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| On turmoil in the valley and on the leadership that failed | | | vijay gupta | 9/14/2010 12:02:30 AM |
| | When Omar Abdullah rants that the recent turmoil in the valley is the handwork of about 400 to 600 misguided youth, now infamous for their well paid vocation of stone-pelting, the beleaguered Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir speaks truth. But sadly this is not the whole truth. The truth of the matter lies well beyond the perceived domain of the stone pelters association or body or whatever name you may like to give it. This well fed body of 400 to 600 youth earlier compromised of street urchins, school dropouts and shop-assistants who used their less-work-more-pay cash package for buying Reebock shoes and Signature jeans and more importantly for sustaining their affliction with a purely speculative game of cards known locally as "mang-patti." No wonder they refused CM's offer of jobs in government. Rightly branded by Omar Abdullah as mercenaries this body of stone pelters, active for the last more than a couple of years, gathered unusual mass in June this year only when even the educated unemployed youth joined in staging protests on one pretext or the other. Large number of youth suffering from trauma related to militancy of two decades, till now crying for government attention, too joined this body with view to venting out their feel frustration. For a fairly large number government employees supporting this agitation meant more paid holidays. In just three months period the entire youth in valley has came out on streets clamoring for "Azadi" and testing restrain of security forces by defying curfew. They have mocked and shamed their own youth icon for whom they had voted wholesomely in just nineteen months back. This situation reminds of an attribute peculiar to camels only. A camel does not get ruffled easily. Known to remain cool even in hot desert temperature, however, when it does loose its cool it goes berserk. Camel handler tries everything to pacify the beast. Even carrot and stick policy fails. Lastly camel handler strips naked, gathers his clothes in a heap and places the same before his ward. A triumphant camel tramples upon this heap and after thus adequately punishing his "errant master" both of them became pals again. Through all Kashmir leaders stand exposed these youth have steadfastly refused to "trample upon the heap" before them as yet. They are under control of nobody not even known separatists or pro-Pak Geelani. They are their own masters. They have no leader. The youth in the valley is making this point tellingly. An earlier generation of Kashmiri youth had been betrayed by the father of present Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah way back in mid-eighteen. At that time too the youth had participated wholesomely in elections with great expectations. Very shortly they were disillusioned and got swayed by militancy. That generation of youth has been lost to militancy. Then Kashmiri Pandit migrated in the beginning of 1990 creating a void in the colourful scape of Kashmir valley. The secular fiber of Kashmir valley lost its tensile strength. In 1996 after a gap of ten years Dr. Farooq Abdullah came to power again raising the expectations of youth once more. But instead of reaching out to the estranged youth Dr. Farooq seemed to patronize Bollywood more. This time no body staged a coup against him and he lasted a full term of 6-years but his performance as CM was dismal and he frittered away a golden chance of winning back militancy inclined youth completely. Managing a militancy ravaged state was no part time job. Dr. Farooq learned this fact when he lost power in 2002 elections. His successor Mufti Mohd. Sayeed of PDP though started well by promising setting-up an Accountability Commission and an Enquiry Commissioner on developments leading to militancy, he did not complete his entire promise - Enquiry Commissioner never came up. His three year team as CM, a power sharing arrangement with his coalition partner, Congress party, was relatively peaceful. But again apart from recruiting a few hundred youth through back door as daily wagers no serious effort was made for appeasing the youth. A half term of three years perhaps was too short for a Herculean task. The current turmoil in valley is in fact a crisis of leadership. From the pageant of a not so distant history a small but significant incident would be relevant. In the summer of 1968 a minor clash between two groups of Regional Engineering College, Srinagar had led to the death of a local student. Infuriated by this a Friday congregation from the nearby Hazratbal Shrine marched menacingly towards the old campus where the hapless administration had herded together the non-Muslim students. A towering Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah grandfather of Omar Abdullah though not in power at that time came in the way of menacing crowd. Sheikh Abdullah stood his ground made an impromptu speech pleading restrain and prevented a sure blood bath on the picturesque shores of Nageen Lake. Late Sheikh Abdullah came to power only in 1975. Unlike the present incumbent Sheikh Abdullah had not inherited leadership. He had earned it the hard way. His son Dr. Farooq Abdullah had failed him in 1990 when almost entire Pandit population left their abode from times immemorial. Otherwise known for nationalist rhetoric Dr. Abdullah remained tongue tied at that time. Sheikh Abdullah's grandson Omar Abdullah has failed him too. He failed to stand up before a small brigade of stone pelting mercenaries. No wonder the entire administration including the state police force chickened out. A pathetic Centre refuses to acknowledge Omar's failure. An enigmatic delay in confronting the imperatives has already compounded the problem. A leaderless agitating mob can resort to arson on slightest provocation. No half measures please. The heap of clothes to be kept before camel has to be a complete dress. |
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