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| Jha, Dulat and their ilk cannot decide fate of J&K | | Elections in Kashmir | | Rustam
JAMMU, May 15 : Reports emanating from Kashmir reveal that a number of pro-autonomy, pro-self-rule and pro-Kashmiri sub-nationalism persons, including journalists and former intelligence officials, and some diplomats have visited the Valley during the past few days to "gauge the public mood" there. Two such persons were the former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief and a Kashmir-watcher, A S Dulat. He stayed in the Valley for three days and returned to Delhi on May 13. He reportedly met with various "political leaders and intelligence officers to assess the ground situation". On Wednesday, he confirmed his visit and predicted that the three Kashmir Lok Sabha seats will be shared between the two political parties. He did not name the parties, but he obviously meant the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party. He also predicted that one of the two parties will win two Lok Sabha seats and the other will capture one. "I have visited valley for three days and now I returned New Delhi. I think the competition is between two main political parties and with one among these winning two seats and another one," he was quoted as saying.
The other person was leading columnist, Prem Shanker Jha. His views on Jammu & Kashmir, like the views of Dulat, are too well-known. They are not averse to the idea of the state getting more autonomy or self-rule. Jha, everyone knows, was engaged with the separatists and
Kashmiri-based political leaders as a "track-II diplomat in the past. He visited Kashmir a week ago. Reports suggest that during his stay in the Valley, Jha met with various "political leaders and senior intelligence officers to assess the poll situation". He was, according to one report, "provided inputs gathered by some intelligence agencies regarding the public mood towards Lok Sabha elections". Later, he wrote an article for Kashmir-based English daily in which he said that the National Conference could win one seat and the People's Democratic Party two. In fact, he pointed out that the National Conference was in a deep trouble. The same report further said that "in the run up to these elections, the think-tanks and intelligence agencies are doing an exhaustive exercise to create a sort of 'political perception' in the sensitive state to prepare people for any possible change in system. 'Jammu & Kashmir is not any ordinary state where the outcome of elections would be easily accepted by people. The actual results would come up on May 16 when the ballot boxes are opened. However, as part of political management the agencies are preparing the public mood for any possible change and outcome in the elections". This report was based on the inputs from a "senior intelligence officer and the information was provided on the condition of anonymity. No problem that some diplomats, former intelligence officials and columnists visited the Valley for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. Such visits do take place to the areas gripped by the problems like the otherwise highly prosperous and extremely powerful Kashmir Valley. This is just a normal thing. But the problem is that their approach was lop-sided. They focused their whole attention on Kashmir and Kashmiri Muslims and ignored the people of the state's two other regions - Jammu and Ladakh - perhaps under the misguided notion that Kashmir means the entire State of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and fulfilling the aspirations of Kashmiri Muslims will be the same as meeting the needs of all social groups and communities who constitute the state's society. This approach will not do. The approach has to be holistic, rational and national. One thing must not be ignored: The State of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is very difficult; it's mini-India. The lop-sided approach has failed in the past and it will fail in the future as well and, hence, the need for a new approach that takes care of the people of all the three regions of the state and that considers the national interest in the state paramount. |
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