Respected Madam,
I take you back to early nineties. When the militancy was at its peak, the  Government   institutions  and establishment  fought a tough battle to contain it  and despite the fact that militancy  has a sustainability period  of  8-10 years  it continued  for almost 20 years in Kashmir and is still not totally dead. In  nineties,  the think-tank in India devised a mechanism to derail the separatist movement  and devised  the  philosophy of Peace and Prosperity.

It is in this backdrop that  a civilian Government  was restored in Kashmir and   later on your party came into existence. The emergence of PDP  though provided a  viable opposition  option to people of Kashmir  and demolished the  monopoly of NC but it also divided the Muslim dominance  and  created a situation where no Government  can now be formed without the support from  Jammu based  parties, thus making  Jammu region the  King maker. A  large section of intelligentsia in Kashmir  believe that the creation of PDP  was to  confuse the public sentiment in Kashmir   and  to divide the   monopoly of Muslims  in the State of J&K.  The foolishness of NC in understanding the changes  taking place in political system at national level  viz z viz the rise of BJP, it  adopted anti Muslim  and anti kashmiri   attitude    and  committed  blunders to appease the rightist Hindu party  and one of the great blunders was the creation of STF  which proved to be a  watershed  for this party and it was your well planned  tirade against there acts of NC that your party emerged  as  a leading political force in Kashmir valley in the assembly elections held in 2002 . It was a time when new political alignments had taken place in India. For the first   time a rightist  Hindu party had taken over  the Government  in Delhi just  a few years back.

The BJP Government  took certain initiatives including a couple  for seeking peace with  neighboring country  Pakistan. Mr Vajpayee wanted Kashmir issue to be resolved   as being a veteran  who had seen Indian parliamentary democracy since  fifties knew that  Kashmir was the  issue that  will at any point of time  put the entire South Asia into flames. He adopted a two way strategy. He initiated  a  dialogue with separatists in Kashmir,  and on the other hand initiated a composite dialogue with  Government  of Pakistan which resulted in opening of Srinagar muzafarabad highway. It was just your good luck that PDP was in power at that time and the party  succeeded  in making people understand that  this was done on behest of PDP. Though it was just a coincidence  and if any party  would be in power at that time in J&K, this thing  would  have happened even than .

Despite all your efforts your party could not head the Government  for full six year term and  in midway  Mr Azad took over as Chief Minister. Than came  Amarnath shrine board  land issue. The ministries held by your people were  totally responsible for this misadventure which than Governor  had devised  under a hidden and  long term strategic  plan on the pattern of Israeli  settlements in occupied territories. No one could expect that it will draw such a strong resentment from  people  and withdrawing the support to Azad Government  was just a face saving which PDP could do at that crucial point of time. Though it proved too costly and too hasty a decision  afterwards which ultimately resulted in  the  ouster of your party from Government  in the  next  elections. Cong   god rid of PDP and instead  aligned with NC  which  had established  a close  contact with 10 Janpath  through  the young Turks  who are  running the shots in New Delhi under leadership of Rahul Gandhi. The relationship of  Sachin Pilot  could not have worked better for Omar Abdullah  than  this  and it is this  kitchen  culture   of Congress which has established Omar Abdullah as chief Minister of J&K  and getting his father out of Kashmir was just to make him the  Sultaan  of Kashmir.

His lack of political experience  and administrative skills coupled with domestic compulsions have  proved him a total failure and his recent  folly  for safeguarding  his Government   speaks volumes about his childish  and   irresponsible attitude and he is repeating   the blunders which his father committed  by  creating   STF  and by   giving too much room to New Delhi aspirations  which are based upon  anti-Kashmir sentiments. No doubt he is going to feel the heat  in the next elections  and he will be feeling all sorry for the blunders he has committed  during these three months. But what is more  shocking is  your  response to this turmoil  and bloodshed. Over the last three months your party is a mere spectator  and  what we see is just   politics of deceit and  greed. Your response to this mayhem and bloodshed is  just a few  well calculated  statements  which are aimed at  local audience if they are aired through local TV networks and  more  balanced if they are  aimed at larger political establishment in the country. It is quite evident that the game plan of PDP is all wait till Omar Government  falls under its own mismanagement and you just get  a chance  to step in through either defections in NC or by  getting smaller groups in that  scenario  that will emerge.

You have made it a very dirty affair  and are looking at it as  an opportunity  to  grab power again . By criticizing the Prime Minister that he opened his mouth after 60 deaths in Kashmir you forgot  the role of your father who is  also  somewhat a mere spectator   to this entire carnage. You are appealing to Prime Minster  and expect him to  initiate a political process and announce a political package. How do you forget that  this time it is not Mr. Vajpayee  who  had the guts and political will to do it , it is Mr Manmohan Singh who has proved that he is all accountable to 10 Janpath  and  has been termed as the weakest  among all  his counterparts in the past. It was quite evident  in his speech  he made a few days back wherein one can easily understand  his compulsions and his political wisdom and understanding of this vexed problem. He  believes that  Panchayat elections should be held in Kashmir and Dr Rangarajan and Mr Narayanmurthi  of Infosys  had a role to solve Kashmir problem. I heard Mr Arun Jailtly  of BJP on  a TV  show making a taunt  of this  effort by PM and he rightly pointed out that  the problem is so vexed that political leadership failed to solve this problem since last 60 years  and PM believes that  Mr Naraynamurthy  has the capability to solve it .We wish him Good luck.

The PDP is  thinking on the same lines as was Mr Jagmohan when he was  picked by Government  of India  again  to become the Governor of this troubled state in early nineties. They thought that he left as a hero   in eighties and will receive the same welcome  again  as he had done lot of developmental activities  in his earlier spell. The Government of India failed to    understand the changed scenario since 80’s to 90’s the Kashmir had undergone and  what was his fate than needs not to be mentioned. Same  mistake   your party seems to be repeating  by expecting that  Mufti’s return will change the situation. But it will be just as good as  the second term of Jagmohan  and nothing more. The situation  which has developed in Kashmir  is not  that  Omar Abdullah failed  but  because the political system that has been placed by Delhi in Kashmir has failed miserably . You  and all mainstream parties are very much a part and parcel of that system. The  theory of  peace and prosperity stands rejected by the people and resolution of dispute is the  mantra  and  the strategy devised by the Indian think tank to derail  this ideology stands  miserably failed. Now  what next?

You may not join the chorus of Azadi but you can  still  play a role  of vibrant political force  of Kashmir. New Delhi must understand that if they continue with Rangarajan and Narayanmurthi attitude towards Kashmir their own mainstream  parties  may  no longer  be available to them   and  this will make a  hell of difference  and New Delhi  will be forced to change the  policy  and will come to terms  with leadership of Kashmir on some honorable  way out. And so if you are very concerned about the situation in Kashmir and really want to  send a clear message to New Delhi that enough is enough and they need to initiate a time bound, specific political initiative in Kashmir, than your party has to come forward and  there can be no better option to register your message by  resigning  from all assembly seats  your party has won. This  is the real test of your  policy  and  nothing less can  satisfy the people of Kashmir. Otherwise your partly is as responsible for this bloodshed as the NC and people understand this politics of deceit and  betrayal.

(Feedback at rafiqbhatt@yahoo.co.in)

Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST