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| PDP plays well to muzzle rebellion, wash Delhi stains | | FROM ISLAMABAD TO MAHORE | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Apr 19
Sunday Special
The Congress is maintaining a cryptic silence leaving the defense of sovereignty to Panthers Party, BJP and Shiv Sena etc. In the melee, the Peoples Democratic Party is reaping the rich harvests of its currency offensive. Good or bad for country or state but the Muftis have played a meticulously calculated stroke in the time of crisis.
An analysis of the Peoples Democratic Party’s out of the blue mantra of dual control and dual currency in Jammu and Kashmir reveals that it was nothing but a crisis management tactic. An assessment of the changing ground situation suggests that the party has been successful enough in consolidating what it wanted.
For long peoples have been hearing of a term called “Self Rule”. But it was deep under the debris as PDP shied away from explaining as what is contained in the idea. Interestingly after a long and eerie silence, the contours of self rule were explained by the party president Mehbooba Mufti at Islamabad. It needs to be noted here that Islamabad was carefully chosen as platform for unveiling the formula.
The Islamabad utterance controversy was yet to settle down that the former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed called for use of Pakistani currency in Jammu and Kashmir. More interestingly, Mufti made this suggestion while addressing a public meeting in Mahore –a remote and isolated area of Jammu region where the media presence was dismal. The word still traveled. Mufti explained his idea at a press conference only when the issue had already triggered a raging debate.
Political analysts believe that the Muftis have thrown the joint control and dual currency spanner when party was faced with serious internal rebellion and public charges of being a creation of New Delhi. “This happened at a time when the PDP is facing internal rebellion and criticism from the National Conference ( NC), which alleged that her party was created and works for New Delhis spies”, said a political analyst.
To counter the attacks from rivals, Muftis tried to show their party’s independence and simultaneously distance the PDP from its perceived links with the intelligence establishment. These are difficult times for the PDP when it is preparing for the next assembly elections, slated for later this year.
Launched in 1999, ostensibly as the biggest political operation of Indian policy in conflict riddled Jammu and Kashmir, the party grew in strength to become a formidable challenger to the NC’s strong hold in the Valley. But the partys think- tank is now finding it hard to get the history of its making off its back and give it the status of a credible alternative to the NC.
And more so when National Conference is going through a rough patch and the former chief minister is trying to regain his position by attacking the PDP. “The PDP is a creation of New Delhi and ( intelligence) agencies, which are trying to divide and rule Kashmiris,” Abdullah tells the people repeatedly. He may not be off the mark.
The PDPs foundations were laid when New Delhi began to regain control in Kashmir after militancy struck a blow to the political power structure which existed in the shape of the NC. In the run- up to the 1996 elections, the first seven years, electoral politics was principally dependent on the NC. In such a scenario, New Delhi found the NC more demanding and reminiscent of 1952 when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah began to question the states accession to the Indian Union. The centre assigned former Union home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed the task and he was spot on — cashing in on anti- incumbency and other factors to rise to the chief ministers share with the Congress in tow. But, the unpleasant history hung heavy over the party and immediately after Sayeed stepped down as chief minister in tandem with the PDP- Congress power- sharing deal, he and his daughter floated the “ self- rule” proposal. “ It was the first attempt by the PDP to break free from any handling from outside ( read New Delhi),” said a party rebel. Sayeeds party is using its selfrule idea to give an impression that the Kashmir- specific component of the Indo- Pak peace process is driven by it. But the biggest question is: will the PDP be able to hold its flock together? Many of its founding members are attempting to form a third front. |
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