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| Baig comes a full circle as pigeons go in air yet again | | |
MUNISH GUPTA
Jammu, June 16: The political life –its trysts and travails –seem to have taken a full circle for the senior Peoples Democratic Party leader and former Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
Those who saw Friday on television screens and today’s newspapers Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni freeing pigeons in air to mark inauguration of Bhaderwah festival might have recalled the scene last year. It was Muzaffar Baig, the then Deputy Chief Minister and incharge of Finance, Planning and Tourism departments, who had last year joined the Chief Minister Azad in setting the pigeons in air to formally inaugurate the Bhaderwah festival.
Though Baig’s action of joining the Chief Minister in setting pigeons in air was not seen as a crime by his PDP leadership but the speech he made after that was taken as contemptuous. In his speech, in presence of Azad, Baig accused the previous regimes and Chief Ministers (including his leader and mentor) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for blatantly neglecting development of tourist areas in Jammu region. He had said, “there is a visible discrimination with Jammu region which needs to be undone”.
It was Baig’s this speech, which besides some other factors, cost him his chair of the Deputy Chief Minister and the position in the party a month and half later. The PDP leadership took a strong exception to Baig’s pro-Jammu remarks and his growing friendship with the Chief Minister. Thus followed the wait for an appropriate opportunity to axe him. Rest is history: how Baig was eased out is known to one and all and does not need an elaboration here.
A year after, it was the same festival, the same ritual of setting pigeons in air but Baig was missing from the scene. Interestingly, Baig was missing from the scene but he was not missing from the political scenery. After full 12 months, Baigs seems to have realised the blunder he made by speaking for Jammu people and entrusting confidence in the Chief Minister.
Today, some of us recalled his last year’s speech at Bhaderwah, the same Muzaffar Hussain Baig this morning accused the Chief Minister of playing politics with the public sentiments as he called for urgent reduction on troop strength.
Addressing a public meeting at Rawatpora in Khansahab constituency today, Baig said as almost all the political parties are now convinced that the PDP's demand for troop reduction and revocation of AFSPA is the fundamental element of the peace process, the Congress party and the State Chief Minister, must also take an affirmative stand on the issue instead of trying to politicize the same. "A Government has to respect the broader view point and it can't afford to go against the public sentiment," he said and added that taking advantage of the emerging unanimous view on the issue the Chief Minister must forcefully project the same before New Delhi so that people get some much-needed relief.
Baig said there is absolutely no logic in maintaining such a massive presence of troops in the State to fight, as per their own estimates, some 1500 odd militants. "This noticeable and interfering deployment of troops is now becoming discomforting, not only for the people, but embarrassing even for the Government as well," he said and added that the exposure of troops must essentially be now restricted to prevent their interference in the day to day lives of the people. "This is the most vital element of the peace and reconciliation process," he maintained.
Expressing concern and dismay over the resurgence of the Ikhwani culture, Baig said unfortunately such elements have been reactivated in various parts of the valley, especially district Budgam, for political coercion. "This is the most disturbing trend and would certainly shatter the budding public faith in the democratic institutions and processes," he cautioned. He said in Budgam district the Ikhwanis have been let loose to harass and malign the PDP activists and workers. "The Chief Minister must take note of this dangerous trend," he said and warned that any failure to curb the activities of Ikhwanis for political gains would have destructive implications.
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