Shiban Khaibri
Kashmir “issue” is being masqueraded intentionally as a political problem which in fact is nothing but a religious problem, no more – no less. Through these lines, many a time, this intrinsic fact of the manufactured issue of Kashmir, has been argued by this writer to be a clear cut religious issue. Let the point be further elaborated as many state politicians, the main stream ones are these days parroting the words “Political problem” and “dialogue with all stakeholders”. The structure and the constitution of the so called “movement” for attaining “Aazadi” have no recognized acceptable political connotations. It must be clear that a political problem is one which has to do something with the Government and the politics, say Party politics, controversies discussed and debated within a political system, the word “within” is important. It includes economic issues, social issues, taxation, Government spending, welfare measures, free trade, foreign policy, education policy, environment, ecology, sharing of waters and resources, immigration and demographic issues and the like, all under and within a political system.
It is , therefore, a natural corollary that parting with or seceding any territory or part thereof, an implied or explicit sedition, religious exclusiveness and allied demands which go against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country cannot be considered as a political issue.
Let the point be further unwrapped in that it is of interest to analyze what are the views of a family that shaped and reshaped the political landscape of Kashmir and ruled it for more than three decades. The tallest leader of Kashmir Sheikh Mohamed Abdullah who founded Muslim Conference and later changed it to National Conference was the State’s Prime Minister and its Chief Minister as many as two times. His son, Dr. Farooq Abdullah served the state as its Chief Minister as many as three times. Omar Abdullah, Dr. Farooq’s son, served the state as its Chief Minister from 2009 to 2015. It looks prosaic, if not astonishing, to note that they both should describe the current violence indulged in by a fraction of people at the behest of Pakistan as “an anger against New Delhi ” and that “We want the Government of India to realize that this is a political problem. We have a Government in the Centre that even today refuses to acknowledge the political dimension of the problem……”
Omar Abdullah further says,” The anger on streets is largely directed towards New Delhi in as much as this is not about day to day governance issues. It is not about development. It is about wider dimensions and that is the political one…” Not taking a clear stand on the issue of the death of a young terrorist, which has been made as a symbol and an alibi under which a chain of violence is unleashed by both Pakistan as well as its agents in Kashmir , the main stream politicians’ stand is conspicuous of wanting in clarity . Instead, the former CM maintains that the fear is nowhere among the “angry youth” now to get hold of a gun and join terrorists , “popularly” called militants. These types of wavering responses, ambiguous rhetorical narratives, acts of cornering if not brazen blackmailing New Delhi have disheartened the nationalist forces in the state and consequently emboldened the divisive, communal and Pakistani forces. The space for nationalist forces has been ensured to get shrunk day in and day out while at the same time, New Delhi has continuously been ill advised about pampering these separatist and communal forces working in tandem with Islamabad against India and mobilizing large sections of Kashmiri Muslims against India only and only on religious grounds. Has not the Pakistani hawk in Kashmir Syed Geelani been openly and unhesitatingly advocating Kashmir to be a part of Pakistan as that was to be the basis on and a result of the “Muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir ” instead of what he calls with “Hindu India”.
Those “liberal, democratic, secular, leftist, anti Hindutwa “leaders who forming a part of the Parliamentary delegation which visited Srinagar last month, should have first read a few books written by Geelani to update themselves with the type of ideology he was pursuing and advocating vehemently, before they cajoled him just to open the gate of his bungalow. He, instead, shut the door tight for them even though presumably they must have loaded themselves with enough material to criticize the Central Government, “divisive BJP and RSS” and the “attempts to impose Hindutawa” by the Modi Government to be played before the octogenarian separatist leader to pamper him . They had to return without emptying their quiver. This writer still wants such, more than required liberal democrats, to at least read one of his books “Nava- e- Hurriyat” in which he has called India as “Hindu India” and Jammu and Kashmir as “Muslim majority area” much before Modi Ji was chosen as India’s Prime Minister and BJP led NDA voted to power. His laying stress on the close relationship of Islam with politics with state and hence Kashmir with Pakistan, vociferously written in this book could be the eye opener to those who keep on self certifying as “Experts on Kashmir matters” and keep on cursing New Delhi for “mishandling” the Kashmir unrest claiming it to be a political problem. Do those who are not tired of diagnosing Kashmir problem as “Political problem” know how Geelani in a letter to one of the CMs of the state writes, “Muslims are a complete separate nation on the basis of their religion, culture, civilization, customs, practices and thought and the basis of their unity is Islam and depicts Muslims radically different from Hindus having nothing in common. Hindus and Muslims were two different nations …..” This is the basis of Geelani, the separatist political leaders, conglomerate of different terrorist outfits, the fundamentalists and the like spearheading the violent movement for the last 26 years in Kashmir with new dimensions and pattern after the death of the terrorist Burhan Wani. How come is then the Kashmir problem as a political problem?
The question arises as to whether any “third option”, hypothetically speaking, as mooted out by autonomy planters, aazadi chanters, Human rights activists is given any credence, even for the sake of just debating by this section of perpetrators of unprecedented unrest and violence in the valley, stands as on day unchecked, unbridled, untamed, uncontained and uncontrolled. There is none to counter them fuelling their postures and actions. The climax is reached when they find support in wrapped drapers from advocates of “dialogue with all stake holders” and “settling the political issue” and “engaging Pakistan over talks and for CBMs” . Since the crux of these lines is to counter the Political issue arguments, may questions be asked as to what is meant by political problem? Who are disputing the accession and why? Are the people of Jammu, Ladakh, hilly areas, hounded out Kashmiri Pandits with a 5000 years or more roots in Kashmir, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, and other communities living in the vast areas of the state supporting any such movement or lending it any support ? In other words, when this movement is not spearheaded by all communities and regions, how come can it be classified as “Political”? Even Shias, Gujjars and Bakarwals are not supporting this seditious, brazenly communal and hate based campaign sustained and kept going by force and the fear of the gun in Kashmir valley? Has it been agreed unanimously by “Political Issue” club that Syed Geelani is the immediate and the ultimate authority to decide what is to be done of Kashmir? If not , then why are they tight lipped and stoically silent over the doctrine of Geelani that ” In India, Kashmiri Muslims are going to lose their identity based on Islam and accession to India means Kashmiri Muslims having to live perpetually under Hindu slavery”. Is it not, therefore, a net and pure religious problem? Religion, exclusiveness, two nations theory, no secularism, no co-existence with concord etc are the pillars, the base structure and the main premise of Kashmir having been made a pure religious problem.
Burning of schools, denying 2 million students the right to education for 103 crucial days, opening up of countless Wahabi Madarassas , denying access to books and academics, is all under a sinister plan to keep the young students illiterate and mascots of darkness so that they joined terror ranks and “liberate” Kashmir for Pakistan, while grand children of Geelani have appeared in the exams under tight security, as per confirmed reports. Calendar of shut down is not applicable to them. The Kashmiri people, therefore, must see through the trick and shun fears, resist and thwart attempts to make Kashmir another Syria , Libya or Afghanistan. That all, could be in the interests of Pakistan but never in the interests of Kashmiris. They have no choice but to continue to live, progress and prosper in India, liberal, secular, democratic and Gentle India, never in Rogue Pakistan.
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