Kashmir
Shadow Boxing will Not Help
The Union Home Minister Amit
Shah had a two day visit to Kashmir
in the last week of June 2019.
Following this, he unleashed a
campaign for an end of special
political status to Kashmir.
An interesting debate has
taken place in Parliament. Amit
Shah and other BJP leaders
alleged that Kashmir problem is a
product of mistaken policy of
Jawaharlal Nehru and Congress
party. They said that compromising
and ineffective handling of the
question by Nehru and Congress
had complicated it. BJP boasted
itself as a consistent champion of
total and unconditional integration
of Kashmir in India. Congress
leaders like the senior leader
Ghulam Nabi Azad strongly and
with all emotion defended the
policies and actions of Congress
and Nehru in Kashmir. Their entire
defense boils down to this:
Congress and its leadership had
taken many steps in the face of all
odds to integrate Kashmir with
great success. All allegations or
criticisms of BJP on Nehru and
Congress are, therefore, most
unreasonable, unkind and not
backed by the facts.
We know for most part of last
70 years, Congress was in power
at the Centre. It was Nehru Govt.
which signed the Declaration of
Kashmir’s Accession to India in
1948. With this, the responsibility
had come upon the Indian Govt. to
develop the confidence and trust
among the Kashmir people that
their national and democratic
aspirations and rights would be
respected and the Kashmir people
would have democracy, peace and
better future in India. But, instead
of trying to win the hearts of
Kashmir people, the Indian rulers
sought to woe the accepted
leadership of Kashmir people by
June,July - 2019
the methods of manipulation,
pressure and repression. The
Indian govt. had resorted to series
of unilateral as well as back door
methods to dilute the special
political status of Kashm ir in
practice, without of course doing
away with Article 370 of Indian
Constitution. It had turned
elections, democracy and making
and unmaking of governments in
Kashmir into a drama. Kashmir was
made into a vast dumping ground
for central armed forces with
special
powers
and
an
experimental ground for the
methods of suppression. While a
few frustrated youth took to
terrorism, the vast masses of youth
and people, who were striving to
live their own life and taking part in
protest movements for the
redressal of their problems and
against the police atrocities, were
subjected to various forms of
repression. Brand or suspect the
innocent youth as terrorists and
enact fake encounters had become
a part of the policy of Indian rulers.
BJP had extended silent and
all out support to all these policies
and actions of Congress govern-
ments. At the same time, it sought
to project itself of being more firm
than Congress in championing the
immediate and total integration of
Kashmir in India. It made every
attempt to divide Kashmir
communally. But once it was in the
race or cradle of power, it was
constrained by practical difficulties.
It may be strongest advocate of the
withdrawal of Article 370. But it
could not make it a point of NDA’s
agenda and also NDA Govt’s aim
in 2014. BJP had to take into view
the strong opposition its proposed
move may encounter from Kashmir
people and democratic forces in
India and had to act in a practical
manner. BJP’s urge to gain a
stronger foot hold in Kashmir
compelled it to enter into a coalition
with PDP which was opposed to the
withdrawal of Article 370. Now, in
power at the Centre with enhanced
strength in Parliament, BJP seems
to feel in a better position to push
through its agenda. But it is sure
to encounter opposition.
Respecting the national and
democratic aspirations and rights
of Kashmir people; honoring the
commitments and promises made
by the Indian rulers to the people
and ensuring democratic, free and
peaceful conditions where the
Kashmir people can decide their
political future has never been the
essence of Kashmir policy for
either Congress or BJP. There is
no basic difference between them
on Kashmir policy. Their quarrel
over the claim of ‘wise’ or ‘firm’
handling of the Kashmir question
is nothing but an exercise of
cheating and shadow-boxing.
Kashmir people can understand
this and they have a long and
difficult struggle before them.
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democratic rights of people. But,
curiously, opposing the imperialist
penetration and domination in India
is not at all a part of its ideological
battle, because its commitment to
serve imperialism is basic and it
knows well that it played a major
role in driving India into the present
level of subjugation to imperialism.
Thus all its talk about defending
democracy while opening flood
gates for imperialism is deceptive.
So, the CRs, left, democratic
and progressive forces and people
must raise their voice against India
being reduced into a Nato ally
status. They must demand the
annulment of all agreements the
Indian rulers have signed which
brought India to present state of
subservience to imperialism.
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