Political
Diary
New Delhi, 4 August
2020
Kashmir: Risky
Silence
INDIA SECURES RAM’S FUTURE
By Poonam I Kaushish
5 August is a red
letter day for the BJP which has a corollary for India. It stands testimony to fulfillment
of two of the Sangh Parivar’s core agenda, namely abrogation of Articles 370 in
Jammu & Kashmir and construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, only enactment
of the Uniform Civil Code remains. Two controversial national issues which
transcend political planks, ideology, philosophy and thesis.
The Ayodhya saga which
started with Rajiv Gandhi’s shilanyas
in 1989 down Advani’s Rath Yatra in 1990 to the demolition of the Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 will culminate tomorrow with the bhumi pujan of a grand Ram temple at the
contentious site in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Modi at 12.30pm.
This follows the
Supreme Court verdict last November which recognized the rights of the 2.77
acre disputed plot as the birthplace of Lord Ram and handed it over
to the deity Ram Lalla who was one of the three litigants in the case. A
chapter of Indian history is now approaching its end.
Predictably, this has put the Opposition in a tizzy. While
the Congress remains silent, a few murmurs question the absence of an invite to
its leaders, some wonder whether Modi is
attending in his personal capacity or as Prime Minister. Others warn
that its construction would open a Pandora’s box on Mathura and Kashi.
Will the temple construction be
a soul cleanser for our netagan? Will it now stop them
from using religion as a hand maiden to
serve their petty, parochial political ends? Can it become a symbol of national unity, if
all castes and communities are involved in its construction?
A
site which has caused a fundamental political rupture among Parties in the past
three decades. It has tested India’s resilience as a secular Constitutional
democracy. A place which for the Hindutva Brigade has always been a symbol of
faith and national revival, central to their faith-based politics of
majoritarianism, whereby the BJP brazenly
uses Ayodhya and Ram temple construction emotively and divisively, milking it to
garner votes for electoral gains, pronounced at poll times and dormant
otherwise.
It
is a near certainty that the BJP hopes to
derive political mileage out of the bhumi pujan followed by construction, specially in the Hindu heartland UP and in Bihar which
goes to the polls later this year, embracing the idea of a “Hindu rashtra”
This is countered by the so-called ‘secular’ Parties like Congress and its ilk who
hold secularism as a principle, but pander to minority Muslim sentiments, ignoring
the majority Hindu’s feelings thereby turning it into a communal-secular issue to suit their parochial ends,
resulting in toxic secularism wherein a ‘communal’ pro-Hindu opposition Party became ‘secular’
pro-Muslim when it joins like-minded
forces.
Consequently, Ayodhya
has become synonymous for all key debates: secularism, Hindutva, inter-community
ties, ‘communal jihad’, historical injustices, rule of law and political
movements around religious or caste identity. Conveniently, trashing Mohammad
Iqbal who hailed Ram as Imam e Hind.
Today also marks one year
post the bifurcation of Jammu
& Kashmir State into two Union Territories, Ladakh and J&K. Questionably,
has the Modi Sarkar fulfilled its
promise of development, normality and end of terrorism?
The Valley is far
from normal, there is a heavy blanket of security coupled with a widening trust
deficit and increased alienation, some leaders baring NC’s Abdullahs continue
to be in detention under the Public Safety Act including PDP leader and ex Chief
Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was part of coalition Government with the BJP till
June 2018 or like Congress leader Soz under ‘house arrest’. Militancy is rife a
result of radicalisation of local youth, alienation has increased amidst
simmering resentment, people only venture out for necessities, there are restrictions
on mobile telephony and internet aggravated by Covid 19.
For New Delhi it is
still work in progress as Kashmiris see the new domicile rule as a ploy to
change the erstwhile State’s demographic profile by fresh delineation of Lok
Sabha and Assembly constituencies which could see an increase in seats in
Hindu-dominated Jammu and with Kargil now being a part of Ladakh, the numbers
of Muslims would stand diminished. Besides,
Jammu residents who had welcomed abrogation, now fear Government jobs may no
longer be reserved only for them.
Security analysts
assert that the lack of protests and no violence is either simply because the
average Kashmiri has resigned himself to the change and wants peace or is
waiting for the right opportunity to implode. Clearly, the Centre will soon
have to take the bull by the horns as the Union Territories cannot remain
bereft of political activity much longer as a long-term clampdown goes against
peoples’ fundamental and democratic rights.
Till date the Centre
has failed to give the Kashmiris a feeling of belonging or a wrap up which will treat them with respect, restore
their dignity and try and heal the accumulated humiliations. The need of the
hour is for India to connect with Kashmiris.
More. The Government has
not been able to plug Kashmir deeper into the Indian economy and create more
broad-based stakeholders in the Valley who will benefit from greater economic
interactions with the rest of India. It is imperative development of the region
and economic activity begin soon. With tourism being a major money spinner we
need to promote world class tourist facilities and build new infrastructure for
modern industries.
Investments for new
projects, even ongoing projects under the PM’s Development Package are
progressing slowly thanks to the uncertain security scenario. In the five years
since Modi’s announcement of the Rs
58,627 crores package only 49% funds have been utilized and only 9 projects of 54
have been completed, 8 “substantially completed” and the rest are either
“ongoing” or “slow moving”.
Time now for politics
to play out by holding polls soon, whether it is a hung Assembly or one Party
gets majority is not important. A Modus Vivendi with locals by gathering lost
threads from the baggage of chequered history and keeping ones ears to the
ground. There should be a return to normalcy with people being restored their
democratic power. The Government should open communication channels with the
people, identify stakeholders and talk to them. It should simultaneously ensure
the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
Modi
has to leave no ‘stone’ unturned to further India’s national interests and make
Kashmiris’ truly feel they belong to India. The Kashmiris’ too need to rise to
the occasion. The need of the hour is imagination, innovation and impetus. It remains
to be seen if he can get the cherry blossom to truly bloom again and make the
Kashmir dream a reality. It is a long dreary road.
As for Ayodhya it remains to be seen it the Ram temple’s
construction will become a catalytic agent to integrate India and make it a
cohesive whole, given our pseudo-secularism has come a full circle. All stake
holders need to remember that India is a pluralistic society where Hindus and
Muslims have to live and die together. Those at the helm of governance must
desist from showing a bias towards any faith as it could seriously strain
inter-religious relations. People across all castes and communities are now
craving for progress and development.
It is now time for
the Parties to close ranks and re-dedicate themselves to a truly secular
nation. There can be no two opinions that the developments at Ayodhya will
alter the course of contemporary politics from which both the BJP and the
Congress stand to gain as well as lose.
(Copyright, India
News and Feature Alliance)
|