Kashmir remained the point of attraction and attention forpeople in the world for the last thousands of years. It has its own dimensionsregardless of the situation prevailing in Kashmir. Most of the times, people ofvalue studied Kashmir as a subject of ancient civilization and history, beautyand landscapes, philosophy and culture, arts and crafts, architecture andcustoms, fauna and flora. There have been other reasons also available for theattention and attraction. The current situation in Jammu and Kashmir brought anumber of people nearer to the political whereabouts of it and such a questcontinues.
Recently, the authorised representatives of Nordic States inIndia desired to have an evualuational visit to Jammu and Kashmir state. Theissues of concern regarding the new government formation at the centrepersuaded them to delay the visit. However, they had an assessment of thecurrent situation prevailing in the frontline state of India, courtesy, thepresentation made by this author at the Sweedish Embassy before the Team of theNordic States representatives.
In the followings columns, the gist of the presentation ismade available for the information of the concerned at large. Since it wasindeed a significant development to make such a presentation on the invitationof the Nordic States Forum, care was taken to strengthen the delegation bycoopting an internationally accredited human rights expert, and toppsychologist to provide the necessary articulation to the presentation. Thisauthor in the capacity of BJP State Spokesperson on Kashmir Affairs met therepresentatives of six Nordic Nations in New Delhi at the Swedish Embassy. Dr.Rajat Mitra, Human Rights Expert and author of "The Infidel NextDoor" was the other member of the delegation.
The Nordic States were represented by Erik af Hallstrom, Dy.Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland, Giske Charlotte, Councillor-Head ofPolitical Affairs, Norweegian Embassy, Steen Malthe Hansen, MinisterCouncillor, Dy. Chief of Mission, Royal Danish Embassy, Gautam S Bhattacharya,Minister Councellor, Dy. Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, Kristin Eva J.Sigurdardottir, Dy. Head of Mission, Embassy of Iceland and Juuli Hiio, Dy.Head of Mission, Embassy of Estonia.
The meeting as a matter of chance, coincided with thedeclaration of the Lok Sabha elections and the formation of the new governmentin India under the leadership of Narendra Modi. The agenda of the meetingcomprised the current Jammu & Kashmir situation and the Kashmir HinduMinority perspective. It also discussed the aspirations of the regions ofLadakh and Jammu.
The detailed presentation made a case for the newgovernment's agenda in Jammu and Kashmir focussed on peace, development andending discrimination with the victims of bias in the State. It was emphasizedthat peace is the BJP's top priority in Kashmir and elimination of terrorism isthe fundamental condition incidental to the establishment of peace. TheMandate2019 in Jammu and Kashmir has given Bhartiya Janata Party a whooping 47percent of votes in the recently conducted elections, so has addedresponsibilities to it to realise the long pending demands of the people.
Pakistan's role in death, destruction and mayhem in Kashmiris a fact of history and it, Pakistan, has not implemented its commitmentsgiven to India way back in 2006, that 'the soil under its control would not beused against India'. It supported and abetted terror and inflicted genocide ofHindu minorities in Kashmir. The terrorists and their operatives in Jammu andKashmir killed Hindus selectively and enforced mass exodus and ethnic cleansingupon them. People were forced to live as refugees in their own country.
The regions of Jammu and Ladakh have continuously suffereddue to callous and discriminatory policies of the governments all along. Jammusuffered due to delimitation of constituencies, demographic intervention,terrorism, administrative bias and communal policies. Ladakh has been one ofthe most neglected cases historically and politically over the last seven decades.
BJP has made promises to the people to end their miseriesand it will have to realise promises in the next five years term. There is ahuge expectation of the people and that is reflected in the overwhelmingmandate got by Narendra Modi. Jammu and Kashmir has given half of its seats tothe kitty of NDA in the Parliament. Consequently, the voters have aspirationsand their fulfillment is a serious concern of the new government.
Kashmiri Pandits, the indigenous people of the Kashmirvalley, are the primary stakeholders to the land of Kashmir. They have been thefirst victims of violence in the valley. Their resettlement in Kashmir Valleyis the party's basic commitment. BJP is conscious of the geopoliticalaspirations of Pandits in this regard. We will ensure that the displacedcommunity gets its due and a process will be initiated once terrorism isfinished and peace restored. It is also a fact that the minority community inKashmir, currently living as the displaced entity, has been asking for the establishmentof Special Crimes Tribunal to investigate the crimes against humanity in regardto the Pandits. The basis of such Tribunal should be the decision of theNational Human Rights Commission (India) in which it said that "acts akin to genocide have been committed against theKashmiri Pandit community in Kashmir".
On the occasion, Dr. Rajat Mitra described thetrans-generational trauma factor among the displaced community caused due tothe intermittent historical persecution and forces mass exodus. He suggestedthat the international opinion makers need to take into account the threedecades trauma of the sufferers in the J&K state. He presented his book onKashmir, "The Infidel Next Door" along with the booklet titled"Terrorism in J&K: A Historical Perspective" written by thisauthor to the representatives of the Nordic states.
The Nordic States representatives made it known that theimportant perspectives presented by the delegation would lead them to visitJ&K state in near future for an on the spot assessment and evaluation ofthe situation. They also agreed that they would like to consider to visit theJammu and Ladakh regions as well besides Kashmir during their visit. It had anindelible mark on the whole exercise to put things in appropriate perspectiveat a time when the Jammu and Kashmir state needs to be brought out from theturmoil of three long decades.
Kashmir in particular needs to get rid of terror and itsside effects, the seven decade old family feudal politics, radicalisation ofsociety, the spate of death and mayhem and the mindset that has brought havocto everything that belonged to it. Unrealistic and absurd ideology that bringsdestruction is no alternative to place things at the right places. Peace is allthat needs to be pursued and elimination of terrorism is incidental to theestablishment of peace. Kashmir's curses need to vanish and vanish for ever, soevery individual has a role to play with a sense of belonging. It beckons usall to do our duties to the satisfaction of the progeny to follow both inKashmir and outside Kashmir.
