M. M Khajooria
A proposal to establish a Sainik Colony in Srinagar has ignited a fierce controversy. The media, the separatist leadership civil society and opposition National conference were up in arms alleging it was a conspiracy to change the demography of Kashmir. Former Chief Minister Omer Abdullah termed it a “ruse to settle( in Kashmir) non-state subjects.” Separatist leaders described it variously as “open aggression” and “unacceptable” CM Mehbooba Mufti was at the receiving end.
Under normal circumstance there should be no problem in allocation of land by the State Government for Sainik Colonies in Kashmir as one such a colony was in existence in Jammu since decades, only ‘State subject’ defence personnel being the beneficiaries . But the situation in Kashmir was certainly not normal . The realities of the on going terrorism , seditious and communal activities of its over -ground separatist face and angularities , perceptions , apprehension and above all the huge potential for distortions that it spawned dictated extreme care and caution in making any move on the ” sensitive and emotive” issues. The situation was further complicated by sporadic but provocative, irresponsible and reckless voices from some on the extreme right fringe of national politics advocating that altering the demographic character of Kashmir was the only permanent solution of the tangle. Apprehensions amongst the Kashmiri Muslim society have further mounted as many such individuals on the fringe have found their way to the central stage of the national political landscape . This was music to the ears of Pak ISI and her local collaborators who magnified the clout of such individuals far beyond their relevance and stoked the embers of suspicion and apprehension. In such emotionally charged environment rationale was bound to take the back seat.
CM Mehbooba Mufti has sought to set at rest the controversy by affirming before the Media that “First of all, no such land has been allotted in the matter and secondly, the demand has been made by the soldiers who belong from Jammu and Kashmir. But until today the government has never allotted any land to them.” Former Chief minister Omar Abdullah , however hit back at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for accusing him of cooking up rumours and revealed the copy of a document showing that land has been allotted by the State Government in Jammu and Kashmir. He posted a picture from a document regarding allotment ‘of 350 Kanals of land for Sainik Colony at Srinagar’ on his twitter account and said, “If you ( the CM) have the guts and truly believe this image is fake file a case against me in the nearest police station today.”
“According to an official document , the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir “had agreed to allotment of 173 Kanals of land on payment in the Old Air Feild area. But now the Rajya Sainik Board has revised the requisition of land to 350 Kanals” and “a revised proposal has been forwarded to the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and State Home Department” (Daily Greater Kashmir, 08 May ,2016). Another Srinagar daily , ‘Kashmir Reader’ corroborated this position and claimed that ” a copy of meeting of the board (Rajya Sainak Board), was in the possession of the paper.” Read conjointly, the statement of CM Mehbooba Mufti, the claim of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and press reports appear to be accommodative rather than contradictory on the central issue. Exception being the spat between the two -Mehbooba and Omar- especially the accusation by Omar of Mehboobas’ “silence on the issue —a result of her complicity in such political manoeuvres that are aimed at weakening the states’ special status and altering its demographic character”.
Kashmiri Muslim was acutely hypersensitive and on short fuse on any real or perceived threat to the demographic profile. This sentiment had been exploited by the conspirator in Islamabad and their local collaborators time and again. The making of Shri AmarNath Yatra Land Row was fresh in our collective memory. It was there fore imperative to hold out credible and convincing assurances to Muslims of Kashmir to the effect that the Indian state and the nation unanimously , unequivocally and firmly rejected any such pernicious and subversive formulation. In such matters what really matters is the popular perception not the reality and former had to be addressed. As it is, State sponsored , supported or even tolerated demographic changes ran counter to the very idea of India as a secular democratic and inclusive entity as enshrined in the Constitution. In the context of Jammu and Kashmir what was valid for one region had to be equally valid for the other two.
The reference in the write up was confined to the aspirations, apprehensions and right to demographic security of Kashmiri Muslims because of the ground realities and the specifics of the issue under discussion. Otherwise mere mention of demographic changes instantly brings to mind two massive ethic cleansings -of Kashmiri Pandits and indigenous population of Gilgit-Baltistean, both executed by Pakistan. In the first case the minuscule Hindu minority was tortured, terrorised, massacred and squeezed out of Kashmir utilising the services of fundamentalist Mullahs , goons and murderers. The treatment of this may wait for another day. In Gilgit -Baltistan, on the other hand the process of slashing Shia majority was unleashed in 1980 “through tribal Lashkars “who massacred thousands of Shias in Gilgit and abducted local women.” Simultaneously large number ex-servicemen, sectarian goons of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and other terrorists were armed and settled in the region and the process continued. While the number of non-State subject anti-Shia terrorist swelled the massacres of Shias and Agha Khanis became a regular feature. The 2012 massacres on the Karakuram Highway when Shia men women and children were off loaded from buses made to stop by blocking the road and killed mercilessly even subjecting them to death by stoning. I had written extensively and spoken about the brutalities and the criminal silence of the State and Central Governments. The world conscience was not aroused despite strenuous efforts of Kashmir diaspora who even convened a representative conference in the British Parliament Hall attended by prominent members of the diaspora from across Europe and USA and number of British parliamentarians. The enormous impact of the planned and persistent horrendous crimes can be gauged from the fact that the Shia/ Ismaili population that stood at 85 per cent in 1948 dropped to 58 per cent in 2004 . There can be little doubt that given the series of massacres since the indigenous population must have by now been reduced to minority.
We on this side of the Line of Control owe it to our fellow State Subjects in Galgit Baltistan trapped under a vicious and brutal regime bent upon annihilation of the indigenous population to collectively condemn the Pakistan sponsored ethnic cleansing , loudly proclaim our solidarity with the people of that unfortunate region of Jammu and Kashmir. We must also demand that Pakistan stop this despicable ethnic cleansing , disfranchise non-State subjects inducted into Gilgit Baltistan by the might of Pakistan state and initiate steps to eject the intruders. The entire world must know exactly what was happening to the “citizens of nowhere ” perched on top of “the roof of the world” at the hands of a brutal ,expansionist and unscrupulous occupation power. That may , perhaps prick the world conscience and stir the human rights groups and the United Nations to effectively and speedily intervene to save and secure the people of the region who have been turned into an endangered specie.
I should like to believe that all those who felt scandalised at the proposal to set a Sainak Colony in Kashmir fearing it was a ruse to change the demography of Kashmir and have succeeded in the shelving of the project are by all cannons of morality, humanity and fraternity under obligation to join the crusade against demographic changes in Gilgit-Baltistan and other the crimes against humanity being committed by Pakistan -an interal part of our state. Are my friends from Kashmir, media, civil society, human right activists , the High Court Bar Council and politicians of all hues -separatists/ mainstream on board? Please do speak up.
