Into the third week of my stay – by far the longest in seven decades – in the valley not one glimmer of hope around. And yet it need not be as hopeless as it seems. Three days of sun, followed by another rain-soaked morning, the usual Friday restrictions, protests in some towns, the usual mopping up operations by the Security Forces. And, of course, the unavoidable retelling of encounters – recounted with exaggerated embellishments of the day’s toll of militant lives and, not unexpectedly of the odd soldier injured in an encounter. Not to speak of the anger and unbecoming wrath of the anchor-drumbeaters, spewing sheer venom from your TV screens.
Ever mindful of reminding the captive viewer of the treasonous ‘grade’ the of desh-drohi (for ever a valley man) may have attained. The more grotesque it sounds the happier would the TV moron look. A job well done. Yes, there was a day’s break in between to allow the Kashmiri coalition ( a hodge-podge of conflicting interests) government and its BJP mentors to tom-tom a non-event ) reassuring nevertheless that our rulers such as they are do sometimes wish to remind us that democratic values probably haven’t totally lost relevance.The fact though is that the Jammu-based junior partner in the State’s ruling coalition seemed (dikhawa) willing to submit to popular pressure. And just a dikhawa it has been. For the BJP men were back in their true saffron colours soon after making a show of so-called sackings (musical chairs) of Ministers and the very minimal regret over the rape and murder of the eight-year Kathua girl. The BJP’s so-called marching orders to some of its Ministers in the event turned out be no more than an ill-meant show of its political muscle; the BJP’s points-man in the State Mr Ram Madhav in fact left no one in any doubt about the worthlessness of the hyped exercise of the so-called sacking of Ministers etc. A sop it turned out to be for it became clear by an hour or so that the leopard had not changed its spots and indeed some of the lines had even become clearer than before. Only the spots were a hue deeper deeper bringing out the distinct parivar into the open. It was left to me and you to decide if the divide had become any clearer. Among the new Ministers appointed was an arch Hindu revivalist who had headed the Hindu Sena Manch agitation in defence of those arrested in the Kathua case. The other part of the reshuffle was even more ridiculous. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Deputy was asked to switch seats with the fellow BJP man, the Speaker. A third party MLA was inducted in place of the unbridled Lal Singh, a gentleman who obviously is known to be a querulous quick-fix pol. The new Deputy Chief Minister had meanwhile discovered that the rape-murder was really a very minor case which would be brought to a conclusion soon. In the process he left one in no doubt about the future of the case. Not unexpected, given that the Minister was only restating his party line. A reference to the Supreme Court did yield some instant relief but the BJP stalwarts in the State appeared readying themselves for another round. The point that needs to be stressed that the PDP, the dominant valley party somehow seems to have chosen to act coyly in the face of the confrontational position taken by the BJP, her junior partner in the coalition. One presumes that Mehbooba Mufti had discussed the issue threadbare with the Central BJP leaders about the potentially dangerous political implications of the case and that her views had probably prevailed. If that be the case one wonders how and why the Chief Minister is letting her coalition partner in the State act as if it was not accountable. Time perhaps for Mehbooba Mufti to drive home the point that their coalition is governed by an understanding arrived at four years ago. Like it or not the time may have come for the valley worm to turn. Just a thought.