Are KP's so insignificant? - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir

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Are KP's so insignificant?

Omkar Dattatray

5/28/2018 12:15:18 AM

Though constitutionally all subjects of India are equal but in practice some are equal, some above equal, some unequal and some unimportant and insignificant. To be more specific, some even below equal and less than ordinary and it is this last category which includes this unfortunate and meek but civilized and cultured beings known as Kashmiri Pandits. They are the citizens of a special state so far as controversial article 370 of India constitution is concerned but in practice they are not even ordinary creatures. KP's were, are and will continue to be insignificant for the rulers and political parties of the secular India. In the democratic dispensation and more so in our parliamentary system only those count and matter in the estimation of our rulers who constitute a formidable vote bank. Consequently others are overlooked and underscored and underestimated in the developmental and welfare schemes. Thus KP's insignificance is self explanatory. Since Kashmiri Pandits are a minuscule minority and do not form a vote bank so our mushroom political outfits and the rulers alike consider them worth ignoring. KP's were always experimented upon and even sacrificed at the secular altar of the country. The simple reason is that they are considered as nonentities rather straw and thus are relegated to the back seat. Their patriotism, innocence and peace loving nature have always been and continue to be exploited by the cunning and power hungry political apparatus of the country. Thus they are taken for a ride by the successive state and the central rulers. These unfortunate sons of mother India stand discriminated in educational, professional and employment avenues ever since the transfer of power from Maharaja to the so called popular rulers. Their petty land holdings were snatched from them under the guise of so called progressive land reforms. This draconian law gave a severe jolt to the economic standing of the community as the land was taken from them without any alternative rehabilitation and compensation. The law is akin to rob Peter to pay Paul. Others were made to thrive on their land holdings even though they had their own lands. It was just to placate, please and strengthen the economic base of a section of population and to get their favors in elections. Thus to gain a mass base among Kashmiri Muslims, the rulers of National Conference and then congress enacted land reform laws as a programme of Naya Kashmir. This lead to slow migration of KPs unheard and unsung. Later, due to Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism 99% KPs were made to flee their homes and hearths for none of their faults except that they did not compromise on their Indian identity, nationalism and patriotism. Even after 28 years of their exiled life in their own secular India, there seems to be bleak and little chances of their return to their valley which originally belongs to them. KP's are the ordinary rather below ordinary citizens among the creed of special citizens of the state by virtue of state's special and enviable position among all federating units of India. The political standing of KP's as well as their share in top levels of bureaucracy is negligible. The KPs representation in legislature and executive is not hidden from anyone and it is an open book to see. Kashmiri Pandits are the worst hit and worst victims of the ongoing insurgency. They stand uprooted from their native soil and their economic, social educational and cultural aspects of life stand affected then and now. KPs are left in lurch, distress and psychological trauma of unprecedented nature. They stand forlorn and dejected. The future of this community is uncertain and their present is full of misery and distress. But the shame secularists ignore them due to their microscopic number and more so because they do not have worthwhile political and social platform to struggle for their multiple but genuine problems. They lack the quality to repose faith in their leaders and as a result is a leaderless and rudderless community. Various KP organizations work at variance. They speak in various tunes. The total division and disharmony in the uprooted community is exploited by the rulers for the ulterior motives. In all these years of their exile no sincere and serious efforts were made to rehabilitate them in the valley. Loud statements and mere rhetoric will not change the ground realities in the trouble torn state. It will not better the lot of these displaced ones who continue to suffer in this democratic and secular rule. Cash doles and a meager assistance is not the magnanimity of the rulers but it is the constitutional duty of the government as the powers had failed to protect the life, limb, property and dignity of KP's in Kashmir. Now that the central government of BJP led NDA has shown its eagerness to talk to separatists and all the stakeholders, it is in the fitness of things to talk to the genuine representatives of the Kashmiri Pandits as they suffered most with the onset of terrorism and militancy. But unfortunately this important party of Kashmir impasse is ignored in every form. The same was evident from the statement of Home Minster who emphasized that talks will be held with Hurriyat if they show inclination for coming to talks. The government is ready to talk to Hurriyat, the militant leaders, NC, the congress, the people of Jammu and Ladakh but the fact remains that KP's are definitely a party to any negotiation of Kashmir imbroglio. KP's along with Kashmiri muslims should be recognized as a party of Kashmir trouble. The rulers at the state and central establishment should not take KP's always for granted as their tolerance also has limits. The powers should desist from testing their tolerance anymore. When pigmy sized nation of Pakistan kept mighty Bharatvarsha of more than 125 crore people at tenterhooks, the rulers should not underestimate the valor intelligence and education of the this minority community, KPs should not be treated as mere straw and ignored as insignificant nonentities as they are counted as intelligent next to Jews in the world. So treat these seemingly insignificant sons of mother India as significant players in the nation building. But such treatment seems far from reality so long as the rulers and the political parties continue to weigh all citizens in terms of their vote swelling strength. Powers should pay heed to the apt quotation which reads as "nothing is so big to be worried about and nothing is so small to be neglected

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