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| Itoo invokes religion, Farooq Kashmiriyat for votes | | Dogriyat deserves appreciation | | Neha
JAMMU, Mar 31: Convinced that the general elections will turn out to be a waterloo for the ruling National Conference (NC), its leaders have started invoking religion and the so-called Kashmiriyat for getting votes of a community to which they belong. While NC president Farooq Abdullah has been saying that Kashmiriyat depends on NC's success in the election, NC leader and Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo has been vitiating the Kashmir's election scene by invoking religion and showing disrespect to the sacred book of the Muslims. It is hardly necessary to point out what Itoo did to communalize the ongoing electoral exercise as everything is in public domain and it is under scrutiny. The PDP has approached the Election Commission and demanded action against her and her party and the BJP has urged the State Governor to dismiss the NC-Congress coalition Government and the Election Commission to de-recognize the NC for violating the Model Code of Conduct and exploiting religion for political benefits.
A video clip has already gone viral on various social networking sites, including Facebook, her compelling one of the supporters of her late father Wali Mohammad Itoo (former Assembly Speaker) to work for the success of the NC polls by invoking religion. Suffice to quote only two lines to put things in perspective and they read: "I am like your daughter, you take oath with Quran in your hands that you will pull up your socks like in past to support us in the elections. I will also return favors to you later but you have to first take pledge that you will start campaigning the way you did in past for my father". There are reasons to believe that the election authorities will take appropriate action against the NC and Itoo, as they have brazenly violated the Model Code of Conduct and used religion for political purpose, which is a crime as per the law of the land.
However, it is important to point out what the Kashmiriyat means. Kashmiriyat was the slogan that was coined by a Jammu-based commentator in 1975 to cultivate Sheikh Abdullah, who became Chief Minister of the State in February 1975. His objective was to present Sheikh Abdullah to the nation as a secularist of secularists and a democrat of democrats, which was not the case. Sheikh Abdullah was neither secular nor democratic. He was communal and rabidly anti-India. He wanted to join Pakistan subject to the condition that he would be allowed to become an undisputed Sultan of Kashmir. It was only when Pakistan dismissed his demand that he turned towards Nehru. Any way, what Sheikh Abdullah stood for and did is history and students of political history of Jammu and Kashmir know everything about him and his outfit, the NC.
Farooq Abdullah, like other Kashmiri leaders, has been seeking to convince the people that Kashmiriyat means a concept that treats all equally and doesn't differentiate between man and man on any ground whatsoever, that is all inclusive, that accommodates all, that promotes communal harmony and unites the society and that is liberal and progressive. They are only misleading the people. The changes in the demographic profile which took place in Kashmir after the state's accession to India in general and in early 1990 and 2008 in particular should expose those who talk of Kashmiriyat. It is the Dogriyat that deserves appreciation. It is the Dogras of Jammu who have been welcoming and accommodating cheerfully the victims of fanaticism, terrorism and regressive and intolerant ideology since October 1947. Those who talk about Kashmiriyat should explain as to why the Kashmiri Hindus and thousands of Sikhs migrated from the Valley. They also need to explain as to why the refugees from West Pakistan have been denied their natural right to exercise citizenship rights in the state.
Besides, they should also explain as to why the people of Jammu and Ladakh are conspicuous by their absence in Kashmir and many Kashmiris conspicuous by the presence in Jammu. But these are only a few instances which should thoroughly expose the Likes of Farooq Abdullah who have been invoking the so-called Kashmiriyat for votes. |
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