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| Jumping to conclusions too soon | | | Deepak Sinha | 3/18/2015 11:20:00 PM |
| The Mufti has his political reasons to make 'outrageous' statements. But it is
foolishness to announce that he is 'anti-India' and 'pro-Pakistan'. He must be given space to set things right in J&K, and be held accountable if he fails
Decades ago, the defining characterisation of Bollywood used to be the angry young
man, on the basis of which Amitabh Bachchan forged an extremely successful career that
continues to this day. Similarly, if one were to look at television debates these days, one cannot help but notice that these are not defined by either personal ideologies of the discussants or by the strength of their arguments, but solely by the anger on display. This is more so when it comes to discussion on sensitive topics like India-Pakistan relations or Jammu & Kashmir.
For example, the recent attempt by the Modi Government to kick-start high-level India-Pakistan dialogue has drawn much flak from several 'experts'. In this, they have no doubt been helped by the actions of Pakistan itself. However, what is most fascinating is that the closer these luminaries are to the studio air-conditioner, the more heat they seem to generate. They just can't seem to wait to leave the cool environs of the studio and arrange for the Armed Forces to shed every last drop of blood that is required to teach Pakistan a lesson.
One is confronted by this same sense of outrage when the the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, made some controversial statements. Certainly, the Mufti's suggestion that the December 2014 Assembly poll was possible because of support from the Hurriyat and Pakistan was not only factually incorrect but also insulting to the security forces who had risked their life and limb over the years to make it possible for the people to exercise their franchise. It also demeaned the public that had turned out in large numbers in the hope for change.
However, most people also understand that those statements were no more than an attempt to take control of the political process and show who the boss was. It is unlikely that the statements were either a reflection of the Mufti's mindset or the ground reality. To accuse the Chief Minister of being anti-national, as some TV anchors have done, borders on the absurd.
Similarly, the release of separatist leader Masarat Alam is hardly reason for the consternation and alarm it seems to have generated. He is, after all, a radical leader, who may have made a name for himself by organising stone-pelting in the valley. But he can hardly be held responsible for either the motivation for the stone-pelting or the subsequent deaths that it led to.
For that, we should clearly hold the politicians responsible for letting it happen and the police for its inept handling. In any case, it is well-known that the Hurriyat, to which Alam belongs and which he probably hopes to lead, faces an existential challenge, as people are more interested in development and a better and more prosperous life. They are hardly enamoured by the vision that the hardliners' project. Demonising Alam, as some sections of the media are doing, only goes to help the separatists' agenda.
There is a need to look at the issues here without letting emotions get in the way. The fact of the matter is that Pakistan does not have the ability to wrest Kashmir from India. Proxy wars no longer seem to be as effective, as they were once thought to be. While a proxy war may have made the situation difficult for India's security forces, it is now clearly a case of diminishing returns for Pakistan - and that too, one that comes at great cost to its own internal stability.
Even today, India is more than seven times the size of Pakistan economically and in population terms, and also more than treble its size in terms of the Armed Forces. If India keeps its guard up and its powder dry, concentrates on economic development, which is what the present Government was voted to power for, the country will soon reach such size and stature in the next decade that Pakistan will be reduced to irrelevancy.
True, Pakistan does have nuclear weapons, but those are really weapons of defence and have little relevance or utility in the Indian context since the Indian state has little appetite for Pakistani territory. India's ability to neutralise the Pakistani threat depends to a large extent on the manner in which it handles the situation in Kashmir. Transformation demands radical changes in attitudes, mindset and the way we do business, which is exactly what the people of Jammu & Kashmir expect from both the parties they voted to power. Regardless of the Mufti's statements, there can be no doubting the fact that he is a seasoned politician who understands the State and has sworn loyalty to the country and the Constitution. He needs to be given the space to do things his way and be held accountable if he fails. The angry brigade that opposes his attempts is itself led by a party that stands totally discredited and is largely responsible for the Kashmir situation.
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