In a moment of reckoning , last week Rajya Sabha heard speeches of leaders of INC and BJP which had a common refrain that Kashmir’s is a “history of alienation .” It is a statement of truth, no matter it has come in a political run down show.
Rajya Sabaha was discussing the resolution to impose president’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Participating in the discussion ex-CM J&K and current leader of opposition in Rajay Sabha , Ghulam Nabi Azad accused BJP of destabilizing the state governments and breaking NC . INC and the PDP. Refuting the charge the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that it was wrong to say that alienation started in the state in the last four years and it was Congress which played the destabilizing game . He said that when Governor B K Nehru refused to play the game he was replaced and the new Governor was appointed who destabilized Farooq Abdullah government and formed new one by breaking the National Conference.
Jaitly went to say ” Kashmir’s is a history of alienation ” and that Assembly elections for successive years in 1957 , 1962 and 1967 were not fair. It was a massive fraud played with democracy by the Congress leadership . He recalled that there was a District Magistrate named Abdul Khaliq who manipulated elections for the ruling party. According to him ” there were two types of MLAs elected. One by Khaliq and other by people .” It was only 1977 that Kashmir witnessed free and fair elections when Morarji Desai became Prime Minster . FM admitted that the regional parties have a role in J&K. The national parties could align with them despite ideological differences.
Very true , Mr. Jaitley . Pointing towards Azad the FM said ” when history will give verdict on the roles of Jawaharlal Nehru and Shyama Prassda Mukerjee you will feel the pain .” Let’s wait for the verdict!
Takeaways from the statement of Arun Jaitly are : that one, Kashmir stands alienated. Two, democracy was never allowed to have a free run in J& K. Three, Governor Jagmohan destabilized NC and government led by Farooq Abdullah , and , four. Local political parties have a role in the state and that national political parties may align with them irrespective of an ideology .
Good that the FM is concerned on Kashmir . He is right in castigating Congress for its flawed K policy. Nonetheless, the BJP cannot escape blame in complicating the matter. It’s up starts and loud mouths in Jammu and elsewhere lose no opportunity to play foul when a solution of sorts in visible . Some of them have not taken kindly to Atal Behar Vajpayee when he invoked Insaniyat, Jamhooryat and Kashmiriat to settle the issue.
What Arun Jaitley says about the role of Congress party in messing up Kashmir is largely true. However, for Kashmir’s sense of alienation every political actor who ruled Delhi is responsible with varied degree of share, depending upon his political clout in the national capitol. It is a travesty that the person who built relationship of State with the Indian union – Jawaharlal Nehru – is portrayed a villain to the cause . It can’t be denied that he is partly responsible for the mess Kashmir is presently in . Alienation started from 1953 .
True, Kashmir has had traumatic experience of the democracy . Elections held were largely flawed . But what has BJP done to correct the wrong? Nothing . On the contrary it has followed the bad practice. Latest example is the sham ULB elections in Kashmir , where these bodies were made In Jammu and packed off to various places in the Valley, in utter disregard to the democratic norms .
It sounds revelation when it comes from a person whose party ( BJP ) has persistently refused to acknowledge that Kashmiris were nursing a feeling of alienation, on account of things done by Delhi, and whose consistent narrative was that Kashmir has no problem except taking back what was taken by Pakistan in 1947. It is reassuring that BJP has realized the importance of local parties in the State. This position must be welcomed because, earlier, BJP would lose no opportunity to deride theses local political parties as “Kashmir Centric Parties “. So, is worth noting that B JP has admitted the role of Jagmohan in destabilizing the state in 1984. Remember , to some ‘nationalists ‘ he is a ‘savior of Kashmir ‘ .
Having diagnosed the problem , it for the FM to impress upon PM Modi and the bigwigs of the BJP to see Kashmir in dispassionate way and take a call to address the problem, without playing a political blame game. Start peace process, first , by taking a stock of what interlocutor Dineswar Sharma has achieved – if any . Then, get real stake holders on board – if not to resolve ‘issue ‘ entirely but , at least , for ensuring that no precious life is lost .
(B L Saraf is Former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
bushanlalsaraf@gmail.com