Er. P.L Khushu
One of the tall leaders of a prominent political party of Kashmir, created a commotion by saying Kashmir will turn into Gaza if India and Pakistan do not find a solution through dialogue. Speaking to reporters, he said if India remains with its neighbor (Pakistan), both countries would progress. He also referred to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statement on India-Pakistan relations that “we can change our friends but not our neighbors”. “Prime Minister Modi also said that war is not an option now and the matters should be resolved through dialogue. “If we do not find a solution through dialogue, we will meet the same fate as Gaza and Palestine, which are being bombed by Israel,” he added.
These remarks of his came against the backdrop of a suspected militant attack in the Poonch district on Thursday that left four soldiers dead and two others injured and the subsequent deaths of three civilians after the Army picked them up for questioning. He also said that shunting out army officers would not address the Poonch civilian deaths case and called for an investigation to find out why innocent people were “tortured” to death, as per media reports. Of course the civilian deaths should be a major concern for every responsible citizen of India and the government of India. Well, the ministry of defense has taken immediate measures in this regard by immediately shifting the senior level officers, followed by financial and other reliefs to the effected families. It has also been assured that the whole matter will be investigated and the defaulters punished.
It is an unfortunate event for the said leader to say so, that Kashmir will meet the situation like Gaza. With due regards to this political leader, It is a comment which is bereft of any sense of reality and respect for India, so as for as the sovereignty of India is concerned, which is a vast country full of democratic values and national objectives of growth and service to its subjects of all colors and castes. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have equitably shared all the fruits of the democratic values of the governance of India, ever since the very day when Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India. In fact these very leaders on the base of dynasty rules have infact enjoyed the maximum patronage and benefits while being in power in Jammu and Kashmir ever since 1947. In fact these very leaders with dynastic base have driven Jammu and Kashmir to the present position of instability which has now been restored with the abrogation of Article 370.
Who does not know that how the then top leadership of this dynasty based political party, got the power to rule Jammu and Kashmir ousting Maharaja Hari Singh Ji, at the behest of the then rulers of India belonging to congress party. Who does not know how and why the leaders of this dynasty based political party created 1953 anarchy when its tall leaders were put behind bars for their seditious activities. Who does not know that this very dynasty based leaders aspired for power and got the ruling reins of Jammu and Kashmir again in 1975, with a lower rank and status. Who does not know what was ” Indra-Sheikh-Accord”. Adding more damages to it who does not know what was “Rajiv-Farooq-Accord”.
This all happened with the willful connivance of the then ruler ship of India, mostly under ” Nehru’s” and ” Gandhi’s”, which was again a dynasty based ruler ship for India mostly to the India’s disadvantage. If such leaders talk of Gaza for Kashmir, then these very people are responsible for it, being the monsters of the dynastic rules for Jammu and Kashmir, ever since 1947. These people did not allow any one else to grow in the political veil of Kashmir particularly the youth of Kashmir, which led to the present situations of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, thus becoming the basic perpetrators of terror and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, with the aid and abetting of Pakistan. Probably such utterances are unfortunately full of sham and deserve to be condemned. It has to be taken with extreme seriousness by every Indian, as such like statements allegedly speak of sedition and war like comments against the Republic of India.
True if it ever became Gaza, it was for Kashmiri Pandits of the valley of Kashmir, who was the sufferer, with the brute advent of militancy in the year 1989-90, during the national conference rule, abetted by the sympathetic support of the Congress party from Delhi. The situation for the KP’s became a death knell for them. Mass genocide and exodus of the KP’s occurred, which is reverberating still on the fascia and the minds of the KP’s and will continue to be so as long as humanity exists in this universe. Prominent leaders, intellectuals, politicians, individuals, government officers and the like amongst the KP’s were brutally killed in broad day lights in thousands, along with the mass migration of this minuscule community to their destinations of devastations. It was an extreme apathy of the government of that the day, ruled by national conference, which did nothing to save the KP’s from such killings by the terrorists. Its tall leaders abandoned Kashmir and left for foreign sojourns, leaving the people of Jammu & Kashmir to lurch.
This statement of Gaza, reminds the KP’s of their disaster, when it is like rubbing salt on the bleeding wounds of KP’s. They have not forgotten the sad event of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus occurred in the year 1990-91, when it was the dark period for the Kashmiri Pandits as they were forced out of the Valley under the threat of terror by the Islamic fundamentalists, when the militancy coupled with extreme terror activities gave birth in the Kashmir valley. Consequently, 19 January 1990 came to be known by Kashmiri Hindus as “Exodus Day”, in memory of the Kashmiri Hindus who were either killed or forced out of Kashmir. The January month of each year after the 19th January-1990, haunts each and every Kashmiri Pandit, living in forced exile across the country of the horrors and woes of this month, when they were forced to flee from Kashmir due to the terror dragon of the Islamist fundamentalists on this day. The dark night of January 19, 1990, shivering with cold, is remembered by all of them, as it was the worst nightmare for the Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley. Screaming from loud speakers and crowded streets was a message for KP’s living in Kashmir, which said, Ralive, Tsaliv , Neti- Galiv. (It meant that either convert to Islam or leave Kashmir and in the alternative face death). Even after about 33 years, Kashmiri Pandits shiver remembering the night which forced them into exodus and a life of exile within their own country. Jehadi cum communal speeches from mosques were put on loud speakers meant for “Azan & Nimaz”, which would say (“Yeti- Bani Pakistan, Bhatov Bhegeer the Bhatenen-San”), meaning there in that the Kashmir will become a Pakistan without male Kashmiri Pandits, but including women folk of Kashmiri Pandits. A sizeable number of Kashmiri pundits were killed, their houses burnt and looted. Many Kashmiri Hindu women were kidnapped, raped and murdered, during this period of exodus. It was a “Gaza’ like situation for the KP’s of the Kashmir valley. Who is responsible? happened when NC was in power and was followed by Governors rule. It has put the entire KP’s, living presently as displaced persons in their own country but far from their nests in Kashmir, in extreme despair, to crave for their existence as a community of aboriginal connection with Kashmir valley. In fact, it is a Gaza for them created by the same generation of politicians who are now breast beating for it, while shedding crocodile tears for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
What happened in the assembly elections of 1987? These were rigged to the utter dismay of every sensible citizen of Jammu And Kashmir. Who did it? It gave birth to the devastating scenario of militancy in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Why not to call it Gaza like situation created by the that time rulers which was the rule of national conference.
Of late such a leader from Kashmir again says that Centre needs to address the root cause of terrorism. It is a puzzle as they are themselves the root causes of the terrorism in Kashmir, which all such leaders know. Similarly often saying talk to Pakistan about Kashmir and militancy will not get ended till then and civilian killings will continue. Whom to talk to in Pakistan and why. Why should not such a leader advise Pakistan to do so, as their de-facto representative in Kashmir.
It makes a person to believe, that such statements are a bizarre proof of the fact the such persons and political forums are a de-facto supporters of terror in Kashmir sponsored by Pakistan way back in 1989.
This is an unfortunate arrogant expression by this political leader about the Jammu and Kashmir showing the quantum of dynastic ambition for power , when such dynastic based political leaders feel that they have lost their game of hunger of perpetuity for their dynastic rule of Jammu and Kashmir, with the Supreme Court recent judgment. Recent Judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has sanctified the legality of the Abrogation of Article 370 and removing of Article 35 A, which was done through an enactment of Parliament on 5th August, 2019. Another paradox is the statement of this political leader when he says that the Centre should try to win the hearts of Kashmiri’s to build trust between the Centre and the people of Jammu and Kashmir. What does he mean? Where is the trust deficit? Every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is quite happy and comfortable and are performing their day-to-day work very well.
Such irresponsible statements involving ” Gaza” with the unfortunate killing of some civilians with the other martyred soldiers in Poonch need to be condemned by one and all, as it is not in synchrony with the ground situations prevailing presently in Jammu and Kashmir. May be such political leaders want to en cash such alarming statements to regain the dynastic power back particularly when the elections in Jammu and Kashmir are round the corner, this is bound to sow the seeds of hate and anger between the various sections of the society of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the anguish.
(The author is a chartered consultant civil engineer, passionately attached and devoted to his mother land –
Jammu & Kashmir).
