Anurag Gangal & Ganesh Malhotra
Erstwhile appeasement policies are soon likely to find no takers in Government and among people of Kashmir in the new democratic dynamics and emerging equations. More responsive formal and informal systems are emerging between civil society and policy makers. These parameters of the Indian political system were not properly functioning in earlier years. How these new trends of hope in Jammu and Kashmir will work in the given scenario of somewhat chaotic legacy? How the so-called Kashmir problem has to be understood in the present-day context? These questions need an unbiased analysis.
Kashmir is embroiling since the attack of raiders from across borders of Pakistan in October 1947. Kashmiris had welcomed Indian Army immediately after the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. This trend of attacks, proxy wars and China . Pakistan.s geo-political mutual treaties, so-called covenants and exchanges around and within Jammu and Kashmir are continuing. Majority of the innocent population of Kashmir and Jammu welcome the presence of Army of the nation even today in order to meet atrocious role of .proxy-warriors., diversified Hurriyat leadership, JKLF, Geelani and others who consider their handful of people as representatives of the entire Jammu and Kashmir.
They are just a few hundreds of people apparently receiving alms from outside India for their own personal and familial welfare for several decades now. What have they given to Kashmir but for .bandhs., hartals, stone-pelting, disturbance, proxy-wars, bloodbath and massive sense of insecurity and fear for majority of citizens . whether Kashmiri Muslims or Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras of Jammu. Just a few hundreds of people have put the entire Kashmir and Jammu to, as it were, ransom. The Kashmiri leadership demanding .azadi. of Kashmir have destroyed Kashmir. Some small groups of self-styled leaders like Yasin Malik etcetera speak of. Kashmiriyat in perverted sense of the term while relating it to .latest homeland. to Kashmiri pandits.. They do not understand natural inherent magnetism of Kashmiriyat. Can such Frankenstein brands. of Kashmir be called political leaders, statesmen, stateswomen and real think tanks?
All this is happening at the cost of welfare of larger and innocent citizens of Kashmir in particular and Jammu in general. The people in corridors of power have seldom taken steps suitable to look into these challenges of Kashmir.
People at the helm in Jammu and Kashmir and larger India have never bothered to care about the .K. factor. Otherwise, why have we lost India.s population and territories of Gilgit and Baltistan, Kashmir under subjugation of Pakistan, Aksai Chin and specially the Karakoram area where China has built silken highway?
Azadi., Accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, ethnic and identity crises and poverty (interestingly, people of Jammu and Kashmir are relatively richer though the State and Government are poor in effect) etcetera are not the real issues of Kashmir. These are all planned and created by vested interests in India, Pakistan, United States, China and United Kingdom over a long period of time with known and unknown participation of so-called .think tanks., academics, bureaucrats and apparently .human leadership. of Kashmir in particular. Yes, certainly, there is a real issue of lack of .development. of Jammu and Ka shmir . including questions of need of infrastructure, drinking water, electricity, proper and just employment, regular payment of salaries, need for cottage and small scale and handicrafts industry and equal development of education and tourism in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Hence, human security, social security, population concerns, education, and return and protection of existing and lost Indian territories are matters of real issues of Jammu and Kashmir; and not otherwise. These issues are such which can be seen in other Indian States/provinces too. Population and inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir are wise enough to see who has brought utter hopelessness and hell like living situation in erstwhile and otherwise ¡°Heaven on Earth¡± specially during last 27 years in particular and from 1946 to 1987 in general. Heaven on Earth has thus become .heaven in interregnums. only.
The perverted politics in Jammu and Kashmir has also given a lot many wounds to people of Jammu and Kashmir. Even the nature of democracy has mostly been community-prominent and family-prominent. This is not democracy at all.
It is high time when all divisive forces in Jammu and Kashmir must be shown their true worth and place . howsoever high they may be sitting in the corridors of power.
There is need for massive efforts for real and fourfold development in the entire region without any community or family oriented biases. Political parties — run as business houses in private ownership — must be shown the lessons of real democracy .of the people, for the people and by the people..
Widespread debates, seminars and conferences are also needed in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for finding meaningful democratic and peaceful policy orientations to set Ariadne.s thread straight and settle all genuine issues right.
A new strategic thinking for Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Aksai Chin and Kashmir under Pakistani subjugation is also required to be brought to light. This is again possible by involving citizens and civil society of the area under consideration in long drawn detailed discussions and discourses. One care has to be given here. Existing political leadership . especially in Kashmir . in these areas must be kept away from influencing this process of people coming to terms with their own vision of freedom and development.
Another realisation and cultural assimilation activity is necessary especially in Kashmir where there has been a systematic propaganda through in-state non-state-influenced elements during last 69 years to destroy a natural sense of belonging of population of Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan to India. Intense cultural assimilation and political national integration efforts have to be made to in fuse a renewed sense of belonging to one.s own India among all .state-subjects. in Kashmir.
Only such democratic, human security oriented policy making process and cultural exchanges specially among youth of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit and Baltistan can bring about true national integration and long term renaissance for a united, peaceful and developed Jammu and Kashmir in India.
(The authors are Professor at Department of Political Science, University of Jammu and Managing Editor Jambu Lochan Journal of Social Sciences and Peace Studies Gandhian Centre University of Jammu)
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