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| Kashmir in search of a new leadership | | |
Srinagar July 9- With the elections in Jammu and Kashmir drawing nearer, the political activity among the mainstream political parties in this sensitive State appears to be reviving with a series of meetings being organized in both North and South Kashmir and Muslim dominated areas of Jammu province including Doda—Bhaderwah belt where from Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad hails.
But the rallies and the crowd gathering are no indicators of any Party’s strength—be that the separatist stuff or the mainstream political parties -- as Kashmir has witnessed such crowds and political demonstrations in 1977 elections also when Late Mirwaiz Farooq with the active support of then ruling Janata Party at the Centre stood against Sheikh Mohd Abdullah’s National Conference. But the silent majority of Kashmir that time re-established its faith in the towering personality of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah and handed him absolute majority. Today again, this silent majority is waiting for the history to repeat itself.
The political vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir, which needs to be filled, was originally created following the division of the premier political party of Jammu and Kashmir--- the National Conference (NC) of Late Sheikh Sahib in 1984. Sheikh’s son-in law, G M Shah formed Awami National Conference (ANC). Since then, both the leaders--- G M Shah and Sheikh’s son and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, have been scrambling to capture the legacy of Sheikh Abdullah.
The rivalry seems to be never ending as there have been instances when it trickled down to Sheikh’s grandchildren--- Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah and G M Shah’s son Muzaffar Shah.
Will the NC and ANC ever come together is a debatable question in the political circles. Political pundits feel that if both the warring factions of Sheikh legacy were to come under one banner, then in that case, it will be difficult to choose the top boss of National Conference.
As far as Omar Abdullah is concerned, he has been a successful Union Minister but could not carve a niche for himself in the State politics though his father Dr Farooq Abdullah has been trying hard to establish him in politics at the cost of his own career.
On the other hand, Muzafar Shah, the Tata steel trained executive, adept in the state of the art inherited from his father G M Shah, a strong headed personality, could pose a threat to Omar Abdullah as he needs no introduction to Kashmir politics.
He is on the record of holding his maternal uncle Dr Farooq responsible for destroying NC in 1982 and his father G M Shah for backing out from 2002 elections. The ANC’s absence from the elections of 2002 gave birth to Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s People’s Democratic Party---- a party in its infancy at that time. It is conveniently forgotten that no political alliance in Kashmir has ever worked. The present political structure of Congress-PDP coalition is also based on shaky foundation.
No doubt, the NC is a cadre based organization headed by Dr Abdullah but its public image was lowered to poor performance when in power and its alliances with Rajiv Gandhi, Mirwaiz Farooq of Awami Action Committee in 1987 and later with the BJP-led Government at the Centre.
That the coalition arrangement will not work in Kashmir was perhaps realized by late Indira Gandhi after the debacle of Indira-Sheikh Accord of 1975. Thus, she backed politically and administratively experienced G M Shah to run the affairs of the sensitive State in 1984 after the spilt of NC and independently without sharing the power with Congress.
But Mufti Mohd Sayeed, the then State Chief of the Congress Party wanted to share power against the wishes of Shah. The unfortunate and sudden demise of Indira Gandhi gave them a chance to gang-up against Shah. Some stalwarts of Congress, in support with the then Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi, connived against G M Shah and Mufti allegedly engineered communal riots in his home district of Anantnag by desecrating and burning number of temples in 1986. GM Shah quit in disgust. A political vacuum has existed since then.
Kashmir Watchers feel that the revival of Sheikh Abdullah’s National Conference in its original form still has the potential to bring Kashmir out of present turmoil, forgetting what militant leadership is cooking up in their camp. In such probabilities and possibilities, the daughters of late Sheikh Abdullah--- Khalida Shah, wife of G M Shah and Suriya—, a well known academician have a role to play.
It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir has a 48 percent women population wherein both the sisters can create a dent. They need no introduction to Kashmir politics and may well prove to be G M Shah’s and Dr Farooq’s trump card.
In the ongoing political arrangement, the formation of the Third Front is also in the offing. Hakim Yaseen of People’s Democratic Forum (PDF), presently Transport Minister in the coalition Government, has been trying hard to float the Third Front carved out of PDP, Congress and separatist parties for the forthcoming elections.
However, no role is left for PDP, Hurriyat and Third Front if NC and ANC jointly throw up a new leadership in Kashmir. Such arrangement, if matures, may suit Government of India as well as Congress leadership at the Centre who want a desperate end to the ongoing leadership and political crisis in the militancy plagued State.
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