BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: By all indications Kashmir is again going the 2010 way. In fact, this time it seems to be far worse if the obtaining and fast developing scenario is any reflection of events to unfold in coming days and weeks. If stone-pelters were targeting security forces and police in the capital city of Srinagar and certain urban areas in 2010, now highly motivated groups are barging into the army bunkers and camps in border areas and hinterland in a synergized manner to belittle Indian state. The army convoys face stiff resistance by volatile civilians when on way to search operations or countering terrorists.
This spring is going to make Kashmir highly explosive. Within over a fortnight of NIT skirmishes, the North Kashmir events raise a perturbing question about relationship between the two. No wonder the NIT drama in the wake of Indian cricket defeat was a preface of a bigger game-plan.
In such a speculative environment, Mehbooba Mufti has conducted herself quite gracefully and sagaciously against all the odds, most of these being created by bête noire National Conference, which has unleashed frontal attacks over mounting deaths in north Kashmir and mishandling of situation in NIT Campus. She has remained under centre-stage of criticism over ‘chosing’ to be in New Delhi rather than in Kashmir at a time when young boys were ‘falling prey to bullets’. She doesn’t speak a word. She can’t! Because everyone in and outside Kashmir knows the support-base of PDP in its core constituency of the Valley. The former Chief Minister had publicly acknowledged the facilitators of ‘smooth’ 2014 elections which drove his PDP to the seat of power that too with an uncomfortable BJP. It is worse example of marriage of inconvenience. Mehbooba Mufti is carrying forward her father’s legacy. Therefore, her silence over Kupwara and Handwara incidents is understandable. She can’t go against the anger and aspirations of her party’s core constituency or the ‘demonised’ army, as stand against the latter has potential of destabilisng her newly formed government.
Having said that, the question arises if Mehbooba Mufti owes her silence to the compelling circumstances, what makes BJP to shut its mouth even after tricolor is trampled in the NIT and army is maligned in Handwara.
But for the fear of losing power, the BJP compromised with ‘well being’ of thousands of outstation NIT students by terming the brutal lathicharge upon them as a minor incident. Despite placating big partner PDP by undermining the atrocities of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the heavily guarded Dr Nirmal Singh could not enter into the campus notwithstanding his stature of being the Deputy Chief Minister.
Again, but for the fear of losing power, the BJP could not protect and stop hounding out of thousands of outstation students whose crime was to say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and to unfurl Tricolour. They were hounded out for challenging the seditious students who celebrated Indian defeat and raised Pakistani flags inside the campus.
But for the fear of losing power, the BJP compromised in allowing the biased NIT management to hold examination despite resistance of the students who had undergone nightmarish nights and days in the campus for over a fortnight.
But for the sake of power, the BJP did not insist (being partners in the government) to book the perpetrators of sedition in the Campus which is directly being controlled by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development. It could not seek action against brutal police force which demonstrated devilish character by subjecting boys and girls to heavy cane charge. It also remained a partner in ordering suspension of an ASI of the same local police force for allegedly firing in Handwara under the ‘intimidation’ of a local lawmaker and his pressure-group.
To ensure to remain in the cradle of power, the BJP allowed malicious campaign against the army notwithstanding the fact that the girl in question had rubbished the claims of molestation. It couldn’t seek identification and arrest of boys who were named and mentioned by the girl in her statement that led to violence and killing of several young people. Those who perpetrated violence were allowed to become heroes while the army remained projected as villains due to callousness of the BJP partnered government. The statement of the girl is enough to track-down real culprits who are behind killing of young civilians, including a woman.
But for the sake of power, the BJP failed on political front to raise a momentum in favour of the armed forces. Ironically, this party exploited army to the hilt by recalling beheading of a soldier on LoC and skirmishes by Pakistan army on borders to crack 2014 parliamentary and assembly elections.
But for the sake of power, the BJP finds it strategically prudent to maintain criminal silence over Kashmir, which is again limping back to 1990 situation.
