Vinay Thusoo
Narender Modi has taken over as the15th Prime Minister of India. The glittering swearing in ceremony at Rashpati Bhawan which was attended by all the Heads/ Representatives of SAARC countries , especially Pakistan Premiere Nawaz Sharif is a clear testimony that the incumbent Prime Minister means business right from the word go.The Bhartiya Janta Party has emerged as the largest Party with 282 members in 16th Lok Sabha. This clear mandate has once again brought in the moorings of a single party rule to the forefront. No doubt the BJP led conglomerate of likeminded political parties like SAD and TDP popularly referred to as NDA have taken their fair share in the council of ministers but the clear cut mandate given to the BJP by the people of India will help it to sideline the blackmailing bickerings that usually go along within the coalition Government.
Like always,political parties in J&K, the People Democratic Party (PDP)and National Conference (NC) have been quick to appreciate Modi’s master stroke for inviting the Pakistan Prime Minister to India. There is no denying the fact that the political scene in the state of J&K is in constant flux and the Political contours work overtime whenever any Summit level talks between India and Pakistan take place.The recent Parliamentary election results in J&K have clearly polarized the State between two diametrically opposite political ideologies with three seats each going to BJP and PDP. While the PDP is understood to have arrived at a veiled understanding with the new Government in Delhi, it is the Omar Abdullah NC and Congress in coalition in J&K that has suddenly found itself at a disadvantageous position. With Assembly elections round the corner and many favourite issues like revocation of Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) still unresolved the future relationship of JK government with Centre is slated to be a tight rope walk .Not surprisingly all the mainstream political parties in the State and the moderate Constituents within the Hurriyat have pinned their hopes on NarendraModi’s Government for a constructive and positive approach viz-a-viz J&K and Pakistan.
History has been witness to many unpleasant developments that have taken place between India and Pakistan including three Indo-Pak wars bought over Kashmir. The bilateral relations between the two Countries have always been very sensitive and the euphoria and animosity almost goes along side by side. The Indo-Pak relations have a unique tendency of changing from good to bad,bad to worse and again from worse to good in the most dramatic manner.The relationship as we have seen up till now cannot be by any measure termed as stable. Pakistan Premiere Nawaz Sharif on the other hand has put up brave front by accepting the invite to attend NarendraModi’sswearing-in ceremony by keeiping at bay the anti-India voices within Pakistan.Given Nawaz’s previous record and the Kargil war of 1999 it would be more than advisable that Modi takes a much guarded and cautious road viz-a-viz Pakistan without losing sight of his targets .Previous NDA regime under Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had made considerable forward movement in Kashmir by appointing interlocutors like the present Governor N.N Vohra and also activating track two channels by eminent legal experts RamJethmalani. Manmohan Singh and UPA also tried to engage the various shades of Kashmir opinion by appointing the five working groups in the first UPA and subsequently three Interlocutors in its second phase in Government. It is commonly said in IR parlance that the foreign policy of the Country is directly proportionate to its national Interest. Given the huge plethorareports on Kashmir and the groundwork already done on J&K ,it would be in fitness of things that all the exercises undertaken on Kashmir so far and the recommendation given there in serve as the guiding factor and suggest a road map to the Modi Government in New Delhi.While we speak of J&K, Indo-Pak relations and terrorism in the same breadth it is time that we also concurrently try to bring into focus the lost heritage of the state by trying to restore the destroyed socio – secular fabric, cultural ethos and progressive ideologies. The road ahead in J&K for sure is not going to be an easy one for Modiand the Prime Minister surely does need to work out a multi-pronged strategy by taking into account the various views and aspirations of the people into account , who for once are hopeful that ” Achhe Din ” will return back to this paradise .
( The author is serving as Public Relations Officer with Jammu University)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel