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| Mir ridicules votaries of autonomy, self-rule | | Calling The Bluff | | Rustam
Jammu, Aug 3: Democratic Party (Nationalist) and Agriculture Minister in the Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government Ghulam Hassan Mir, who maintains very good relations with the Congress party, deserves all appreciation for what he yesterday candidly told a local news gathering agency KNS. What he told could be construed as a very scathing attack on the founder of National Conference (NC) Sheikh Abdullah and the votaries of autonomy and self-rule. Indeed, it was a blistering attack on those who had been raking up emotive issues in Kashmir for promoting their vested interests at the cost of gullible Kashmiris.
The Agriculture Minister did his best to put things in perspective. He blamed Sheikh Abdullah for the "present messy situation in Kashmir" and accused him of not "transforming the mindset of people of Jammu & Kashmir". Mir asserted that the fundamental factor that is responsible for the messy situation in the Valley was the Sheikh Abdullah's 23-year-long struggle for plebiscite. "He (Sheikh) was the tallest leader but he failed to transform the mindset of people which had developed during the plebiscite movement," Mir reportedly said and added that "Sheikh Sahab himself termed his 23 year of struggle for plebiscite as political wilderness". Mir, however, appreciated Sheikh Abdullah for his realization and commended him for signing an accord with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. In other words, Mir appreciated the complete U-turn Sheikh Abdullah.
What Mir said about Sheikh Abdullah and the kind of politics the latter played was significant. Even far more significant was his suggestion that the people must see through the game plan of "political parties and politicians" who have always sought to deflect the people's attention away from the real issues by raking up emotive issues and raising emotional slogans. He said there are political parties and politicians who are simply "hoodwinking the people" by raising emotional slogans. "These self-seeking politicians have never addressed the real issues concerning the welfare of the masses and always raked up emotional issues. Youth of the State are facing a bleak future and need of the hour is to evolve youth friendly policies so that they can be provided a dignified and secured life," he reportedly said while lambasting certain politicians. He did hit the nail on the head by saying what New Delhi should have said long ago and nipped the evil in the bud.
But Mir did not stop just there. He went on to say that the "people of Jammu & Kashmir have no concern with the problems between India and Pakistan" and that the "Kashmiris want peace". He was absolutely right. What have the people of the State to do with the bilateral problems and issues between the two countries? It is for New Delhi to deal with Islamabad and resolve the issues. It was perhaps the first time that a Kashmiri politician, who is part of the Government, taken this line. He must have looked into the pros and cons before taking such a realistic stand, but his was a right line.
Mir not only took on Kashmiri politicians for poking their nose in the India-Pakistan relations but also snubbed the votaries of autonomy and self-rule. He dismissed with contempt as "emotive slogans" the NC's autonomy resolution and the PDP's self-rule formula. "Autonomy and self-rule are just impracticable, emotive and sensational slogans having no relevance in the context of present scenario. There is no substance in these formulas to ameliorate socio-economic conditions of people of the State. People want peace, prosperity and development," Mir said. He emphasized the need for a "viable formula" that could empower the "common masses economically". Mir also had to say something about the alleged "excesses by troops". He said, "Excesses do take place (in war-like situation), but there is a mechanism to check it and we have to strengthen such a mechanism". What he said in this regard was self-explanatory and to the point.
However, to say all this is not to suggest that there was nothing in his interview to the KNS that was not controversial and misleading. His economic independence formulation was indeed controversial and misleading. He told the news agency that "Economic independence must take precedence over political independence. When we are economically dependent on someone else, we can't achieve anything. We have to become self-reliant". How could a part of the sovereign country assume economic independence? Mir would do well to redesign his economic independence formulation taking into consideration the fact that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of the political and constitutional organization of India. However, to say this is not to undermine the significance of what he said about certain political parties and politicians. |
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