K B Jandial
It is indeed difficult, albeit impossible, for the political rulers in hyper sensitive State of J&K to be away from controversies and those who wish to keep these at arm’s length can still be dragged into these either by the media or the circumstances beyond control. The State’s first woman Chief Minister, and 9th otherwise, Mehbooba Mufti is trying to avoid controversies, at least for the time being, but will she succeed? Nobody can say for sure.

straight talk

In less than two weeks, Kashmir saw two serious incidents, both unfortunate and condemnable, that posed tough challenge to Mehbooba. The first had roots in closing days of the Governor Rule. In a tear-jerking event a group of Kashmiri students in NIT Srinagar (and one student in Govt. Dental College Jammu also reportedly burnt the Tricolour) “celebrated” India’s defeat in World cup semifinal on 31st March, 2016. The “epicenter” of this trouble was far away from the State’s border, at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Despite everybody knowing what Kashmir is all about, still both NIT administration and intelligence agencies failed to anticipate the problem. The “celebrations” sparked protest from the “nationalistic” non-Kashmiri students (include Jammu and Ladakh students) who constitutes 70% of the college’s roll. Kashmir watchers are familiar with such sporadic unpleasant incidents which the successive Governments preferred to ignore, ostensibly in the interest of peace. Neither any action was taken nor expected, for fear of bigger problem even though in Jammu the delinquent student was suspended. This is J&K!
The protest march of non-Kashmiri students with Tiranga amidst slogans “Bharat Mata ke Jai”, “Hindustan Zindabad” next day, was expectedly countered with “Hum Kya Chahte –Azadi” of the locals. Late realization of impending dangers led the NIT authorities to suspend the classes to douse anger but again blundered by opening classes from April 4. Tuesday- a day after the PDP-BJP Govt. was sworn-in proved them wrong. The trouble erupted when the police “mercilessly” beaten the non-locals during a protest march and even snatched Tiranga (was it enemy flag?). The police claimed that the protestors wanted to move out of the Institute which could have led to grave problem. While it prevented a “bigger trouble”, its mishandling of a smaller problem put the “infant” Mehbooba Govt. to avoidable test.
Contrary to known state craft of assuaging the outraged feelings of the students, the Police unnecessarily sat on prestige and became tough, even on social media eliciting full support from Kashmiri handlers, and played it down with obliging media. The newly sworn-in Govt. too treated it as a “minor” incident and finally succeeded in preventing NIT from going JNU’s way. A great achievement indeed! Mehbooba appeared to have won the first round. But what about the deep scars on non-locals who still perceived that they were treated partisan both by NIT administration and the police and “beaten and gagged for being pro India”?
The Govt. negotiators- Nirmal Singh & Naeem had no “balm for their injury” and handled their demands, some of which were innocuous like movement of girl students even after 6 P.M, with   toughness and astuteness. They conceded only two relevant demands-allowed non-locals to go home with deferred minor exams for them even though the exams commenced on11th April, 2016 for locals as scheduled. In their wisdom they didn’t meet the injuried students, probably not to antagonize the “local constituency.” Conceding two demands were as much in the interest of NIT as of agitating students as authorities got temporary relief from continuous tension.
While Nirmal Singh and Naeem are entitled to well-deserve accolade for not allowing the trouble to escalate beyond NIT Srinagar even though in some quarters their handling was criticized. Nirmal Singh’s curt remarks in a media interview that demand for shifting the NIT to other place was “not worth raising, let alone worth hearing” was quite strong. Admittedly, the issue is absolutely non-negotiable as national institutions can’t afford such shifting but that doesn’t mean that its anti-India environment cannot be controlled. His statement about J&K Police to continue to be responsible for students’ “security”( from whom?) in NIT did not go well with the agitating students who had serious complaints against some of them for using “brute” force. Sadly, no words on those who “celebrated” India’s defeat and raising anti- India slogans which Naeem thinks is  as part of larger issue of “alienation” adding that PDP-BJP alliance has come into being only “to connect at the people’s level, and have an emotional bond between the people of Kashmir and rest of country”.
Mehbooba has every reason to be satisfied over the temporary peace in the NIT as a result of departure of about 2000 non local students for their homes but in sullen mood and with hurt feelings. It has created another type of “alienation” which if not handled tactfully by BJP can become enough ground for its discomfiture on “maltreatment” of non- Kashmir students in Kashmir.
BJP leaders have learnt the “lesson in governance”. They brushed aside action against “delinquent” policemen and even didn’t return the National flag for whose honour, they argued, 3000 J&K policemen have laid down their lives. In a way they obliquely “justified” the beating of those who were carrying it that provokes some others. If laying down lives in the fight against terrorism makes J&K Police immune from any wrongdoing  then why every now and then, the  Army men in Kashmir and elsewhere are hauled up for wrong doings despite their much better  track record of supreme sacrifice for the Tricolour. Wrong is wrong and it would continue to haunt.
By defusing the building tensions, Nirmal Singh has sent a signal that BJP on Kashmir, will not to allow the hotheads to endanger the alliance of North Pole & South Pole – “soft separatism” and hard-line nationalism. Some national newspapers have editorially hailed his “courage” that unfolds change of BJP’s goalpost. Is BJP now acceptable to Kashmir?
NIT provides “food for thought” for, Central and the State Governments. Explosive situations can be handled carefully without collateral damage. Another point is to ponder for how long “India’s defeat” would remain an occasion for “celebrations” in Kashmir by some elements, justification of “alienation of Kashmiris” notwithstanding.
In fact, the NIT administration is squarely responsible for this avoidable unrest and Samriti Irani should consider total reshuffle of its administration and the faculty especially in the wake of charges of partisan staff and faculty. The serious charges leveled also include “threatening non-locals to spoil career”. So terrified are they that none of them went on record because of reprisal. There is a possibility that the non-locals may be reluctant to return even though Mehbooba is sanguine about their return. Her single meeting with non-locals would have made the difference.
A stern message should have gone to the pro Pak elements in NIT that this nonsense is unacceptable henceforth but it was not to be so. Would Modi or Nirmal Singh do something to stem the rot and put a stop to these anti-national acts in educational institutions?
The Opposition parties and leaders did everything to provoke Mehbooba on NIT but could not succeed. Mehbooba made this volatile issue a real “non issue”. All is well that ends well! Decidedly, the first round went to Mehbooba.
Killing of four persons in Handwara firing on surging mob have thrown second challenge to Ms Mufti. The allegation of molestation of a girl by an army man, on which this protest was organized, is refuted by the “victim” herself. Mehbooba has got promise from the Defence Minister to punish the culprits after a time bound probe. She is cautious in her words.
Mehbooba has, for the time being, proved to be a more matured politician than many might have thought her to be. Apart from nipping in the bud the plot to engineer a vertical split in the party on the issue of forming Govt. with BJP, she has kept herself away from any reigning controversy. During the 3-month self created political uncertainty after the sad demise of Mufti Sayeed, Mehbooba didn’t say anything either by way statement or interviews that could be critical of Centre or BJP despite all sorts of provocations from NC and Congress or reports of BJP possible hobnobbing with a section of PDP legislators for early formation of Govt. in J&K. During this period she avoided critical media interviews. Secondly, she discontinued the ritual of addressing a press conference immediately after being sworn in as CM, a good departure from the routine which normally rake up controversies like his father, which media is always looking for.
Mehbooba have probably understood the danger of media interactions and instead tried to focus on governance right away. A section of media and social media are out to generate controversies using its right of free expression and holding leaders accountable, which normally polarize people on language, caste, religious and regional lines. It is difficult for leaders to escape from falling in to trap but time has come to keep all these issues at safe distance. In the end of the day it’s the governance that would come to her aid and not as much other issues which belie resolution in the past many decades. Debating acrimoniously on not-early-achievable issues would be sheer wastage of time and energy which many State Govts. in the past had been the willful victim. It is time to control the temptation of matching with anyone of past rulers including Sheikh Abdullah and her father, Mufti Sayeed by raking up certain complex and sensitive issues beyond a point and instead dispense justice to the people belonging to all sections of the population, regions and religions with fair play and transparency through good governance.
Mehbooba is the third women ruler of Kashmir since medieval time.  Her celebrated women predecessors include Queen Didda, the first woman ruler of Kashmir having held the reins of power from 958 AD to 1003, first as a Regent for son, grandsons and then as a sole ruler in her own right. Daughter of Simharâja, the king of Lohara located in the Pir Panjal range on a trade route between western Punjab and Kashmir, she married the King of Kashmir, Ksemagupta. With this, two kingdoms of Lohara and Kashmir were united. She got herself rid of troublesome ministers and nobles, whom she drove from office only to have them rebel against her. Didda was ruthless in executing the rebels and their families. Her statesmanlike instinct and political ability are attested by the fact that she remained to the last in peaceful possession of the Kashmir throne, which she bequeath it to her family in undisputed possession.
Kota Rani was the second strong woman ruler of Kashmir, the last Hindu ruler of Kashmir who had to face deceit and intrigue most of the times during her rule. She ruled till 1339. She weathered every storm with poise and emerged stronger after every event. She had to fight anarchic conditions prevailing in Kashmir at that time when foreign invasions and intrigues were a common feature. At every stage she succeeded in reassuring the people about her capabilities as a ruler. Kota Rani lived a very courageous life and was rated a diplomat par excellence of her times.  Jona Raja aptly summed up her character saying about her “She was to the kingdom what the moon is to the blue lotus and to the enemy she was what that luminary is to the lotus”.
Only the time will tell whether Mehbooba outshines the past glory of Didda and Kota Rani, or fall prey to the temptation of “brief spell of unproductive  political popularity for controversies” to be faded away in the political “hara-kiri” like most of her male predecessors on this hot seat. She can’t escape from the controversies if these become inevitable, in the pursuit of unity, solidarity, harmony and peace of the state. The path of governance is replete with arduous and several challenges but Mehbooba Mufti has to invoke statesmanlike instinct and political ability of Didda and the courage and diplomacy of Kota Rani to deliver.
(feedback: kbjandial@gmail.com)

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