B L Saraf
What should normally have been a day to rejoice, offer thanks to the Almighty for successful culmination of a pious month of Fasting, celebrate with a sense of satisfaction, symbolise communal harmony and reaffirm our faith in the cultural pluralism has, unfortunately, turned nightmarish. on 8th August when whole country was celebrating Idd, in a festive mood, a despicable incident in Kishtwar showed all of us at our ugliest worst. This was the day for us to find full expression in mutual brotherhood and reaffirm the ideal of love for God and service to the humanity. The auspicious days like Idd and Sharavan Purnima (coming soon) tell us to look inwards for the fulfillment of our dreams and wishes. How many times have we to remind ourselves the meaning of a wholesome existence? Who amongst us does not want and deserve sense of security of person, property, belief and a shared social environment. Whom should we look to? Most of our spiritual and the political gurus are a gone case.
The sad part of the story is that those who are in positions of power and authority are unable and unwilling to acknowledge that they are largely responsible for the mess we are in. The political tribe takes us for a ride with so a shamelessness that we, the poor citizens, get taken in with the sincerity, which often is mistaken.
This is how we live a daily reality of failure of the whole political class. That sometimes wakes us up to the reality : aren’t we doing a great disservice to our common sense by not being critical to the political class and its failures and machinations. It is time to denude the so called Netas of their falsified notion of having a divine right to rule us till eternity and make our disgust and disillusionment talk.
State Government’s failure in this regard is writ large , but what could Arun Jaitely and Mehbooba Mufti have done in Kishtiwar, by rushing there, when situation demand dousing of fire and not pouring oil on the flames. What did Sushma Swaraj want to prove by tweeting like a parrot the whole day. It is time when our tweeting leaders face, in person, the miseries of the people whom they claim to represent. They say it is their duty as opposition party to take the Government to task on its failures, which undoubtedly are many. How we wish the opposing political parties stuck to their role and not conspire with the ruling party when their personal interests are threatened.
Otherwise, how can it be explained that there is a complete unanimity among the whole political class when it comes to shut out the Information Act, for themselves, and claim immunity from the penalty to be inflicted by the Election Commission, invited by their criminal acts. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has to explain a lot. So has his erstwhile M .O .S, who happened to be on the spot at the relevant time. It is a mystery that the local administration could not anticipate what was written on the wall. We are told the separatists had done their homework to create a trouble and had pasted provocative posters on all the strategic places of the area. It is sad to note that Omar Abdullah has not done enough to govern well. He had come on the political scene with a great hope and expectations. Alas ! All has been frittered away. For this, he has himself to blame. He sought to delink the political issue confronting the State from the needs of people like Bijli Sadak and Panni and claimed that he was elected to provide these basic necessities to the masses. Yes, they are vital issues concerning daily life of a common man. But that does not undermine the relevance of the former which needs to be sorted out. Providing basic necessities to the populace could have ushered in a conducive atmosphere in the State to address the main problem.
Otherwise Kishtwar like situations will come to haunt us again and again. True, the Chief Minister, alone, could not do much on this score. But he could have paved the way by being efficient in the matters of governance. Congress party, too, has let us down in no less a measure. In an apparent battle to gain complete control over the Chenab Valley, the party’s obsession has caused a loss to the composite culture of the Jammu province.
It must go the superlative credit of the Jammuites who, in the most trying circumstances, have always withstood grave provocations of the inimical elements to create a communal cleavage, and maintained peace and religious harmony.
Our heart goes out to those brethren who suffered in the unfortunate occurrence and lost precious lives. It has a serious potential to derail the peace process and undermine efforts of inter-community reconciliation, pursued by some well-meaning persons within and outside the State and would reverse the peace dividends by helping the fanatic elements regain the lost ground. Besides, it may compromise mutual goodwill which, though slowly but surely, is reclaiming its space in the Valley.
It is profoundly disturbing thought that communal divide has taken shape in Kishtwar – a place blessed with a mystic ambience and known for having produced great mystics and poets, who professed unity of all religions and faiths. Nund Reshi-Satisar Ka Suraj- has had his foot prints in the place. Here Dhowal’s songs of oneness of all humans reverberate with spiritual intoxication. Together, they offer means of calming down the turbulence of our thoughts and restlessness of body and help us know what we are.
All is not lost. We have seen Muslim friends in Kishtwar celebrating marriage ceremony of Hindu family, before communal embers had cooled down. That spirit has to be strengthened. Caveat, however, must be entered. The politicians of any hue should lay off for some time. We know what they are capable of and we must not be caught up doing their biddings. And, when the time comes, elect those who are mindful of the duties and not obsessed by the ‘power’. Remember what an American writer said long back, “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”
(The author is former Pr, District & Sessions Judge)
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