BJP, PDP must set priority on mission ideological rehabilitation of ‘some’ Kashmiris

By Daya Sagar
It is time for the Indian leadership to acknowledge that as regards Jammu & Kashmir the questions on aspirations of the people, ‘extent’ of accession 1947, ‘political solution’ to J&K turmoil and Kashmir viz-a-viz Indo- Pak relations are in a way exclusively raised from Kashmir Valley only.
Whenever references are made for picking up stake holders, whenever Dr. Farooq Abdullah talks aspirations he addresses only Kashmiri region, a civil society delegation lead by a senior BJP leader Jaswant Sinha that claim to have visited Srinagar on their own has been
quoted to have supported dialogue with Hurriyat
without any pre conditions (where as Home Minister has said in August that all are welcome for talks within the framework of Constitution of India), whenever issues pertaining to Indian citizens who had crossed over to Indian side from the erstwhile West Pakistan in 1947 are referred in relation to their civic rights in J&K they still referred as West Pakistan refugees and like it is Kashmir valley view points that are kept in focus worth any medication that could cure .
Pakistan occupied areas of J&K (POK or POJK) are addressed as Pakistan Administered Jammu Kashmir PaK) in most of the opinions and script that are originating not only from Kashmir Valley media and intelligentsia but also from some mainstream political parties.
To some it may appear as an insignificant reference being made here but from the point of view of international opinions / understandings it should be very disturbing for India. So, no one should hesitate in admitting that the problems J&K is today facing, appearing beyond any solution, are not resting in development but are more related to the masses in Kashmir valley and any solution that has to be worked must be by isolating affairs of Kashmir valley from other regions.
The PDP lead government in J&K is being accused of having taken some twists like first they have been releasing Masarat Alam and then they have been re-arresting him. The beef ban issue, State Flag issue, recourse to execution of some acts of parliament in J&K and Art370 vs Proviso to Article 368 of Constitution of J&K, sanction & disbursement of “one time settlement”/ “special assistance”/ Prime Minister 80000 Cr special package component for POJK DPs, issue of granting identity certificates / domicile certificate to “1947 refugees from West Pakistan” (of course they are already Indian citizens but are still addressed as ‘refugees from West Pakistan” ,public references to “Kashmir issue” / “issues in Kashmir & J&K “problem”/ problems in J&K, all stake holders and issues to be addressed, Princely State of J&K signing instrument of accession with India dominion in 1947 and merger yet to follow accession controversy aired by National Conference & Congress leaders on the floor of J&K Legislature/ Parliament after six decades of accession etc are among the disturbing notes that have confused many people to the extent that even those who had pledged in March 2015 for taking J&K out of the ideological and material turmoil themselves do not appear knowing what is around and what they have been doing over last two years.
And of course Union too need to recast its approach beyond any appeasements anymore and must clear before the people as regards J&K and Union relations to the extent of sending advisories even to mainstream leaders in power on issues like accession/ merger.
No doubt it has to be appreciated that PDP-BJP alliance did try to work for the prosperity of the State keeping their ideological differences apart, but have remained more caught in difficult and differential over tone controversies.
And with the death of Mufti Sayeed many ‘experts’ predicted that the situation with BJP was going to take a U-turn as PDP was being forced to do a rethinking about having alliance but so far they have stood along and proved the predictions wrong inspite of there being very diverging indicators emerging from the two main regions of J&K to the extent of even absolute accusations being levelled that the PDP-BJP coalition Government has failed to address political and developmental aspirations of the people.
National Conference that had been after 2002 nearly pushed to the wall, particularly in Kashmir Valley, has to some extent re- established its roots since there are many who have been and are saying that People of Kashmir voted for PDP to keep BJP out of power in the State, but instead PDP helped BJP to come to power thereby playing with the emotions of the “Kashmiri” people who are against BJP.
It is here where both BJP and PDP had to reach to people for emotional and ideological rehabilitation but they appear to have not given priority to this ‘mission’. Will they do so, is the question.
*( Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and a social activist can be reached at [email protected])