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| Congress ignoring Jammu, Ladakh a dangerous approach | | Sibal questions BJP Kashmir policy | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 13: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal has came down heavily on the PM Narendra Modi's Kashmir policy and said his approach would further complicate the already rather complex situation in the militant-infested Kashmir Valley.
"New Delhi must realize that neither rhetoric nor mouthing platitudes is going to help. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words that neither bullets nor abuse is going to resolve issues in Kashmir - when he addressed the nation in his 2017 Independence Day speech - are true. This sentiment lacked conviction. Bullets accompanied by abuse was evidenced in action in Kashmir through 2016. The flourish of words must be accompanied by sincere action on the ground. In the eyes of protesters 'Insaniyat' (humanity) was dealt a deathly blow and 'Jamhuriat' (democracy) was betrayed. . In the absence of Insaniyat and Jamhuriat, Kashmiriyat was not given a chance ," he said while commenting on the Kashmir situation and the PM Narendta Modi's Kashmir policy.
"In fact, we have seen no attempt by the Modi government, since it came to power in 2014, to give the people of Kashmir space to move towards political engagement. Calling for a beef ban, doing away with a separate flag, floating concepts like a separate Sainik colony, a separate colony for Kashmiri Pandits, may well evoke nationalist sentiments, but it made the Kashmiris insecure," he has further said.
Not just this, Kapil Sibal also favoured dialogue with Hurriyat Conference and supported Article 370 and Article 35-A. "BJP also jettisoned an essential element of the agenda of alliance with PDP which was committed to a sustained dialogue with both Hurriyat and Pakistan. This along with the controversy over Article 370 and targeting sloganeering Kashmiri students in the rest of India has vitiated the atmosphere.
The latest controversy, through a public interest litigation, regarding attempts to abrogate Article 35A of the Indian Constitution has drawn battle lines. Both PDP and National Conference see this as an attempt to attack the unique identity of Kashmir, the antithesis of Kashmiriyat. It is viewed as an attempt to change the demographics of Kashmir. Both people in the Valley and political analysts view New Delhi's sincerity with scepticism.
It is intriguing that Congress leader only talked about people of Kashmir, Aryicle 35-A, Article 370, Kashmiriat, Insaniyat and Jamoohriat and talks with Hurriyat Conference and didn't utter a word on Jammu and Ladakh and the people these two big regions of the state house. The Congress needs to remember that Kashmir is only a small part of the state and not the sole factor in the state's political situation and to ignore this fact would be only to anger Jammu and Ladakh. It should also remember what the people of Jammu and Ladakh did to it in 2014. The people of Jammu and Ladakh defeated the Congress in both these regions and the Congress could not win even five seats from Jammu out of 37. Only a holistic approach to the state can work. These sooner it realizes, the better. |
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