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| Jaitley's views may not be music to ears of separatists | | | If senior BJP leader,Arun Jaitley's latest state-
ment on the Kashmir issue may not be music to the Kashmiri separatists,particularly the moderates,who had recently eulogized former Prime Minister,Atal Behari Vajpayee,for having tried to settle the Kashmir issue within "Insaniyat ke Daariye mey"his views on the issue need to be taken note of by common people in Jammu and Kashmir.It is so because Jaitley has made a commitment on providing equal opportunities to the people in the regions of Jammu,Ladakh and Kashmir.Jaitley has said that the BJP has announced it will address the concerns of the Jammu and Kashmir people through 'insaniyat' (humane approach). The statement has come soon after some moderate separatists besides the PDP praised the BJP-led NDA's attempts to address concerns of Kashmiris. Riding high on the acknowledgement of the NDA's attempts to resolve the Kashmir problem, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley has said that he is aware of statements of various political groups in the Kashmir valley suggesting that the NDA government in the past was more honest in addressing the issues of Jammu and Kashmir than the UPA government. Most of these groups are ideologically opposed to the BJP. Why then should they be more optimistic about the BJP's sincerity on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir?The BJP leader said Jammu and Kashmir has been integral to BJP's ideology and the party believes there can be no territorial compromise. "On the external dimensions of the issue, the BJP will never allow India's territory to be bargained or compromised. On the internal dimensions, our approach will be guided by Atal Behari Vajpayee's pronouncement that all issues will be resolved within the dimension of 'insaniyat', he said.
Possibly the Kashmiri separatists were under an illusion as they had come to believe that Atal Behari Vajpayee was sincere in addressing and resolving the external dimensions of the Kashmir issue.Whether he had any such plan or not but Jaitley has dilated on the ultimate policy of the BJP led NDA Government if it was voted to power in the ensuing Lok Sabha election. Jaitley seems to be less concerned about the external dimensions of the Kashmir issue which is being raked up by the separatists.He seems to be highly concerned about stepmotherly treatment having been meted out to people belonging to Jammu and Kashmir.
And he himself says that the BJP is equally convinced of the need to address the "sense of discrimination" among the people of Jammu, Leh and Ladakh. Within the valley, the BJP's approach has to be guided by twin considerations of no concession to the separatists and the sense of concern and compassion of the average Kashmiri. Their quality of life has to be improved and the areas where they feel harassed will have to be addressed. In a fight against separatism, the people of Kashmir valley should be important allies.
Though Jaitley is keen to address the issues related to the alienation of people of Kashmir,his announcement that this will be done without compromising on the basic tenets of the BJP's ideology. This part of the announcement may not be palatable for the separatists and their supporters.Field reports indicate that this part of Jaitley's statement may not allow the BJP candidates,in the poll fray in the valley, to receive any significant support from the voters.But in the Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha constituencies Jaitley's statement may earn voters' support. Infact people in Kashmir need not misunderstand the BJP's stand on the issue because no senior BJP leader will be able to settle the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of the separatists or as per the aspirations of a section of people supporting reversal of the state's accession with India.This way people in Kashmir may expect some better dealing from the BJP led NDA Government than they had received from the Congress led UPA Government during the last over 10 years.
Jaitley's statement comes in the wake of recent statatement from Kashmir Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq who had claimed that the BJP led NDA Government had taken some bold steps for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and the PDP too had praised Atal Behari Vajpayee's initiative on promoting cordial ties with Islamabad. |
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