Shiban Khaibri
How has the statement of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik that “forthcoming Panchayat elections neither benefit India nor Pakistan and does not resolve Kashmir issue” been taken across different sections of the society in the state as also the country should be a subject of no speculation . However, as an ordinary political analyst, this writer has observed this part of his speech which he delivered at a function in Srinagar on Sept 1 as politically gratuitous. It has the potentiality to boomerang and emboldening the hyped claims of the elements looking at Kashmir as a political cum religious issue.
And as was expected, politics over these polls have become political parties’ race to show whose cut is above the other and apart from the anti India and pro-terror Hurriyat, which has ab-initio rejected these elections and pronounced a total boycott, National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party both, have not given their political acquiesce let alone appreciate the move . They too have laid pre conditions of getting assurances about no tinkering with Article 35A and Article 370 , the two “boons” or political benefactions given by the Congress Party under its leader Jawahar Lal Nehru to this state only to placate the dominant Kashmiri society as Jammu and Ladakh are not in favour of these two articles to continue , now any more. It is another thing why all these years there was hardly anyone knowing about 35 A “as much’ and about 370 “so much”.
More about the issue in the following lines but let it be dissected as to how much “contribution” towards the situation in Kashmir having reached the present pass “progressively” has been there from the political leadership especially since 1952-53 till date. Well, that undoubtedly , shall require reams of paper to write , record and make a mirror of the same out of that contribution so that the real causes are reflected there-from as they are. Whims, passions, rumours, prejudices, fanaticism, wavering stands , giving vent to emotive feelings, losing power, black mailing Delhi etc have been the hallmark of the politics of the state which means the Kashmir politics.
See open threats and warnings of veiled nature dished out lavishly in as much as to reverse or rescind accession with India (even after seven decades) when enough water has flown down River Veth or the Jehlum, both by Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Farooq Abdullah has distinctly warned about the consequences of any tampering with Article 35A to prove disastrous not only for Jammu and Kashmir but for the entire country. Mark the words “Entire country”. He further adds “it shall strike at the very basis of the relationship between the state and the Union.”
While on the other hand, former CM Mehbooba Mufti identifies this Article as being a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and the Union of India and “if you try to break this bridge, you are separating yourself from the State and are willing to break the relations with its people .” Mark the words, “separate and break “. It will not be out of context or an analysis of too much of an extreme nature, to find a common factor among the three political groups , the Hurriyat or separatists, the National conference and the Peoples Democratic Party . That common factor is either snapping of total political relationship with India or to have it on conditions and with the support of thin threads of various loose knots.
To say that Pakistan got defeats after defeats in her (mis) adventures right from Kabayali cum Pakistani regulars’ raid in 1947 till date in Kashmir, is not wholly correct if sincere political analysis was honestly done keeping highest levels of patriotism as well prejudices to the other side for a while. In 1947, there was virtually an open cakewalk for the rabidly fanatic marauders who killed, burnt, looted, raped and destroyed whatever came in their way either in the form of a faith other than theirs, or a political resistance to the goals which their mentors had set for them to achieve, ie; to capture as many areas, towns, cities , villages etc right from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar and from Rajouri, Poonch , Mirpur within days in order to have Kashmir captured for Pakistan.
Although rest is the history and hardly needs a recap here, the point which needs to be stressed upon is that Pakistan grabbed a large area called PoK or Gulam Kashmir and in addition to that, annexed Baltistan and Gilgit which is six times as much as total PoK. This entire area comprised the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir. Right from Poonch uprising to losing Gilgit Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Bhibher, Mirpur , Kotli, Bagh, Neelam valley, Sudhnan etc was a result of explosion of tremendous religious hatred followed by Pakistan et-al Kabaylis etc facing virtually no resistance from the state forces.
At the time of landing of valiant Indian army at the far end of the proverbial last hour at Srinagar Airport, their gallant and mettlesome action chased and neutralised the savage tribesmen and their compatriot plainclothesmen Pakistanis, entire Kashmir heaved a sigh of relief , rejoiced and every mohella, locality and street was abuzz with “Hamla awar khabardar, hum Kashmiri hain tayyar” . Not only men, but Kashmiri women of both the communities actively participated in volunteers’ marches with sticks and later rifles in hands after the formation of Jammu and Kashmir Militia. Sheikh Abdullah was the tallest and indisputable leader of Kashmir. No one dared to go against his word. His tremendous contribution in the accession of the state to the union of India shall remain written in bold letters in the History of Jammu and Kashmir. He assumed the power of the state and the people started forgetting the past, Kabaylis and the destruction and devastation caused by them. Process of reconstruction started. What went wrong afterwards is intriguing and astonishing.
However, Sheikh Abdullah started nursing other ideas to the extent of even repenting that accession with India could have been reviewed which means necessarily not a “correct decision.” His wavering attitude through his speeches and criticising and questioning India in 1952-53 was dictated by his personal ambitions, he was, perhaps, carving out Kashmir for an independent nation. Going into details is outside the scope of these lines but it sowed the seeds of suspicion among the masses. That suspicion was lavishly exploited by Pakistan especially through its venomous propaganda “mill ” called Azad Kashmir Radio . Those who might have heard the anti India , anti Indian culture and way of life hate programmes through news items , dramas, concocted stories, inciting seditious feelings through nonstop broadcast from this radio station will agree to what levels it created an added atmosphere of mistrust and ill feelings towards India in Kashmir.
Bakshi Gulam Mohammad, however, steered Kashmir through all these tribulations to a comparative peaceful, progressing and stable conditions. After him, however, G.M. Sadiq and Mir Qasim did not pursue politics of opportunism and black mailing Delhi but in later years, Kashmir never witnessed the stability and the weightiness of pursuing positive political stand by those who were in power. That facilitated the elements working at the behest of Pakistan to further their agenda of anti India activities in the valley. 1990 and afterwards is known to all.
When free and fair elections to the State assembly were held in 2008 and an overwhelming percentage of voter turnout was witnessed, the first reaction from the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was that “this election is for Sadak , Bijli and Pani only and should not be taken as the Kashmir issue having been resolved.” The same views, unfortunately, have been expressed by the new Governor that the proposed Panchayat and Municipal elections were neither for India nor for Pakistan nor for resolving Kashmir issue. This type of politically callow statement was never given by his predecessor and was least expected from him, he being a political man unlike NN Vohra.
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