Vijay Gupta
The criminal neglect of West Pakistan Refugees for almost seven decades has reduced these WPRs as a baggage on a railway yard which the successive Governments in the Centre have been too wary of handling and all the State Governments have contributed to injustice by constantly warning of its explosive content. Besides, the WPRs have to reckon with Teflon coated Valley leadership mostly comprising of separatist leaders read ‘stake holders’ who always have their swords ready for any move to dilute Art. 370. Even Abdullahs who have ruled the State for over four decades underscore these threats by giving grim reminders of such a scenario. Not that the Valley leadership is oblivious of the fact over 6 million Muslims, perhaps the figure is much more, have been forced to leave their Islamic countries of birth on account of sectarian strife and genocide and seek refuge in Western countries who at times have even put the security of their own people at peril. But their commitment to Human Right Values remains unshakable. The issue of West Pakistan Refugees is a 24 carat Human Right issue.
Fancy the Valley leadership take on Human Rights. Geelani, Yasin Malik, Omar Farooq and maverick Engineer Rashid periodically attempt a ‘march to UN Office’ in Srinagar in protest over an alleged violation of human rights by Indian security forces but they themselves hardly move beyond the gridlock of a narrow unscrupulous political facade of a communal mind on the issues which pertain to two other provinces of Jammu and Kashmir. In a recent statement on Un Day (Oct 24, 2016) Syed Ali Shah Geelani blamed the UN for deaths in Kashmir, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other parts of the world by remaining insensitive and indifferent to Kashmir problem. This manifested out of his frustration over the failure of his bosses in Pakistan to adequately present the recently ‘engineered’ unrest in Kashmir valley United Nations. Whereas Engineer Rashid shot a shocker when he suggested on the floor of the State Assembly that the WPRs should be sent back to West Pakistan from where they had come from in 1947- quite an improvement on what Donald Trump is attempting to do to Muslim refugees from seven Muslim Majority countries. An Independent legislator since 2008 from Langet Constituency in Handwara, Engineer Rashid has emerged as a fire brand leader of Kashmir valley. He graduated in notoriety when amidst beef ban controversy the organized a ‘beef party’ in the Legislators Complex in Srinagar on Oct, 2015. He gained lots of muscle and popularity too in Kashmir valley when he virtually made Congress Party’s tallest leader and close confidant of Gandhi family, Gulam Nabi Azad virtually ‘beg’ for his (Engineer Rashid) lone but vital vote to get nominated to Rajya Sabha. Engineer Rashid, however, should get credit for demonstrating effectively that by participating in the democratic process of elections the separatist leaders can do much more for the people of Kashmir province than by boycotting elections.
Yasin Malik another fire brand separatist leader from Valley, had, since late nineties, developed (subtly aided by both South Block and North Block Mandarins) cozy relationship with many diplomats of the Western world specifically from the European Union. But his facade of Human Rights concern crumbled when during their (Diplomats) tour of Valley for an on the spot appreciation they asked probing questions form Yasin Malik on his role in the ‘Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990. It is pertinent to add that a much shaken Yasin Malik made efforts to mend his fences with the KPs by organizing a ‘meet’ with them in the premises of Press Club Jammu some time in 2003-04 which later turned into a fiasco. A rattled Malik vehementally opposed all efforts of the State Government to settle displaced Kashmiri Pandits in a designated area in Srinagar. While opposing tooth and nail any effort to dilute the provisions of Article 370 on one occasion Yasin Malik blurted out that the foundation for Article 370 had been laid by none other than the late Maharaja Hari Singh in the year 1927.
It may seem cynical but for these stake holders and three generations of Abdullahs settling thousands of Bangladesh Refugees is a Human Rights issue because these refugees belong to the majority community of the State, all compassion must be shown to Rohingyas because they are Muslims from distant Burma and the State was simply responding to an International call when it accommodated the Muslims of Tibetan origin who had way back in early sixties accompanied the Dalai Lama in the cool comfort of Srinagar valley.
However, when it comes to the issue of settling the West Pakistan Refugees or a few hundred safai karamcharis, all leaders of Kashmiri Province automatically become ‘Donald Trumps’ of Kashmir and suffer from a common but serious malaise ‘xenophobia’. Otherwise how do you explain a Kashmir valley which had slightly more than 14 percent of its population belonging to minority (non-Muslim) community till the exodus of Kashmir Pandits in Jan 1990, now, as per figures recently published, has been reduced to a little over one percent only. Ethnic cleansing of the Kashmir Province is virtually complete. This make overly cynical in Jammu believe that by settling Bangladesh Refugees and Rohingya Muslims around Jammu as foot soldiers smacks of larger sinister design.
A Donald Trump, President of the USA, the most powerful country in world, has been shown his place, by the entire world in general and the wholesome expression of solidarity with their Muslim compatriots by Americans in particular. The ‘Donald Trumps’ of Kashmir valley need to learn from this episode.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel