Political Diary
New Delhi, 30 October 2010
Kashmir Mess Crippled
BY FOOT-IN-MOUTH DISEASE
By Poonam I Kaushish
It is in times of conflict that a nation exemplifies its
driving force, core aspirations and ability to ride the political storm and
come up trumps. This truism was brutally brought home last week by the loud
cantankerous cackle on Kashmir. All busy
dissecting, debating and deliberating the current imbroglio and shooting their
mouth in all directions. Ignoring the harsh reality, the State is in the throes
of a fresh uprising which is testing the essence of Indian polity and
democracy. Who will win the battle of rage and resistance?
The tragedy of India
is that like always the State blames Pakistan,
its home-bred Lashkar-e-Taiba,
separatists and youth weaned on Islamabad’s
diatribe. To counter this New Delhi
doles out more of the same, brute force and economic largesse. Miserably
overlooking that the fault rests squarely at its doorstep. Of both New Delhi
and Srinagar’s failure to understand that if Kashmir is burning today and
demanding azadi it is because they
have failed to convince the stone-pelting youth, born post 1947, that it is a
part of India.
A generation bred on constant years of strife and violence
has not only overcome the fear factor. But is also is politically aware of its
rights, alert to the fundamentalists demand for self-determination and the
denial of the same thanks to violence. Their angst is not merely against the
violence. It is about a deep-rooted desire for a political solution to their
long-festering problems. Encompassing, the right to self-determination.
Raising a moot point: Does New Delhi realise that a new and
potent political challenge has arisen in Kashmir?
How it intends dealing with this? Does the Government have any long term plan
to deal with the situation?
Sadly, no. The Centre’s lack of comprehension
can be gauged from the fact that there is tragic confusion as to what precisely
the three ‘interlocutors’ are supposed to do. Are they expected to convey to New Delhi the feelings across the political spectrum in Kashmir? Or are they to function as self-styled mediators
to recommend a solution. Else, self-anointed arbitrators to settle the issue
for return of peace and normalcy to the Valley?
Recall, Nehru and his principle aide Krishna Menon time and
again underscored at home and the UN that Kashmir was not a dispute and legally
as also Constitutionally a part of India. Likewise it is only a “problem and issue’’
created by Pakistan.
Yet these self-opinionated interlocutors have transformed
the “quiet dialogue” into “sound byte unilateralism.” Shooting their mouth off by repeatedly
calling Kashmir a “dispute.” Forgetting that Pakistan is
only a part of the problem as an aggressor occupying a large chunk of J&K. And
it has to end its occupation.
And yet one of the interlocutors shockingly, chose to equate
the aggressor with the defender. Said he, “We are here to look for a permanent
solution to the Kashmir issue… but a permanent solution is not possible without
the involvement of Pakistan."
Clearly, he had no business to talk about Pakistan having a role in settling issues in Kashmir. Thus, in one fell-stroke he washed away decades
of hard-nosed ‘core’ fact that Kashmir was an integral part of India. Whether India should discuss the Kashmir issue with Pakistan or not, is a matter for New Delhi to decide on.
It is wholly outside the domain of an interlocutor.
This is not all. Another intermediary added more
controversial grist by recommending amendments to the Constitution to
accommodate a ‘solution’ in keeping with the ‘aspirations’ of the people. Plainly,
implying that the Constitution could be amended to facilitate azadi or secession to meet the
aspirations of those Kashmiris who subscribe to separatism.
Undoubtedly, this has created a piquant situation for the
Prime Minister and further compounded the problem. The interlocutors might find themselves
shunned by people of Jammu
and Ladakh regions where such outrageous utterances are bound to raise hackles.
The consequences of which would have to be faced by the Centre. Thus, before further damage is caused the
Government needs to rein them in.
Not only that. Part of the genesis of the problem is that
since Independence, New Delhi’s overall response to the
strife-torn State has been of pacification. Hoping that the problem would
dissipate. Overlooking that peace cannot be measured by a decrease in
infiltration from across the border or the number of killings and economic
packages. These figures cannot capture the sense of political alienation of the
post-1989 generation that has grown up in the shadow of guns and bloodshed. Resulting in the present-day intifada-like situation in the Valley.
In fact, the recent violence once again highlights the
Centre’s inability or should one say myopic limitations of total dependence on
force to deal with the Kashmiris sense of alienation. Neither did this quell
the stone-pelting mob but instead resurrected the disparate pro-Pakistan
Hurriyat which closed ranks and succeeded in bringing centre-stage the call for
azadi.
What next? The time has come for both New
Delhi and Srinagar
to post-haste address the “trust and Government deficit” particularly in the
Valley. Indeed, the deficit is so enormous that a good number of measures seem
to be negated even before they can be initiated or have had little impact on
the ground in normalising the situation in the State. The rejection of the interlocutors by the
separatist leaders a case in point.
Besides, it is all very well to have interlocutors but simultaneously
efforts should be made to having a meaningful wide-ranging dialogue. Whereby
the State would have to convince the alienated youth by adopting a two-pronged
strategy: argument and action. Along-with formulating a political
reconciliation process and being sensitive to the injustices suffered by
Kashmiris.
At the same time New Delhi
should implement all the measures recently announced in the eight-point package
on Kashmir. True, all education institutions
have been opened but curfew intermittently continues to be imposed in parts of Srinagar and other areas
in the State. The Centre has still to scale down the presence of security
forces and release all those detained since June last. Any action taken on that
count has at best been cosmetic on the ground.
Unmistakably, the present gridlock calls for serious
introspection and a shift in trajectory from an appeasing approach to a more
direct modus operandi. First, we need to call a spade a spade and engage Pakistan aggressively.
Three wars and decades of trying to have a civilized conversation on Kashmir has not yielded any results but only aggravated
the problem.
We only need to demand return of PoK not discuss Kashmir. Given that Islamabad
has illegally forced its way in by unleashing terrorism from within its
borders. As long as Pakistan
remains in the equation, a solution is impossible.
What Kashmir needs is a long-term
plan, a fresh approach and a concrete hard-nosed comprehensive policy. Less of
political romanticism and more of practical calculations. Given the stakes, the
many players and the shifting sands of geo-strategic political equations, there
are many ifs and buts which do not make a whole.
Ultimately, we will have to go by the wisdom of UNESCO’s basic
tenet which states: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds
of men that the defence of peace must be constructed”. The sooner we realise
this, the easier it will be for finding a panacea to the Kashmir
imbroglio. ---- INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|