BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: There is terribly something wrong with so-called Jammu leaders, who see nothing beyond power politics. They might have mastered the art of placating their Kashmiri masters but have never ever even tried to emulate their spirit.
Why is it so that whenever any crisis erupts, like the one Kashmir is witnessing currently, the Valley politicians, both separatists and mainstream, speak in one voice? See how the two senior PDP leaders are questioning their own Chief Minister and accusing security forces of using maximum-force, knowing well how much restraint they were exercising in the grim situation while tackling indoctrinated and brain washed violent protesters, armed with lathis and stones. They even ignored their own government’s fact- sheet about damage to nearly 125 buildings including police stations and police posts besides injuries to over 3,000 people, half of them security personnel during the clashes. If all this has not been done by a section of ‘innocent’ people then who else did it to ignite the Valley over killing of a terrorist? See how a former Chief Minister is calling shots from Srinagar and speaking for violence-mongers and not for the victims. See how another former Chief Minister behaved like an ostrich to score political goal by saying the Kashmir crisis was actually anger against BJP partnering the power with PDP in the State. It is not that the two former Chief Ministers do not understand the genesis of protests but they are just feigning ignorance to derive brownie points. The element of political compulsion makes so-called mainstream politicians seen on both sides of the fence. Mostly, they prefer to sit on the opposite side, especially when out of power.
The common cause being pursued by Kashmir centric politicians, irrespective of their political affiliations, either out of political exigency or due to soft-corner for the same, has, in a way, contributed to alimentation of the Kashmiri people. Had there been sincerity towards national cause, the Pakistan leadership would have got a befitting reply from the Valley itself, over its misadventure of declaring 19th July as a Black Day to show solidarity with a terrorist. Why do these mainstream outfits remain in default mode when loaves of power are seen nowhere? Claiming to be real representatives of people, at the strength of mandate they get in each election, they have never mustered guts to neutrilise separatists’ frequent shut-down calls or to call the bluff of Pakistan on occasions like today, when their call for Bandh got unanswered.
The fault line does not lie across the Banihal tunnel alone. Jammu and Ladakh are equally responsible for allowing leverage to anti-India sentiment in the Valley. The leadership of these two regions has never risen to the occasion to call the bluff of Pak-sponsored separatists, with subtle approval of a dominant section of the so-called mainstream. The meek and weak Jammu leadership has been disgustingly toeing the line their masters keep adopting. The BJP has been a latest causality, which despite being in power, ironically and subscribed to the view about excessive use of forces. They should have responded to irresponsible rhetoric of two PDP leaders? At least, this much was due to the security forces and the police, which have been on the receiving end at ground zero and also at the political level.
Today, the 19th July 2016 was a historic occasion for Jammu, Ladakh and a segment of Kashmir population to show to the world that the State is not all about a few towns of the Valley. The leadership of Jammu region in particular ought to have joined together, like their counterparts in Kashmir, to give a befitting response to the call given by Pakistan. This would have helped in sending a terse message to Islamabad in particular and the world in general that India was ingrained in the vast mass of population in Jammu and Kashmir, who neither subscribe to Azadi nor to the euphoric slogan of Pakistan. The leadership should have seized the occasion to send a message to secessionists, who are thriving on the lives of common Kashmiri and concessions from the neighbouring country, which their bullying tactics would not work anymore. Jammu and Ladakh could also have impressed upon power-hungry mainstream leaders that the days of their blackmail to New Delhi were over. Unfortunately this did not happen and a word could not go around that Burhans, Geelanis, Maliks others had no takers in the two integral regions of Jammu