Political Diary
New Delhi, 19 October
2021
Kashmir
Déjà vu
ELUSIVE
PEACE?
By
Poonam I Kaushish
The
travails of picturesque Kashmir continue. Last fortnight’s macabre killing of 11
members of non-Kashmiris, Hindu-Sikh minority communities and migrant workers by
hit-and-run groups has generated widespread panic in Kashmir. Srinagar has been
overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu and
opened old wounds —
frightening reminder of the brutal 1990s when select killings and overwhelming
panic had led to exodus for
survival of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley
Moreover,
it has revived and sharpened communal fears among victims while the Poonch terrorists-army
encounter in which 13 militants and 9 security personnel died reveals how
deep terrorists have dug in without
getting noticed in the porous border area. The Resistance
Front (Lashkar-e-Taiba- Hizbul Mujahideen
face post 2019) has claimed responsibility for killing “RSS agents” and police
informers. The police have detained 900 people and killed two terrorists
linked to banned religious outfit Jamaat-e-Islami.
Certainly, the
selective killings betray its evil intention: Creating a fresh scare among
Kashmiri Pandits intending to return home after three decades and to deter
ordinary migrant workers mainly from UP and Bihar, comprising Hindus and
Muslims from working here. Rupturing the
semblance of peace and vitiating
the overall environment, underscoring the invalidation of Article 370 does not
automatically translate into neutralisation of Islamist terrorism in J&K
amidst increasing radicalization.
Worse, the fear
psychosis is getting aggravated ominously and becoming
politically sensitive with regional leaders questioning the Centre’s
one-step-forward-two-step-back policies. “It
is a resounding ‘reply’ to a retinue of Union Ministers visit here recently.
Except hollow condolences and
banal assurances, there is deafening silence by the Centre, thereby,
exposing the hollowness of misconceived political 'messages' of development,
normality and end of terrorism,” said a mainstream leader.
More. These
incidents have exposed the fallacy by the Government that militancy had been ‘nearly
wiped out’ from the Valley, security strengthened and there is a sense of safety
among different sections of people as a result of which development works were
gaining momentum. If anything, the killings have exposed the ominous
vulnerability of the post-2019 volatile political
vacuum on the ground coupled with militancy feeling
bold enough to resurface with a bang.
Diversion of attention and manpower of the security grid
necessitated by these ill-advised visits offered an opportunity to elusive
groups of militants to go for their targets and put their communally motivated
design into action. Resulting in Kashmiri Pandit families living in guarded
colonies started to rush back to Jammu.
Clearly,
fear is ominously more manifest post killings. The lingering psycho-emotional
impact of 'shock-and-awe’ created by ‘cutting to size’ the country's only
Muslim majority State is now getting accentuated. Recall,
Modi had justified Article 370 scrapping and Kashmir’s unification would end
terrorism.
Said
separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq “When militarisation is pursued as a State
policy to handle a live and lingering conflict rather than seeking conflict
resolution, bloodshed and loss of precious human lives is the consequence.”Adding,
“No victim is seen through the religious prism as 50 families have left so
far”.
Besides, Kashmir’s mainstream is at odds with measures taken by
the Centre. Especially, being favourable towards Pandits which has displeased Muslims
as they see Pandits as Hindus and symbol
of India in Muslim-majority Kashmir. Accentuated by avoidable recent
administrative orders, like reopening land sale by Kashmiri Pandit migrants has
compounded fears among those who have genuine legal documents but dread its
retrospective annulment if the seller chooses to question its validity.
Significantly, signs of disillusionment are beginning to
manifest in Jammu and Ladakh too. Jammu traders recently observed a hartal against Central and State Administration
policies and actions. Buddhist-majority Ladakh has also been voicing grievances
of being neglected. It now demands full Statehood. In the
Valley many sarpanchs have resigned even as the Government continues to project the civic
polls as evidence of Kashmir's return to normalcy
These signs of disquiet across the three regions indicate the
diminishing returns of the NDA Government's deleting Article 370 in August 2019,
whereby there is yet no perceptible qualitative dividends on the ground,
notwithstanding feasting on the denudation of regional NC and PDP.
The
longer the delay in normalising ground conditions, winding up the Delimitation
Commission, holding Assembly polls and restoration of the full Statehood
greater the danger of its consequences on security and political fronts. Post-poll
manipulation to put together alternative contraptions and puppets have revealed
its undesirable consequences of sinister magnitude. Asserted
a security expert, “This glitch is bound to boomerang.”
Government
sources discount a repeat of 1990s Kashmir. As despite Kashmiri Muslims angst
over Government policies, they see beginning of a new sliver of hope: At
least 3,800 Pandit migrants have returned and many have taken
up Government jobs. There are also possibilities of
reconciliation between Pandits-Muslims and a new window of economic and
business opportunity.
But,
the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti disregards
this. In the 1990s 70,000
Pandit families fled and nearly 500 Kashmiri Pandits were killed. Their ghosts have not only drawn a massive wedge between
Pandits-Muslims but the divide has gotten worse, as Muslims largely believe
they are being made a scapegoat by media and blamed for helping militant groups
in targeting Pandits.
Many pro-India Kashmiri leaders fear that targeting of minorities
is making Muslims lives miserable. The presence of 700,000 soldiers
has set alarm bells ringing as they anticipate an iron-fisted response from the Centre. Till
date, the conflict has claimed over 47,000 lives since 1989 even as human
rights groups criticise the Government over its worsening
human rights record which includes extrajudicial killings and enforced
disappearances.
Be
it 1990s or 2021. Let’s not forget there is still tacit support to jihad in
Kashmir from several sections of the population. Even after losing scores of
their own men and women, there is somehow social sanction to participation in
the so-called ‘holy war.’ Certainly, Pakistan is to blame for sponsoring jihad, but part of it is homegrown militants
too, fuelled by radicalised ‘misguided’ Kashmiris leading to a growing gulf
between people and the political dispensation. Consequently, these radical
elements are better positioned to fight and kill innocents than political
entities.
Over
the decades Kashmir has been a favourite playground for our politicians to
carry out experiments, weave magical myths about their political dexterity and
innovations, success in nipping Pakistan’s devious designs, tales of heroic valour
in annihilating cross border terrorism notwithstanding the simmering cauldron
of discordant voices of Opposition and regional players mingled with discontent
among Kashmiris.
The
bloodshed should serve as a wake-up call to the Centre. Until the Government addresses
radicalisation jihad won't go away. Alongside persistent divide on religious
and regional lines continues. Undoubtedly, a coherent strategy on conflict
resolution is required. New Delhi needs to reduce the sources of extremism and
separatism, undermine Pakistani influence in the Valley and make Kashmiris feel
closer to India.
Modi
has to leave no ‘stone’ unturned to further India’s national interests. A slow
and steady work in progress, Modi must take the lead as deepening the trust
between Jammu and Kashmir and between Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi must be the
core goals for ‘Naya Jammu Kashmir.’ Ultimately, he needs to win minds and hearts of Kashmiris since
wars begin in the minds of men and it is in the minds of men that the defence
of peace must be constructed. ---- INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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