DOST KHAN
Jammu: It must have been tiresome for intellectual and gentle Chief Spokesperson of Peoples’ Democratic Party to justify or clarify the outburst of his party candidate from Shangus Assembly segment Peer Mansoor, asking his voters to be cautious against voting for Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming elections. In a fit of rage or out of fear, the lower rung official turned politician made a buffoon of himself while saying, “In case BJP comes to power, they will thrust a Hindu Chief Minister upon us and Asse Pyaya Taavan (we will suffer from plague)”. Viewed in the backdrop of mindset among the so-called mainstream leaders, who are in fact softer version of secessionists, the rant of Hindu Chief Minister was not an emotional outburst but a reflection of hatred for a particular segment of Jammu and Kashmir population that is ingrained in the minds of Kashmiri politicians. When they talk about Kashmir’s secular ethos, they certainly don’t refer to thesemelves but talk about common Kashmiri Muslim who is undoubtedly pluralistic from core of his heart. Therefore, if at all, Kashmiri politicians need to have a certificate about their credentials, as mentioned by the PDP Chief Spokesperson during defending the hate-rant of his party MLA, they should seek it from common masses, living in the length and breadth of the Valley. The so-called leaders have been only vitiating and exploiting the situation as per political expediencies. What will be their take while seeking votes from Hindus for their Hindu candidates from Jammu? Won’t it bring Taavan to them?
PDP’s defense for the controversial legislator is an awkward attempt to duck the rant which Mansoor raised during a workers meeting. The party handout says that ‘Mansoor only reacted to the debate that has earlier been sparked by the Congress here and raised demand for the Hindu CM’. One only wonders how the hate-byte of irresponsible legislator will impact PDP prospect in Hindu dominated areas of Jammu.
Having taken note of the legislator’s byte on television channels, the defenders would have carved out some other excuse, as their shamed legislator did not mention Congress at all. He was all out against BJP, which is reported to be the mentor of PDP. If reports about the carving out of PDP are to be believed, the ‘Pen-Inkpot’ outfit owes its existence ironically to BJP which created it to counter the influence of National Conference after it managed passage of Autonomy Bill in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature.
The polarising attempts of PDP are bound to boomerang; if not for now but after the elections these will surely cast clouds over the prospect of its government formation. The political situation of the State is so fluid that one really doesn’t know which party will go which side. Who knows PDP may fall in the lap of BJP some chilly morning of December? Politics is all about permutations and combination. Today’s foes can become tomorrow’s bed fellows. The Kashmir politics is murkier than Dal waters. In the sub-conscience of PDP leaders Narendra Modi’s BJP is lurking somewhere. They know it is not 2002 when Atal Behari Vajpayee was at helm. Modi is in the command in New Delhi as also the BJP. He knows how to tame alliance partners and those blending in saffron will surely change their form as also colour. It may also be undercurrent on ground about BJP’s growing acceptance that made the PDP contestant desperate to beg of people not to consider it while voting. It is BJP’s first success on Kashmir turf.
The Congress response to Mansoor’s desperation was bizarre. Pradesh Congress President Saif-ud-Din Soz talked about the Muslim majority character of Jammu and Kashmir while reacting to Hindu Chief Minister rant. The people have been hearing him singing the Mantra of secularism ever since Soz deserted NC and embraced Congress. If he really believes Congress to be secular, then Pradesh Congress President should not forget that the Hindu majority India has lived with a Sikh Prime Minister for 10 years and Muslim President for five years. The country has shown the large heartedness by accepting Sonia Gandhi as the President of Congress for so long. Should he talk about religion to be deciding factor about Chief Ministership of Jammu and Kashmir. It is against the principles of democracy, which has taken deep roots in the Indian ethos notwithstanding attempts being made from time to time to trample it. The emergency of 1975 has been a slur and case in point. Saif-ud-Din Soz should ponder over the statement of his party’s senior Minister Sham Lal Sharma, who highlighted the richness of Indian democracy by saying. “If Ghani Khan Choudhary could become Chief Minister of Hindu majority West Bengal and Abdul Rehman Antuly of Maharashtra where Muslim population is merely two per cent, why can’t a Hindu lead Jammu and Kashmir and become a CM here.”