With anguish in heart - From the Editor-in-chief

S S Toshkhani     

With the noisy war of words over UPA's chopper-gate in the pegging down people in the entire country to TV news-channels, who must have paid attention to a news report appearing in a section of the "National Press about a high level meeting having been called by the Home Ministry on issues related to Kashmir? According to the report, "rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits was one of the issues discussed at the meeting which was chaired by the Home Minister Raj Nath Singh. While it is not known what exactly transpired at the meeting and what decisions were taken, no one among the Kashmiri Pandits is likely to be amused by such gimmicks. The present mood in the community is one of bitter disappointment and disillusionment with the ruling dispensation at the Centre. For the Pandits, "rehabilitation" and "resettlement" are but hollow terms now, signifying nothing. The memory of the way the Centre betrayed their interests in this regard is still fresh in their minds. Soon after the BJP came to power in Jammu & Kashmir in alliance with the avowedly pro separatist PDP, throwing to winds all its principles and forgetting all its promises that had helped it win the elections, the Home Ministry had flaunted a poorly conceived "resettlement plan" before them. But before they could have a look at it, the Ministry hurriedly buried the plan when it met with stiff resistance from the separatists and Pak supporters and even the so-called mainstream parties, including the PDP. A great furore ensued, with the Centre buckling immediately under pressure from the arch secessionist Ali Shah Geelani and his wild Islamist hordes. Kashmiri Muslims of all hues sent a clear message to Kashmiri Hindus "Stay off Kashmir. You are not wanted and will not be allowed to return and resettle anywhere in the Valley Controversies about "separate settlements" and so-called "composite colonies" were raised deliberately to create more confusion so that the Pandits do not actually come. So sc. red were the Islamist Jehadists about the possibility of the Pandits' return that they ran amok on the roads, mourning the same slogans and repeating the same threats as were heard during the Amamath and Kaunsar Nag conflagrations.

That was earlier, when the PDP-BJP alliance government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had just secured power. And now when a successor government of the same alliance has been just installed under his daughter Mehbooba Mufti, similar noises are being made again. But this time there are no takers. Kashmiri Pandits have seen through the deceit and have fully realised that whichever be the government at the Centre, they will never get justice. An overwhelming majority among them is convinced that they will have to fight their own battle and intensify their struggle for achieving their own bit of Kashmir where they will be able to breathe free air. They have vowed to keep the memories of the KP genocide fresh. The promise of separate or composite colonies no longer lures them. Nor are they prepared to barter away their dream about a homeland all their own with anything going by the name of an "economic package". No poisonous lollipops this time. The Pandits know what happened to the Manmohan Singh package. They know they have always been short changed and deceived before too. This time they want nothing less than the real thing. They have understood that the present dispensation is no different from the previous one of UPA, that it will continue to follow the same policy of appeasement, the sine qua non of the pseudo-secularism political class in India.

Today what is shocking them deeply, as all real nationalists, is the brazen exercise of turnarounds and flip flops that have become the hallmark of the present dispensation at the Centre. Today they are comfortable with the Hurriyet and its the-fascist factotums having discussions and partying with the Pakistan High Commissioner in Delhi to celebrate Pakistan Day. Today, the rabidly communal and foul-mouthed Pakistani agent, "Engineer" Rashid is a dear comrade who can be hugged with brotherly affection. Today people in their thousands are gladly, or timidly, permitted to join the funeral processions of deadly terrorists when they are gunned down by our valiant Jawans in most difficult conditions. In these circumstances who amongst us will not agree with Pawan Singh, the independent MLA from Udhampur, who expressed his anguish at this state of affairs at a recently held press conference and lamented that "India is losing Kashmir inch by inch, by the minute, under the coalition PDP-BJP Government".

 

(S S Toshkhani)

 

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Courtesy:  S S Toshkhani and May 2016 Koshur Samachar