security Act (NSA) is valid throughout India but not J and K. Being a secular, open and tolerant democracy, security forces cannot resort to actions as undertaken in Russia, China, Myanmar or Pakistan, where similar offenders would vanish from the public eye, almost never to be seen again.
Is the nation being too tolerant, especially when actions of anti-nationals impact national security. Our neighbours would always create situations seeking to weaken us, hence we need to adopt a firmer posture in dealing with those acting against our interests. Pakistan would continue to raise the bogey of Kashmir and our treatmentto the locals and we would aim to justify. Why should we defend those who seek to harm our security?
Has Pakistan responded to international criticism on Baluchistan, China on Xinjiang or Tibet, Russia on Chechnya or Israel on Palestine? Even Myanmar rarely defends its actions against Rohingya’s. They ignore world criticism and continue to do what they consider best for national security. Why should we be any different? We are no longer a weak or subdued nation but one whom the world admires and seeks to partner in development and security.The world body would always criticize, it is their role. Israel has demonstrated how it handles world criticism, we could take a leaf out of their pages.
The nation finally has a leader who is willing to take firm and strong decisions. The Government after decades has a clear majority and is gaining power in almost all States going to the polls on the BJP plank of being a no-nonsense Government.
Hence logically it possesses strong national backing and can take tough measures. It is time we realize the seriousness of threat that anti-national activists pose to a cohesive nation. The Government should realize that if such actions are not stemmed now, they would only grow. Time for tolerating anti-national forces is over. We need to enact and implement specific laws to nip such actions in the bud and lock perpetrators behind bars,throwing the keys into the Dal lake or Indian Ocean. As a first step, the National Security Act should also be made applicable to J and K.
(The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel