Heart wrenching scenes are being witnessed across South Kashmir. The dazzling diamond in the snowy lap of South Asia, which it was once fondly called, is bleeding profusely. Civilians inhabiting in the close proximity of LoC are falling to the booming guns in both the countries. Their only fault is to have been born in a conflict zone where political masters have no respect for human life. Hawks in both the countries suffice their concern to mere rhetoric. Their exalted egos prevent them from seeing eye to eye for holding a focused dialogue to resolve the “K” issue amicably.
The graph of desalination and disillusionment among Kashmiris is fast moving upwards. Even well meaning people who are otherwise hardcore nationalists are heartbroken at the sight of dying young ones. Whether mainstream or JRC political leadership, everyone is craving hard for a peaceful settlement of the dispute. It is they who have known better and firsthand the horrific consequences of militancy and war. Nobody becomes a militant out of pleasure. In a way, it has become a compulsion to attract the national and global attention to their long pending political aspirations. We would be doing a lot good to the country by revisiting our foreign policy in this context. Indeed, India has done a commendable job in the sphere of our relations with scores of countries in the recent past laying a network of new linkages. But we have also lagged behind in taking any bold initiative to improve our one to one relation with our principal neighbour. It is an irony of situation that we reach out to far flung areas but ignore or turn away from the person next door. More importantly, the present dispensation seems to have an ill advised policy on Kashmir, if at all there is one. It is high time to apply some political balm more than the economic sobs. Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP too has starred this issue. Unfortunately, any worthwhile headway is yet to be made in this regard. Continuing with the same cold shoulder approach may make PDP realize that it has merely burnt its hands by aligning with BJP. The much hyped alliance may recoil on it in the next hustings. The DG, JKP, has recently come up with a thoughtful suggestion to discuss peaceful resolution of the dispute with all political parties across India and Pakistan. It is a highly worthwhile idea which deserves sincere and careful consideration.
Having come a long way in many spheres, India is now expected to show the way forward to other countries for amicable resolution of their problems. It does have the potential to lead from the front. What is keeping it from dawning the mantle of world class leader is just the Kashmir problem at hand. Its settlement to the satisfaction of all stakeholders will automatically ensure India a permanent membership in UNSC. Its esteem and image world over will jump up several notches. No day rolls out without a killing or two. Occasionally, they even go for overkill. Knowing the fragility of alliance, state government’s decision to register an FIR against an army Major in shopian encounter boomeranged. The Honorable Apex court’s ruling in the matter was not only a huge embarrassment to the state government but also gave a shot in the arm to forces who now feel unfettered and unbridled in dealing with encounters. Hopefully, PDP leadership is quite dismayed over its decision to opt for the unholy alliance with BJP. Its political agenda remains a farfetched dream. Senior Mufti had probably envisioned that New Delhi will open its coffers to buy Kashmiries political aspirations with economic packages. The bigger game plan was to widen their own political outreach. But that was not to be. Goodwill for PDP seems to have plummeted quite a bit. Every now and then, CM has been personally rushing to New Delhi to persuade them for initiating dialogue within and outside the country. The pleadings appear to be falling on deaf ears. Her own image has diminished a great deal. With so strong a mandate in Lok Sabha, BJP is capable of turning around the situation and thereby strengthen the CM. If BJP hasn’t had any hesitation in going whole hog to rope in Naga’s and Mizo’s in the NorthEast, why treat Kashmiris step motherly.
The barbaric and beastly act committed on an eight year old child in Kathua is most shameful and reprehensible. The brutal murder and gang-rape of the child hungered for days together in a hideout has brought shame and anger unlimited to the country. The disgusting conduct of some members of the custodians, practitioners and makers of law has hanged everybody’s head in shame. The Juvenile Justice Board and State / National Human Rights Commission are duty bound to take due cognizance of this heinous crime. Even the Gujjar and Bakarwal Board is expected to give a hot pursuit to the case. The perpetrators are out to communalise the situation for political dividends. The untenable demand of transferring the case from Crime Branch to CBI is not only a tentamount to doubt the professional credentials of JKP but also cast asspertions on the integrity of a highly credible institution of CBI. Nether the CBI as an organization of high repute is so gullible nor its authorities so pliable that some petty minded politicians and criminals can bosh up or manipulate its proceedings to save the criminals. The stoic and studied silence adopted by the authorities at the center raises many eyebrows. The CM has appreciably withstood the arm twisting tactics from within and outside elements so far. If this pressure is further intensified, she shouldn’t dither from breaking the alliance. Glueing to the chair at the cost of her own credibility and party’s image may prove to be proverbial last nail in its coffin. She has lot to gain and not much to lose.