Dost Khan
Essentially patriotic from core of their hearts, Jammu people are watching with disgust the ugly developments taking place in Kashmir.
JAMMU: How can war against terror be won in Kashmir or secessionists marginalised when there is a subtle sympathy for chronic India bashers and anti-national elements within a section of the PDP-BJP Government? The situation obtaining in the Valley, especially in the wake of past two months’ controversial decisions and subsequent volatile incidents, called for a well coordinated response by the security agencies and the governments ruling at the Centre and in Srinagar. But there is complete discord though publicly the coalition partners are putting a brave front of ‘cohesion’ and being on the same page. They are not. The system in the coalition arrangement is working just because the BJP is surrendering on each issue, at times even at the cost of national interest. Ironically, the party justifies its retreat from stated position in the interest of the nation.
Jammu and Kashmir is not vulnerable on security and diplomatic fronts alone; the State is faced with certain infirmities and inherent contradictions as well. Since its accession with Indian domain in 1947, the hegemony of Kashmir, particularly those of three or four vocal townships of the Valley, over the other two regions of Jammu and Ladakh has been ever increasing. The element of appeasement has further compounded the situation as a result of which non-Kashmiri population feels itself subjugated, neglected and marginalised. This syndrome has touched alarming proportions during the past two and half decades of terrorism with every successive dispensation at the Centre placating both separatists and mainstream leaders at the cost of patriotic people of Jammu and Ladakh. Narendra Modi led BJP Government has, however, passed all the limits by staging nose-dive on the key Kashmir Policy.
Over the years, precedence to Kashmir has taken toll of mental makeup of non-Kashmiri leadership, especially those belonging to Jammu. They have developed ‘second fiddle’ syndrome which has become integral to their overall persona. This syndrome has unfortunately touched all time low after BJP partnered the Coalition Government with PDP. Of course, in earlier regimes, the Jammu based ministers of Congress and National Conference were playing cushion and second fiddle to their Kashmiri masters but the submission was not as meek as is being disgracefully demonstrated by the present set of saffron ministers now. Instead of bowing they have started crawling to save their ministries. They may be within their rights to barter their esteem for loaves of power but the impact has been horrendous on Jammu psyche. The people of the region are agitated as to whether they had voted BJP to Assembly so massively just to get their dignity compromised. The people are genuinely feeling deceived and dishonoured.
Essentially patriotic from core of their hearts, Jammu people are watching with disgust the ugly developments taking place in the Valley. They feel provoked on mainstream leaders endorsing Pakistani flags being hoisted in parts of Kashmir and BJP preferring to remain a mute spectator and, in a way, collaborator. They just fail to digest senior coalition partner trying to portray and eulogies chronic anti-national Pakistani agent Syed Ali Geelani as a ‘big’ leader. The ‘compliment’ came from a senior PDP minister while replying to a question on proposed action of the PDP-BJP Government against Geelani over the Pakistan flag hoisting row. The minister’s reply reflected truth of the saffron supported government, “Geelani is a big leader. I am a minister whose mandate is to ensure good roads and buildings in the State. Whatever you are asking are big political decisions on which our Chief Minister will take a call”. Ironically, he is the minister who referred to a fellow minister from BJP as ‘someone’ the same day. What can be the extent of belittling BJP ministers? Despite finding his role limited to roads and buildings, the minister concerned overstretched his brief when it came to Permanent Resident Certificate issue, which he announced to have been scrapped. Since it served PDP’s political interest there was nothing wrong to go beyond ‘roads and buildings’.
With such a mindset on display, does the BJP still believe that Kashmir issue can be solved during the tenure of present dispensation in the State? Senior BJP leaders are on record having stated that the ensuing five years would prove turning point for Kashmir. This is a big stake, which the nation is risking with most unpredictable outfit in command and the so-called nationalist party in attendance.
