BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Kashmir is up in arms against the proposed colonies for Kashmiri Pandits, who call themselves as originals while the majority community does not think so. Though politicians and self-proclaimed civil society activists may say from roof tops that Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits but when the crucial moment of showing pretended ‘bonhomie’ comes, they are no different than separatists, secessionists and terrorists, who hounded out the miniscule minority from their homes and hearths as per agenda chalked out across the border.
The only difference between the two prominent mainstream players-National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party-is that they conveniently change their roles as per situation. When in power, they talk differently and once out of Civil Secretariat their tone and tenor become quite different. What National Conference now speaks against the proposed KP colonies was the ‘signature tone’ of PDP when out of power. They are two sides of the same coin-deceptive and venomous. Daag Delhvi’s famous couplet fits well for the so-called mainstream, Khoob parda hai ke chilaman se lage baithe hain; Saaf chupte bhi nahi saamane aate bhi nahi or (There is a lot hidden when you are sitting next to the curtain, Neither do you hide completely nor are you visible clearly).
The hypocrisy of mainstream and separatists gets vehemently exposed when they don’t speak a word over habitations like Sidhra and Bhathindi in the Jammu region, which remain almost exclusive domain of a particular religion from a particular region. In this case, they don’t see any threat to demography or inclusiveness. These Jammu based colonies have come up over forest land. Despite illegal status of these colonies, the NC and PDP have been showing immense degree of unity, solidarity and support for such of the encroachers who have carved out huge colonies by trampling all norms. Only recently, a well meaning campaign of evicting illegal occupants from forest land was sabotaged.
People of Jammu have not forgotten how National Conference remained in the forefront to have a colony for legislators in Jammu nearly two decades ago. But did it, or for that matter the PDP, ever thought about having similar colonies in Srinagar for the legislators of Jammu and Ladakh regions? Did the two parties ever thought of promoting regional bonding by drawing strategy to allot plots to elected representatives, least to speak of the uprooted originals? They won’t; because it is not in consonance with the radical ethos of fundamentalists.
Opposition to the Kashmiri Pandit colonies has taken serious dimensions with mainstream and separatists taking pride in being seen on the same page. Months ago, the Grand Mufti of Kashmir had roped in ‘prominent’ religious organizations of the Valley to pour venom against Pandits, He had described the proposed move of Narendra Modi government as a conspiracy to change Kashmir demography. He, like many separatists and mainstream political parties claimed of having concrete evidence that ‘in the name of separate Pandit colonies, Government of India was going to settle RSS workers to slowly change the demographic character of Kashmir’.
This is a typical mindset obtaining in a vocal segment of Kashmiri society-trumpeted by separatists and sustained by the so-called mainstream parties, whether in the government or outside. They conveniently ignore fast changing demographic landscape in Jammu in the wake of mushroom growth of colonies in a particular chunk of forest land. Added to the scenario is encroachment by Gujjars, which if resisted by the law enforcing agencies or the forest department is being officially condemned by political parties and dubbed as their harassment. In a systematic manner, the Kashmir centric State Government has been ensuring water and power supply besides other amenities in these colonies, instead of getting the land vacated from encroachers, who comprise elite from the Valley, the politicians, the bureaucrats and all others. The colonies are being rehabilitated with active support of various governmental agencies.
To cap up such a sinister move, a clever modus operandi is being used to keep ‘questioning voices’ in Jammu under check. Whenever genuine fears are expressed about encroachment of forest land, clever politicians from the Valley keep placating Jammuties by saying that they ‘kept the torch of secularism aloft during most testing times’ and ‘opened up their arms for people of Kashmir during disturbed conditions’. Some Jammu based sycophants of these cunning political outfits miss no opportunity in furthering the interests of clever, cunning and deceptive lot of Kashmiri politicians, both in separatist and mainstream camps, who remain in forefront to stall ‘home-coming’ of Kashmiri Pandits. This unscrupulous lot has been instrumental in distress sale of KP properties back in the Valley and dilapidated condition of their shrines and temples. If at all the spirit of Kashmiryat is alive in the Valley, it is among poor Kashmiris, who have been exploited by religious zealots and political chameleons.