BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir is a unique state with three distinct regions, comprising multiple religions and ethnic groups, and each of the regions having it own aspirations, and, to some extent compulsions. The biggest compulsion for the Jammu region is to remain subservient to Kashmir, notwithstanding the fact that self-centred and hypocritical leaders speak in different languages and at different times as per their convenience. The Kashmir centric brigade conveniently speaks something in Srinagar; something different in Jammu and completely reverse of both in New Delhi. The motivation for Kashmir centric leadership has always been to derive as much as they can from the weak and visionless central leadership, no matter who is in command in New Delhi. Deceit and blackmail has unfortunately become second nature of many concession seekers in the Valley, who get whatever they want by bullying.
On the contrary, Jammu is not only ‘coerced’ to play second fiddle to Kashmiri masters but also made to suffer because New Delhi knows that the patriotic people can’t tolerate, least to speak, against their nation. That Jammuites cannot say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ is a factor that they are subjected to raw deal. New Delhi gets perturbed and opens up coffers to buy temporary peace with those in the Valley who speak for Pakistan, swear by Pakistan and stand for Pakistan. Eventual appeasement of Pak sympathizers by successive governments in New Delhi has turned out as a license for unscrupulous politicians and opinion leaders in other spheres, who use it whenever they need benefits. This has become a vicious circle, which seems to be beyond any control now. In the mistaken belief of winning over elements raising Pakistan bogey in the Valley, the Indian establishment is pumping huge funds by cutting the throats of Indian tax payers. This is an unending trauma which has made the entire state hollow.
The element of appeasement has given birth to cross section of people in Kashmir. Politicians alone are not beneficiaries. The list of ‘favourites’ is stretching with each passing day. Now, some media persons have also joined the fray, who keep romanticizing terrorism and strengthening anti-India sentiment, by crying hoarse over human rights violations, suppression, oppression etc to put the Government of India on defensive.
Instead of devising a policy on Kashmir, the Centre has been making experiments, one after another. This has brought the State to a situation of uncertainty and instability as dominant forces in each region are getting diluted due to inept policies. For instance, the dominant political force in Kashmir-National Conference-was humbled by creation of Peoples Democratic Party and as a consequence the space was hijacked by separatists. Remember, the separatist elements flourished only when space of traditional regional players got shrunk. Finding themselves pushed to wall, these parties also started toeing the separatist line, especially in the wake of the Centre offering olive branch to secessionists. This has manifested in complete radicalization of Kashmir’s political leadership.
In such a grim scenario, rays of hope keep emerging from the valley of darkness from time to time. This point of time, it has emanated in the form of Ghulam Nabi Azad, who took a decisive stand over the latest outburst of anti-national sentiment in the wake of Burhan Wani’s killing. Azad made plain speaking by calling Burhan a terrorist and in a way defended the action in eliminating him from the scene. As a true nationalist, he could not resist to speak the truth by disapproving the protests, which continued for the third day today, for a terrorist.
Azad left many positives in the murky politics of Jammu and Kashmir. He tried to maintain balance between the two- regions by providing equal opportunities of progress and development during his brief spell as Chief Minister. Hailing from Jammu region and married in Srinagar, Azad emerged as a binding-force between the regions of Jammu and Kashmir. For his nationalistic and secular credentials, a situation was created which marked the end of his government, almost over a year ahead of his term.
An able administrator, a visionary and development-oriented Chief Minister has to his credit numerous projects that benefited all the three regions. He worked tirelessly to end the menace of corruption and dispense responsive governance. His positives became eye-sore for many, who engineered 2008 to unseat him as Chief Minister for his only sin of maintaining delicate balance between Kashmir and Jammu regions. He is unlike the politicians, who want to be seen on both sides of the fence and who keep dancing at the dictates of separatists. However, his straight-forwardness and enviable political stewardship became causality to Modi wave in 2014 parliamentary elections. A stalwart and political heavy-weight lost in the Kathua-Udhampur Lok Sabha seat. This was the year, when political novice and unknown BJP entities made to Legislative Assembly due to charisma of Narendra Modi. However, taking electoral defeat to his stride, Ghulam Nabi Azad did not compromise to his nationalistic credentials and came out decisively against the protests over killing of a terrorist, which his Kashmir centric counterparts in politics resisted to do. They, on the contrary, stood by terrorists thus keeping their deceptive identities intact.
