DOST KHAN
JAMMU: No issues if an independent lawmaker unfurls the state flag at a prominent public place in Srinagar amid euphoric sloganeering? No issues if the proponents of ‘Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan’ move around the city of temples with their ego inflated and heads up with a false ‘sense of accomplishment’. No issues if the votaries of ‘fight to finish’ over discrimination against Jammu become party to injustice to this region.
But it is certainly an issue when Pakistani flags are waved across the Valley intermittently. It is also a serious issue when mere talk of hoisting tricolour anywhere in Kashmir serves as a red rag to secessionists, soft-secessionists and even those governing the State. It is, indeed, a serious issue when the mainstream outfits will demonstrate mischievous convergence despite divergent ideologies when it comes to maligning India, humiliating its armed forces and trampling its symbols.
Kashmir has traversed a long way during the past two and half decades. However, it is moving fast towards devastation ever since the Jana Sanghis became ‘proud partners’ in the state of affairs of the sensitive border State. Therefore, it is right time for them all to ponder as to what they have achieved after getting into the power corridors. A quick answer will certainly mock at them-they are good agitators but equally bad administrators. This was evident more pronouncedly during recent disturbances in parts of Jammu. In a typical paper tiger style, the Jana Sanghi ministers showed bravado, which started melting in split seconds. It was proven beyond doubt that they are not only failure in administration but also naïve in playing politics. Did they counter the propaganda unleashed by secessionists and some mainstream parties, including the one partnering them and governing the State? Did they also counter the mainstream parties which converged into the city like sharks, held press conferences, issued statements and castigated a part of the government for meeting the situation? They did not say anything against the senior coalition partner because the Jana Sanghis have left no ambiguity about their being politically and administratively reckless. A normal question should have been asked to the National Conference or Congress as to how many statements and press conferences they had issued over normal law and order situations in the Valley. They played mischief because secessionists took the lead in making a common cause with a segment of agitators in Jammu.
Imagine about the situation unfolding itself in Kashmir under the BJP partnered government when an elected lawmaker provokes by saying, “Those who cry for ‘Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan and Ek Nishan’ are unaware of the history and need to learn that Jammu & Kashmir is entirely a different State and the relationship with Delhi is conditional. Kashmiris will not sit to rest unless 1952 Delhi agreement is restored and respected by New Delhi in letter and spirit, failing which Kashmiris will also be forced to rethink about the relationship with India. Every Indian needs to understand fully that J&K was a complete sovereign State when Indians were fighting British to get freedom and lost it to India and Pakistan when they surfaced at the globe as Independent countries.” He is talking secession and behaving in a most seditious manner when he openly declares that if India fails in doing ‘so and so’, Kashmiris will be forced to rethink about the relationship (of Kashmir) with India. Jana Sanghis did not respond to this situation. Nobody talked about booking the erring legislator for his seditious pronouncements. On the contrary, when some patriotic youth had declared to unfurl tricolour in Lal Chowk Srinagar last month, the Jana Sanghis were the first to disassociate from ‘these elements’. Remember the day when Murli Manohar Joshi along with the current Prime Minister Narendra Bhai Modi had visited Srinagar under a special Bandhobast to hoist the tricolour during most testing times in early nineties. How come this time hoisting of tricolour becomes an act to create ‘discord’ between the people while hoisting the State flag, with mischievous intent, does not evoke a single comment from Jana Sanghis?