DOST KHAN
Tame all those having potential of plunging youth to ‘Chalo, Chalo’ and ‘Ragdo Ragdo’ mission.
JAMMU: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayed has a very busy schedule in Mumbai-the Mayanagri of India. He is desperately wooing film-stars and filmmakers to visit the Valley locale and relive, ‘Kashmir Ki Kali Hun Mein Muj Se Na Rootho Babuji’, ‘Yeh Wadie Kashmir Hai Janat Ka Nazara’ or ‘Chahey Koi Muje Junglee Kahe’. However, what he will do with Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is very fond of ‘Chalo, Chalo’ mission? But for cracking down on Masarat Alam, over a month after his ‘heroic’ release and certain other restrictions imposed on separatists in the Valley following penetrating media pressure from across the country, the hardcore Kashmiri hawk had almost panned out his ‘Chalo-Chalo’ calendar. The maiden one to Tral was foiled by the security forces, which could have set a tone for next six months-the
peak tourism season of Kashmir. Mufti’s yearning for revival of yesteryears normalcy in the Valley is understandable. He belongs to a
genre of politicians which had been witness to the glory of Kashmir and innocence of Kashmiris. That was probably the era when just an
idea of Kashmir used to create romantic sensation among nature lovers the world over. Situation has changed now. Mere name of
Kashmir sends chill in the spine of those believing in tranquility and serenity. The Valley does not send its virgin fragrance across the continents; it exhales toxic gun-powder. Therefore, his appeal to film industry to roll out cameras again and renew their romance with the
‘Paradise on Earth’ sans the confidence on the face of trigger-roll by Pakistan sponsored lunatics. Just one incident or encounter and
Geelani’s ‘Chalo, Chalo’ call will roll the Mufti’s apple cart, perhaps forever. Making Kashmir the locale of yesteryears to roll out the cameras
once again calls for a serious introspection. The initiation is needed to be made by the Chief Minister himself. If he rolls back the tape of
his two month’s governance, he will find out how Kashmir has reverted back to square one after a semblance of near normalcy of the
past over four years. He will have to ponder why Geelani and Company became proactive again in chalking out their India bashing
agenda. How they got emboldened in the name of ‘political space’ is no more a secret. They are openly challenging the nation’s sovereignty
and Mufti’s authority to govern. The moment the Chief Minister was engaging bigwigs of the film industry on his ‘Mission Kashmir’,
the ‘grand Pak lackey Geelani was calling shots from Tral, this time on the annual Amarnath Yatra. He has sought the Yatra to be restricted
to minimum 15 days or maximum 30 days, knowing well that Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has already announced the 59-day
schedule in consultation with the government, the security agencies and the stake-holders, after taking into consideration all aspects-safety, environment and feasibility-of the pilgrimage. This speaks of the mind-set of a particular segment of people in Kashmir, who see ‘certain’ events and things as cultural invasion. The Yatra to Himalayan cave shrine has been contentious, ironically since the days of Mufti
as Chief Minister between 2002 and 2005. The question, however, is not that of the Yatra. It is about whose writ runs in Kashmir. Will
the people like Geelani now decide about religious beliefs and practices of others in a secular country like India? The present dispensation
should understand it, as it will have immense bearing on overall situation in the Valley especially during the upcoming tourist season.
Geelani has history of playing mischief. He keeps off Kashmir for most of the six winter months and hoists himself on the suffering people
at the onset of spring to pollute the atmosphere. He is out with his sinister agenda. If the Chief Minister really wants Kashmir to revert back to ‘glorious yesteryears’, he will have to shun the policy of playing to galleries. He will have to be steadfast in his approach against anti-nationals. He just can’t afford to remain on both sides of the fence. He will also have to take certain tough measures to keep fringe elements at bay in case he sincerely means to steer out the vast mass of Kashmiris from the morass Geelani like people have forced
them in. For this he will have to reconsider his mission of creating ‘political space’ for hardcore secessionists. Just a single permission
to visit Tral has again vitiated the atmosphere with Geelani supporters raising Pakistani flags in his rally. Mufti should not undermine
the ‘nuisance value’ of chronic India bashers, who have projected the well intentioned measures of empowering youth by engaging them in various activities as cultural invasion of Kashmir in recent past.
Now that the Mufti is inviting film industry to Kashmir, he should tread each step with caution. It has all the potential of turning a red rag for radicals, who will come up with all sorts of ‘stories’ by crying hoarse on morality. Therefore, before exhorting the silver screen units to come over for shooting in Kashmir, his government will have to tame all those having potential of plunging youth to ‘Chalo, Chalo’ and ‘Ragdo Ragdo’ mission. Such elements do not deserve a political space; they are destined for a designated place, if people of Kashmir are to be saved from their unending wrath.
