Wg Cdr Mahesh Chander Sudan (Retd)
We, the people of JKUT, have recently witnessed much awaited visit of Home Minister who pioneered bills for abolition of Article 370 and 35A and reorganization of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories of JK and Ladakh for achieving direct governance of the newly formed UTs through Lieutenant Governors. These bills attracted substantial criticism across the political spectrum and otherwise as the time and method adopted in the process allegedly ignored larger mandate of the people of Jammu and Kashmir due to dissolution of state legislature post fall of elected popular government. It evidently indicates that people of Jammu and Kashmir were not involved in the process that resulted in delaying visit of Home Minister for more than two years. Unfortunately, the administrative machinery functioning under LGs of JK failed to convey the intent of these bills to general public for larger acceptance and owning altered status of the UT. This could have been achieved by enhancing outreach in dispensing governance at the door step overriding absence of elected representatives for quick redressal of grievances. District Development Councils and Urban Area Development boards intended to achieve democracy at grass root level also proved paper exercise owing to structural administrative deficiency and lack of delegated financial powers.
It is in the right earnest to introspect as to where the gap in governance occurred in handling important issues like settlement of Kashmiri Migrants, security scenario across the Union Territory especially in valley where terrorism has once again raised its head and adopted target killings as a potent method to create public scare and hinder the process of peace and resettlement of the migrants. Rising unemployment of educated youths of JKUT is probably highest in the country that ignites negative sentiments that may prove critical for government of the day. It is no denying fact that Kashmiri migrants suffering exile since 1990 started nurturing hope for their return to valley in the recent past but for spurt of target killings carried out recently with design to recast shadow of fear to compel minorities both Hindus and Sikhs to leave valley for safety. These migrants were anxiously waiting for some positive announcement by Home Minister during his visit to the Union Territory either to enhance their maintenance grant or some resettlement under guarded security environment in the valley. However, silence noticed in this regard throughout the visit indicates administrative inability to prepare receptive ground environment in the valley for their return. No doubt, the issue needs diligent approach both logistically and administratively to ensure security and safety of the migrant in their parental habitations across the valley. A multipronged approach in uniting religious and social leaders for generating large social acceptance of these migrants may help in regaining shattered faith across the social fabric of the valley. Involvement of high repute influential social heads may hopefully defeat the ongoing ideology practiced by terrorists in the valley and it needs well laid grass root mechanism to disconnect youth ideologically to strengthen age old Kashmiriyat.
In the present security environment, it may not be practical for government machinery to undertake any such commitment for early return of the Kashmiri Migrant. The apprehension expressed by a delegation of Kashmiri Pundits to visiting Home Minister corroborates the fact that ground situation does not indicate positivity in this direction. It may also be in order to pragmatically accept that across the globe displaced people or migrants could hardly be returned safely to their original place. We have living example of displaced people from POK who suffered ugliest homicide in history and were made to wait with an assurance that POK would be recaptured from forceful occupation and that would enable these sufferers of the century to avail honourable return to their primordial habitations. The difference between two situations under study is that the valley is part of Indian Union under rightful occupation and the POK remains with illegal occupant. The former situation is result of law and order failure that needs to be corrected with multiple approaches in a diligently drawn long term policy to create an environment where these displaced people from valley regain their faith in the age old social structure without any theological division. There may not be off the shelf model available for infusing moderation of radicalization for effective turn of event. However, the situation demands a constant and conscious involvement of all sections of the society to contribute cohesively for educating youths so that they resist designed efforts of our adversaries to use valley for creating hurdles for peace and social harmony.
In the given circumstances, it may not be feasible in near future to visualize return of Kashmiri Migrants unless administrative machinery of the Union Territory strengthens its ground level control over educational and religious institutes that are being used to carry out radicalization of young minds and extend professional guidance to central government agencies for generating workable inputs to anticipate, identify and segregate probable targets of the enemy. It is experienced that local youth is largely being used to carry out latest modus operandi of target killings to intensify the fear of life amongst minorities. We have also noticed that Home Minister on his arrival in the valley questioned senior government officials for sudden spurt of terrorist activities surprisingly been carried out by locally grown terrorists that sends disturbing signals for entire set of security agencies deployed for internal security and intelligence. Recent visit of Home Minister may expectedly modify government approach in handling Kashmir issue realistically.
The least one expects from the popular government is an avenue to enjoy right to life with security and safety. These displaced people either from POK or Kashmir valley have been forcefully denied the same. We, the people of JKUT, empathize displaced persons or migrants from Kashmir valley and urge union dispensation to accept the reality and strengthen security apparatus across the valley for early restoration of peace so that traditionally rich social structure of Kashmir could be re-energized to extend hearty welcome to minorities in the larger interest of Insaniyat (humanity) that would turn dream of innocent Kashmiris into reality. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
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