Ravinder Jalali
Recently the centre has taken a U-turn , rather I should say, roller coater by allowing the separatists to have talks with Pakistani establishment, by saying that these separatists are basically Indian citizens and have right to meet and talk to any one. Surely every citizen of India has right to contact to any one in the country or outside but not at the cost of sovereignty and integrity of the nation. But does not the Central Govt know who these people are? To whom are they going to talk? Is it a business delegation discussing trade with Pakistan? Absolutely No! Then why they are made free to meet and talk to whom so ever they want? Is the Central Govt. just becoming ostrich, who refuses to face reality or recognise the truth and the fact of the matter is that they are not the friends of India and can not afford to see India progressing and want the State to cede to Pakistan. These people openly denounce India and celebrate any occasion to show solidarity with Pakistan.
The Govt. should remember that they (NDA) are the same people who have been cursing and criticising the previous Congress Govts for hobnobbing with Pakistan. I like to remind the Central Govt. that it was Prime Minister Modi who in a television interview, in one of the leading channels, said, “Can there be talks in the din of bullets and bomb blasts?” Now why there is U-turn?
Recently the Govt. informed the Parliament that there is no intention of lifting AFSPA in J and K which clearly indicates that not conducive atmosphere prevails in the state. It was also reported that there are some inimical foreign intelligence operatives, who have become active and are trying to extract information about army from the local people. There are other civilians who have also received some calls of same nature in Leh area. Against this backdrop it is dangerous and fraught with risks for following roller coaster like policy with separatists, by allowing the separatists to have talks with Pakistani diplomats; it will make the job of these inimical foreign intelligence operatives easy. Moreover it gives legitimacy to the third party intervention to Kashmir issue which we have been denying right from the beginning.
Proposed bilateral talks between India and Pakistan at NSA level were cancelled last year on 23rd August, in Delhi, because Pakistan High Commission in India had sent an invitation to separatists in J and K to a reception hosted by them for their National Security Advisor, Sartaj Aziz. Indian Govt. made it clear and loud at that time that these separatists will not be allowed to meet them. Indian Govt. made it clear that these talks are bilateral and issues to be discussed are terror and terrorism only and nothing else. On so many occasions the Govt. has cancelled the talks on the issue of the Pakistani Foreign Secretary or Pakistani High Commissioner inviting or engaging the separatists in talks. Why we are making the Huriyat as third party to the settlement of Kashmir issue? On one hand we say it is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and at the same time allow separatists to meet Pakistani leaders to discuss Kashmir issue. If the Central Govt is convinced that their meeting is not to discuss Kashmir then what else they are going to discuss? Let Govt. clarify. They had not gone to attend any marriage or social function.
These separatists have already damaged the social fabric and converted Kashmir into an Islamic State. Recently J and K Chief Minister Mehbooba while addressing a gathering at Anantnag Railway Station during the flagging off new trains in Kashmir Valley appreciated the decision of the then Leader and former Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah for accession to India in 1947. She said that it was a right decision at that time to access with India which is secular and all faith could live in harmony with the people belonging to other faiths, while protecting their special identity. What is that Identity? Bur she forgets that the identity of Muslims of Kashmir can not exist in the absence of Kashmiri Pandits who are the aborigines of the Valley who have been hounded out by the militants supported by the separatists and State Governments from time to time. In the absence of any rehabilitation policy for KPs, on the part of the Govt. either at the Centre or at State level, the Ganga-Jamuna culture, which existed in the Valley before 1990 and no longer exists now, is a distant dream.
Though recently many changes have been encrypted under the influence of new wave of Islamisation and radicalisation, so that the older generation people are offering their prayers at traditional mosques while the new breed of young generations prefer to visit new mosques set up by these radicals who are funded by those who have links with their masters across the border and Gulf countries. She understands well that had J and K acceded to Pakistan, their culture, language would have been no more. These separatists who advocate joining of Pakistan, also know it fully that their shops would have been closed by now or they would have been no more. They know that there is no country on the planet like India where they can protest against the nation and that too within the country and in the capital also. They can not dream of such liberty in any other country including theocratic (Islamic) countries also.
The fact of the matter is that hardliner separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani has never accepted India, as his nation. If we go through his past, it is not for the first time he made such statements. He has always been anti- India and pro- Pak despite contesting elections. He has been raising anti India and pro pak slogans, hoisting Pakistani flags showing disrespect to Indian National Flag from the very beginning. There seems to be nothing new and no surprise.
Separatists must be enjoying this new dispensation from the Government of India now ,as they need not to cross border to contact their masters but can arrange meetings with leaders of Pakistan and the militants in the Indian capital. They can arrange anti-India rallies, protests, desecrate Indian Flag, Indian Constitution on the lawns of Raj Path, near or inside the Parliament or near Jantar Mantra. After all they are Indians and patriots in the eyes of Govt. They can even Ghearao the Prime Minister and the Parliament as others did in JNU. They need not do it in a hide out but under full media glare including international media. This will also earn India as true champion of democracy.
The core issue is how the government, either State or Central, is to handle with an individual or institution, who do not accept the sovereignty of nation and challenges its integrity. How to deal with those who unfurl the Pakistani flags, raised anti-India and pro-Pak slogans on the Indian soil. It does not matter whether it is in Kashmir or in any part of India. There should be policy to deal with such anti national elements. Certainly there is a policy but it seems that the Govt. at the Centre or at the State has no spine to execute the policy and handle the issue.
(The writer is a Social Activist and Convenor, Democratic Pannun Kashmir. )
