Omkar Dattatray
Ignoring hard and ground realities is the hallmark of Indian political psyche. We fail to call a spade a spade and this has landed us in trouble. Our leaders and politicians alike do not muster courage to see the reality in kashmir and thus they fail to come out with a rational and pragmatic policy for solving the mess in J&K from long term perspective. Our casual and ad hoc approach to the problem has in fact compounded the issue confronting the nation so far as J&K is concerned. Our national leaders, politicians and the statesmen must rise above political considerations and should make concerted efforts for resolving the problem in J&K which has eaten the very vitals of our democratic step up and causing enormous economic and social loss to the citizens of the state and to the country as well.
The problem in J&K is not of foreign creation only but our successive central and state governments have in no less way directly or indirectly contributed to the trouble which has engulfed the state. Jammu and Kashmir has got a special rather extraordinary position in the whole of Indian federation. It in fact has an enviable and unique position among the different federal units of the country. But alas, this special status and position given to this state under the controversial Article 370 of Indian constitution because of distinct cultural identity is the grave historical mistake committed by none else but by our own leaders and national heroes.
The special dispensation and position by virtue of Article 370 had all along alienated the people of J&K from the national mainstream. It in fact had created a great void and gulf between J&K and the rest of India. This psychological void and alienation fostered by Article 370 has in fact been exploited by the cunning local and national politicians alike. This separate cultural identity recognized by government of India under Article 370 is the genesis of all crises in J&K. It in fact is the root cause of all ills in the trouble torn state.
It is the cause of separate political aspiration of the Kashmiris. The politicians of the state had always exploited the innocent masses on this account for their own political dividends. The enemy from outside is also exploiting this separate cultural identity and muslim majority character of the state for espousing the cause of self determination for Kashmiris though this proposition is futile after lapse of 70 years of accession of this state to Indian union. The extra ordinary position of this volatile, sensitive and border state has brought havoc to the national security.
The special people of this state are the absolute masters of their destiny and thus they can shape and reshape things for themselves. Because of this special privilege and status you have the power to seek, demand and get but it seems that you as citizens of special state have power to abstain from the duties at times of national exigency. You have to feed this state to the brim and pour in as the centre has always been pouring crores and crores of money but without any accounts and answerability from the state.
Centre has no power to control the funds and financial assistance given to state because this is a special state. It seems that CAGs writ does not rule in the state and his advice falls on the deaf ears of the state machinery. Centre has to give, then is the privilege of the state to spend as it likes. The centre cannot meddle and if they do, a great hue and cry is created and they are made to desist from doing so under the grab of Article 370. Whether you miss spend, over spend, missappropriate, it is the state’s domain, the centre has nothing to do with it and an unbiased observer will definitely sum up that the accession is perhaps for funds only and rest the state and the people are free and can do
anything they like.
The seeds and basis of separatism, regionalism and parochialism is the much talked about Article 370. It is the basis of economic mismanagement, financial maladjustment and psychological alienation of the people. It is the root of weak centre state relations. There should be parity between authority, power and duties. All authority and no answerability have made this state an unbridled horse which can go to any extent. One wonders when more than 20 crore Muslims can live in India with honor and dignity without any special status and without any special position why cannot the Kashmiris live without it. They can like without Article 370 with honor but they have been made to believe otherwise. A certain sort of wrong sentimentality is one purpose fostered upon the Kashmiri psyche that Article 370 is guarantee of their separate identity and this is a cause of present turmoil in the state. This mindset has to be changed.
In this special state there are some non entities as well who do not matter in the state’s social economic and political spheres. Thus the difference between citizens and citizens in our casteless and classless country. These ordinary creatures of this state are no else than Kashmiri Pandits – the aborigines of the Kashmir who stand marginalized ever since freedom. Politically they are insignificant because of their microscopic number. Economically their standing is nowhere as all their landed properties have been taken away under the mask of so called socialistic measure of land reforms which are peculiar to J&K as in no other state land to tiller was effected as in J&K state. This gave a severe jolt to the community. Now in the wake of militancy they stand uprooted from their homes and no one cares for them. Besides these non entities the people
of Jammu and Ladakh are also
discriminated.
The development for Jammu and Ladakh and the homeland demand of Kashmiri pandits is the result of neglect and discrimination and all this is due to Article 370 and its special position. The majority of people want full integration with India and no special and extra ordinary position. Thus stop this extra ordinary position if you want to salvage the state from crises otherwise it will continue to bleed. Thus first correct the mistake within and not to find fault with others. So consensus should be created to abrogate temporary provision of Article 370 but who cares?
