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| Governor Vohra hits nail on the head | | | NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 2: It was unexpected but it has happened. This means certain men at the helm have started recognizing the ground realities in Kashmir, hitting the nail on the head and explaining the fundamental causes responsible for the turmoil in the Kashmir Valley and estranged relations between India and Pakistan. The case in point is the Governor N N Vohra’s address to the joint-session of the J&K legislature on the opening day (Feb 28) of the budget session. What he said was inspiring in a sense, notwithstanding his positive statement on the Prime Minister-Constituted Working Groups’ highly controversial and militant-friendly recommendations; his vague comments on the plight of the refugees; his positive remarks on the otherwise controversial return and rehabilitation policy devised by his government to induce Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-J&K-based terrorists and zealots of Kashmir origin to return to the Valley and avail official patronage, including financial incentives; and his failure to address the problems being faced by the people of Jammu province.
Everyone needs to hail the Governor’s address, notwithstanding some of his vague statements on the Jammu problem and the refugees’ age-old human problem and positive remarks on steps that should not been taken in the larger national interest and in the interest of the state itself. A reference here to at least three statements of his would be quite in order, as such an exercise would help everyone understand as to what went wrong in the state and as to who in the difficult state deserves appreciation.
One, “there has been a progressive improvement in the internal situation in the past few years. However, the continuance of terrorist activities and extremist ideologies is a cause of serious concern. Besides causing recurring human and economic losses, the activities of terrorist networks have given a serious setback to the entire process of development and growth in the past years.” What he said was what the concerned and responsible citizens in the state and elsewhere in the country have been saying since the late 1980s, when the secessionist and communal violence gripped the state leading to the wholesale migration of the minorities from the Kashmir Valley. They had been saying that the problem in Kashmir was neither political nor economic and constitutional but one of the “uncontested communalism of the leadership of Kashmiri Muslims.” They were, and are, of the considered opinion that the authorities had, instead of countering the baneful influence of the communal politics, coupled with the demand of separation from India, had only met it by “incremental surrenders.”
Now that the highest constitutional authority in the state has candidly acknowledged that the root cause of all our troubles in Kashmir is the belief of certain elements in “extremist ideologies” and the cult of terrorism, one can now entertain the hope that his government would take on and neutralize extremists and terrorists wherever they are. It would not be out of place to mention here that his predecessor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha had also expressed similar views in New Delhi just before he completed his remarkable tenure as Governor of J&K. He had said: “The secessionist movement in Kashmir is the fallout of communal approach to the issues and this poses a great danger to national unity and integrity.”
Two, “my government records its gratitude to the officers and men of the security forces who have been valiantly performing their duties in extremely difficult circumstances.” What he said must have raised the morale of the otherwise highly demoralized security forces, including the CRPF, which has been accused by his government of “violating the human rights”, using “excessive force” and killing “Innocent civilians” and against whom his government has constituted a commission of inquiry. What he said was very significant. In fact, what he said was inconsistent with the line certain men at the helm had taken. They had taken the line that it was the security forces which had been responsible for the intifada Kashmir witnessed last summer.
That the Governor has commended the performance of the security forces and that, too, in the presence of all the ministers and legislators, without any exception, and acknowledged in unequivocal terms that they are “performing their duties in extremely difficult circumstances” could be construed as an indication of change of heart on the part of his government. One can only hope that his men in the government would disband the commission of inquiry, which is headed by a controversial man – controversial because he gave the judgment even before holding an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of 17 unruly persons between June 11 and July 11, 2010.
Three, “ever since 1947, Pakistan has refused to respond positively to India’s sustained endeavours for the maintenance of peaceful and friendly relations, which we wish to enjoy with all our other neighbours. Pakistan’s posture, over the past decades, has been causing serious difficulties and strains for the people of J&K…” The meaning of what he said was loud and clear and the meaning was that it was Islamabad that has been consistently seeking to cause extremist and separatist explosions in the state with a view to grabbing J&K.
The truth, in short, is that Governor Vohra has put things in perspective and what he has said must make the PDP leaders and similar other Kashmir-based leaders to sit up and refashion their whole approach accordingly. Such an exercise on their part is imperative considering the fact that the nation is not prepared to accept anything that is calculated to cause second partition of India on religious grounds. It would be better if they start concentrating on democratic and economic issues and issues relating to the people’s empowerment.
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