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| PDP politicized yatra for electoral gains: Gen Sinha | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | July 4
The former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Lt Gen SK Sinha who demitted the Raj Bhawan amidst raging controversy on June 25 has said that some vested interests, in an obvious reference to the Peoples Democratic Party and separatists, have made attempts to communalize the most secular tradition of Kashmir –the Amarnath Yatra.
In an exclusive interview to Jammu based monthly magazine EPILOGUE, the only interview he gave to any media outlet on eve of demitting Raj Bhawan, Gen Sinha says Peoples Democratic Party deliberately politicized the issue of Amarnath pilgrimage with an aim to gain in the forthcoming assembly elections. “In election years such political misadventures are a common practice”, Gen Sinha told the magazine which hits stands on July 10.
Criticizing Peoples Democratic Party, particularly its patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Gen Sinha said, “politics is a strange game…every party in every state (in India) tries to play it well during elections”, and added, using religious sentiments to further political agenda is most unfortunate part of the political game”. “This is what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir due to some zealot vested interests”, the former Governor observed.
When his attention was drawn to the repeated statements of the PDP leaders describing him as communal and particularly the state of Deputy Chief Minister who had, “Sinha wants to put J&K on fire”, the former Governor described it highly unbecoming of the party and its leaders. Recalling that Muzaffar Hussain Baig was one of his most frequent visitors at the Raj Bhawan and enjoyed cordial relations with him, Gen Sinha observed, “whatever is now being said is all with an eye on the elections”. “Mr Baig (Muzaffar Hussain) would come to see me very frequently and call me as his father”, said Gen Sinha and wondered, “I am surprised at his overnight change of heart and mind”. “He enjoyed exceptionally good relations with me and I see his these statements as most unfortunate”, said Gen Sinha.
In his two-hour long candid interview at Jammu Raj Bhawan, two day ahead of demitting the high office, the then Governor admitted that he never had cordial relations with former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “We were never at ease right from the day one”, said Gen Sinha while refusing to go into details “at this stage”. “I have remained Governor for 11 years (six years in Assam and five years in J&K) and during this long tenure I had the opportunity of working with four Chief Ministers…Mufti Sayeed was one among them with whom I could not have good relations”, the former Governor said with regrets.
On his discomfort with the Mufti and the PDP, Gen Sinha said, “I never spoke against him, I never did anything which could have hurt him…in fact I made all possible efforts to have cordial relations with my Chief Minister but things did not work”. Gen Sinha said that his forthcoming book titled “Diary of a Pro-active Governor” will have the details and reasons of an uncomfortable relationship.
Giving an example of March 2005 snow tsunami in Kashmir, Gen Sinha claimed that he was more responsive and sensitive to problems of the people than his Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He recalled, “when Kashmir Valley was reeling under worst trouble of recent times due to huge snow fall, the then Chief Minister was in New Delhi inaugurating a photo exhibition”. When somebody drew his attention to the situation assuming in Kashmir, Mufti said, “having snow in Valley is a common scene in winters” recalled Gen Sinha and pointed out, “I preferred to stay with the people in Kashmir to supervise relief and rescue instead of staying back at Raj Bhawan”.
He, however, showered praises on the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad saying that he is the best CM any state could have. “My Chief Minister (Azad) has done in two and half years what his predecessors could not do in past 50 years…nowhere in the country I have seen such huge development with a fast pace the way Ghulam Nabi Azad is leading in Jammu and Kashmir”, said Gen Sinha.
On this issue of diversion of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Gen Sinha pointed out to a “deep rooted political conspiracy”. He said the proposal (land transfer) was put before the government in 2004 and for full four years it remained at various stages of consideration and examination but no one raised any voice. He said it was not only in the knowledge of PDP Ministers (Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Qazi Mohammad Afzal) but was also pushed by them at various stages. “How can they (PDP leaders) make such noises now when they have all along been a part of it (the land diversion proposal).
On the controversial Amarnath pilgrimage, the then Governor said that it is a most difficult pilgrimage and many things have to be taken into account. The piece of land which has been dragged into controversy has been used for the yatra purposes for 100 years now. We have been putting up temporary toilets and shelters there with government permission since 2005. I fail to understand and am deeply disappointed the way some people have raised controversy over it.
Describing it as yellow journalism, Gen Sinha regretted “the way media in Kashmir painted the whole controversy in communal colours”. They wrote about making of Amarnath Nagar and creation of a situation what Palestine did in Kashmir. “For God sake tell me, can putting up temporary structure for two months change demographic structure of any place”, questioned Gen Sinha.
“At the time of demitting office I am happy that I was able to do what all I wanted to. However, it is different matter altogether whether I could accomplish that or not”, said Gen Sinha in his parting statement.
Claiming that his sole agenda at Raj Bhawan was to restore peace via Kashmiriyat, Gen Sinha said the following on his “pro-activeness to promote secularism: “During my stay as Governor, I wanted peace to return in Jammu and Kashmir, and according to me, the most important way of doing that was to promote Kashmiriyat. I did a lot of things in that direction but some people with vested interested always sought to create controversies. One major example of my initiatives to promote Kashmiriyat was the establishment of the Institute of Kashmir Studies at the University of Kashmir. I got Rs 4 Crores sanctioned for this institute from the UNESCO. In a high profile function, attended by top dignitaries from eight countries, we got this institute inaugurated by the President of India. Prominent among the dignitaries from eight South Asian countries included former Sri Lankan President and Prime Chandrika Kumaratunga; Gazanfar Khan, a senior cabinet Minister of Hameed Karzai government in Afghanistan, daughter of a famous Pakistani poet Fayaz Mohammad Fayaz; Editor of leading Pakistani daily the Dawn and other delegates from Bangla Desh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives. Such a composite gather never took place before in Kashmir”.
He added, “this essentially was to promote Kashmiriyat in entire South Asia. Such was the essence of this occasion that leader the Pakistan based Sufi musical band said they were in Kashmir to spread peace through musical jehad. You may also not that along with Amarnath pilgrimage every year, we (Shri Amarnath Shrine Board) organize a mega Sufi musical festival in Kashmir. This year it was the most elaborate event with participation of artists from Uzbekstan, Syria, Egypt and Pakistan. Famous Qawwals from Pakistan performed the play Bulle Shah –all these initiatives were aimed at spreading amity and brotherhood”.
“But unfortunately, look at the events, how some people with vested interests doubt every initiative aimed at peace and create controversies out of nothing. You asked me about my experiences as Governor, I say, promotion of peace via Kashmiriyat was my main agenda all these years. I put best of my efforts as an individual but could not see the results as I had desired”, said the outgoing Governor. |
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