BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Mufti Mohammed Sayeed bet his chequered and entire political career, spreading nearly five decades, this day last year while taking over as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with BJP, a party he and his entire cadre fought, opposed and abused for almost one full year of 2014 during parliamentary and assembly elections. Fighting and demonizing BJP gave him all the three parliamentary seats of Kashmir Valley and 28 MLAs, making PDP single largest party in the Legislative Assembly. And, ironically joining hands with BJP exposed the Mufti to high voltage criticism from opponents, as also supporters.
Partnership with BJP proved disastrous for the PDP, which, if not taken as an exaggeration or overstatement, cost the Mufti his life. Virtually broken by the ruthlessness of BJP, Mufti Sayeed died as a most dejected politician, who could not deliver at the fag-end of his political career. He wanted Jammu and Kashmir to be made as an island of peace and Switzerland of the East but BJP just used him as disposable. Not a single commitment made in the Agenda of Alliance was even initiated, not to speak of fulfilling, despite the former Chief Minister putting his whole weight behind BJP, Narendra Modi and RSS, latter being a red-rag in the Kashmir Valley.
A politician, who challenged the ‘communal BJP’ and assailed the 2002 Gujarat riots as blot on India’s pluralism, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed burnt his boat amidst turbulent waters by praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his RSS background is making him and the BJP do good work. The Mufti said on 2nd November 2015 that BJP is not looting like the Congress (which remained his mentor party for better part of his political career) and the RSS connection makes them (BJP and Modi) do good work and be at the doorsteps of people.’ He hailed Narendra Modi for choosing dynamic colleagues to govern the country. He expressed satisfaction over the alliance he was heading in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti Sayeed’s unflinching expression about being happy over heading the alliance in Jammu and Kashmir speaks of his helplessness to motivate the BJP to come forward and keep up the commitments. He was desperate in delivering to prove that his bet of aligning with BJP was not wrong. He wanted to show his opponents how far he could go for the dignity of his people and development of his state.
Did BJP respond? That it didn’t is making the job of Mufti Sayeed’s daughter rather difficult. Being very close to her illustrious father, she must have witnessed the upheavals her late father underwent, even at the death bed where the Prime Minister had not a single moment to inquire about his falling health.
The treatment meted out to her father must be weighing high on the mind of Mehbooba Mufti, which is why she is in a dilemma whether to go with the BJP or not. Experiences of the past ten months are bitter. The NDA at the Centre did not lend a shoulder to comfort a Chief Minister who was grappling with expectations of his people. This perception got strengthened when Arun Jaitley presented his second budget in Lok Sabha amid high hopes in Kashmir about inclusion of Confidence Building Measures like enhanced allocations to satiate the aspirations of flood victims and developmental needs besides transferring certain power projects to the Jammu and Kashmir Government. The Budget 2016-17 did not even find mention of Kashmir in it. Non-inclusion of any initiative for Kashmir made the position of Mehbooba Mufti more vulnerable in the eyes of her supporters and the opponents. She continues to be at the receiving end for having been ignored by the Centre, which wants PDP to be cushion for the BJP to be in the power cradle.
The back-channel machinations with regard to government formation now are akin to the situation that culminated in the stitching of PDP-BJP alliance last year. But since then much water has flown down the Jhelum and the Tawi. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed is out of scene and the command is in the hands of a leader who commandeered an infant organization to win the battle in just 16 years of its existence. She has seen ups and downs of the game, especially the betrayal of those who used her father to further their agenda. In sub conscience of her mind, the thought that her father’s apprehensions about the BJP have proven right is something which must be stopping Mehbooba Mufti in walking to the trap.