The recent statement of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha that injustice against J&K civilians won’t be tolerated is a message to one and all that everyone needs to respect the rights of a common man.
Since the day LG Sinha has taken over the reins of Jammu and Kashmir he has made every possible attempt to address the concerns of the people. But before the wheel of progression moves forward, New Delhi has to complete the reconciliation process by taking everyone on board as people of Kashmir deserves closure before they can move on to be part of this system and reconciliation is the only way forward .
After August 5, 2019, political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir has changed completely. The leaders who used to tell the people that they are all powerful and can negotiate any deal with the Centre have lost their addresses as their wings have been clipped. The officials, who enjoyed the political patronage are maintaining a low profile to save their skin. LG Sinha during the past two months has made it clear that neither the corrupt elements nor corruption will be tolerated.
By allowing the revival of political process LG Sinha has once again set the ball rolling for the politicians to come forward and lead from the front. So, reconciliation attempts are on. Ball is in the court of Kashmiri leaders. In the first attempt these leaders have rejected the idea of reconciliation and are out to tell the people that they can get “everything back” but the fact of the matter is that they are not in a position to get anything back. If they really want to reconcile they have to muster courage and tell truth the people rather than beating round the bush.
No one can deny the fact that mainstream political parties have rendered innumerable sacrifices to keep the tricolor flying high in Kashmir. Many political activists lost their lives just for being affiliated to a political party. If the leaders want to uphold the sacrifices of their workers and leaders, they have to clear the air and be honest to the core.
Many Kashmiris, including policemen, political activists and others have faced the bullets and have proved it time and again that they are nationalists as the sacrifices rendered by them have been more than the people of any part of the country
LG Sinha is a seasoned politician and has handled important assignments. He has got all the qualities, which are needed to begin a new chapter in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir. The Valley based political leaders should grab the opportunity and come forward to take the turmoil hit J&K out of the woods. They have to act as facilitators.
When the Centre revoked J&K’s special status on August 5, 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had made many promises in the Parliament. The time has come for the Centre to fulfill promises which were made one year ago. The abrogation of J&K’s special status was expected to pave the way for the UT’s prosperity and development, but more than one year has elapsed since the day these promise were made. People are still waiting for the process to begin.
New Delhi needs to make the first move but People here should realize that they can’t expect the Centre to say sorry to them every now and then there needs to be redressals with admission of failures. Reconciliation cannot be one-way traffic. People have to reciprocate to put the things back on track. The last one year has proved that people of Kashmir are neither interested in violence nor in any sort of misadventure. The violence was thrust upon them by the people, who have kept Kashmir burning for the past three decades.
Mainstream leaders in Kashmir should learn from the mistakes they have committed in the past. They cannot repeat these blunders anymore. By handing over the reins of J&K to LG Sinha, the Centre has made the first move. Now, it’s for the leaders to decide whether they want to make the second move or not. If they keep on staying aloof and finding faults with everything they will end up as mute spectators, who will be left with no role other than acting as fence sitters. If they fail to come forward there are many young people, who are ready to don their mantle, to pull Jammu and Kashmir out of the quagmire of uncertainty.
The writer is a Former Journalist , EX VC JKPCC & Politician .