DOST KHAN
Ousted PDP will be stronger than the ruling PDP… Mufti has nothing to lose…He holds all the four aces to his chest.
JAMMU: Raking up of Shri Amarnath Yatra controversy by Pakistan lackey Syed Ali Shah Geelani is intriguing. The timing of demand for reduced Yatra-minimum 15 days and maximum 30 days-raise certain disturbing questions. Why should he seek amends to the schedule 97 days after formal announcement of the 59 days pilgrimage in South Kashmir Himalayas; and that too in a highly surcharged and volatile atmosphere of paying homage to a slain terrorist at a frenzy rally in Tral? Last time Chief Minister Mufti Sayed had declined permission to Geelani to proceed to Tral, as the kingpin of 2010 stone pelting Masarat Alam had vitiated atmosphere by raising Pakistani flags in a welcome rally for Geelani in Srinagar on 16TH April. Situation has not changed since then. There has been no change of heart in Geelani
either. Why then allow him to move out of home and create nuisance, especially when the Chief Minister himself is showcasing Kashmir to
tourists and film-makers by roaming along with a team in Indian metropolises. Is there any connect in allowing Geelani to visit Tral and raising controversy over the Amarnath Yatra? The enveloping scenario reminds of similar sequence of events that had led to withdrawal
of support to Ghulam Nabi Azad led Congress-Peoples’ Democratic Party Government in June 2008. Ironically the central point of
divide between the two coalition partners was also the Amarnath Yatra. That was a typical situation when the Forest Ministry headed
by a PDP Minister Qazi Afzal had moved a memorandum, duly wetted by Law Minister Muzaffar Beig of the same party, for seeking a decision from the Cabinet for transferring a piece of land to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) for raising temporary facilitates for
pilgrims at Baltal. The decision had snowballed into an ugly agitation with Geelani and his cohorts accusing India of settling Hindus
at sub-zero temperature near the Cave Shrine range at over 13,000 metre altitude. The ‘township’ had also been given a name as well-
Amarnath Nagar. The agitation was sequel to high-voltage tug of war between the then Governor and Chairman SASB Lt Gen
(Retd) S. K Sinha and the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayed. Mufti was not in favour of extended Yatra, as is not Geelani
now. The 2008 controversy and the subsequent agitation had polarised the situation to almost point of noreturn. Azad had to quit after PDP setting an ultimatum of withdrawing the land to SASB by 28th June 2008. History is repeating again. Geelani is agitating again. The
Chief Minister should try to find out how Geelani was permitted to move to Tral. Unless his PDP wishes to dump BJP in the infancy of
present dispensation, responsibility is needed to be fixed as to who took the decision to allow most fanatic secessionist to move out. Geelani knows the intent of his mischief. He wants to incite passions across the country; create communal discord and disturb peace. The PDP led government has obliged him with the space he desperately looked for. He has shot a missive in the ‘perfect’ setting of anti-India sloganeering and waiving of Pakistani flags by euphoric zealots. The old-man issued the ultimatum while being adequately secured by Indian security forces and permanent personal security officers provided by the government. One only wonders how far pro-Pakistani agents and elements can go in challenging sovereignty and integrity of the country. The Peoples Democratic Party is well aware of the fact that Geelani’s rants are no more going to make any difference with the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, as the faith has been driving lakhs of devotees despite risks involved. However, the sequence of events shaping up since formation of the PDP-BJP Government has taken toll of saffron esteem. Kashmir is turning as waterloo for BJP. Mufti’s PDP is not going to lose anything, as its graph is swelling at the cost of
BJP’s dwindling support in its stronghold of Jammu and elsewhere in the country. Conscious of this and confident of improving tally in mid-term polls, is PDP repeating 2008 to reap benefits in the event of Amarnath Yatra snowballing into a big controversy and thus looking for dumping BJP to dustbin? Ousted PDP will be stronger than the ruling PDP. Therefore, Mufti has nothing to lose. He holds all the four aces to his chest. The loss will be that of the BJP and the national interest, courtesy Ram Madhav and company, who brought South Pole and North Pole to Middle Pole.