From the President's Desk, May 2019, Koshur Samachar - Politics in Kashmir has mostly been blackmail, hypocrisy

Vijay Raina Ex-President,  2019, Kashmir Samiti, Delhi

 

Dear community members,

Namaskar,

The almost peaceful culmination of five- phase Lok Sabha poll in Kashmir on May 6 is a victory of Indian democracy and a clear cut message to the whole world that the biggest festival of democracy was very much evident in the state of Jammu & Kashmir despite an overall low voter turnout Holding polls for the Anantnag parliamentary seat, even if in three phases, was again a bold statement as its bye election in the last Lok Sabha necessitated by resignation of Mehbooba Mufti as a member of Parliament in June 2016 after she became the Chief Minister, was indefinitely delayed and eventually not held in the just completed 16 Lok Sabha.

Anantnag, or more popularly-known south Kashmir, had slipped into a serious security challenge after a fresh spell of militancy and terror gripped the area with a number of local youth joining the terrorist ranks and organised stone pelting and protests near encounter sites at the behest of separatists and Islamists So overcoming this challenge, first through local bodies election and now parliament election, has certainly gone to prove that India has the will and tenacity to defeat terror.

With the success of this latest election, now all eyes are on the Assembly elections in the state, which are due in June or may be held after the coming months after the holy month of Ramzan and Shri Amarth Yatra, are over if some unconfirmed reports are to be believed.

Before talking about how we, as a community, should prepare or respond to this important unfolding political scenario in the valley, there is a need to understand how the current election was fought in Kashmir and what the tone of the campaign was. The two mainstream regional parties, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took this campaign to a different and dangerous plane Both parties went hyper on the issue of Article 370 and 35 A of the Indian Constitution, and behaved as spokespersons of Pakistan and separatists Even Prime Minister Modi singled out doublespeak of the leaders of these parties for using one language in the valley and another in the rest of the country Instead of engaging in debate and discussions, they resorted to emotional blackmail politics.

In a way this has been the reality of the situation in Kashmir. The very politicians, who have been the beneficiaries of the Indian democracy and mountains of funds provided for state's development, stoop so low and link national integration and sovereignty to these two controversial articles of constitution. Going on the grapevine on voter assessment, both these parties face electoral loss with PDP getting reduced to a no show.

Whilst all of us have become watchers of this interesting political drama in the valley, we must not forget that our political power, rights and participation have been systematically eroded. In what could be said as the 'political genocide of our community, our votes have been deleted in tens of thousands from the lists The voting scheme for migrants is nothing short of a farce and mere formality. The Government of India has turned a blind eye to ensure our voting right is intact in place of our origin. We need constitutional protection for this; else we would also become a victim of 35A soon.

As we have been stressing and reiterating repeatedly that issue of our return or settlement is being sidetracked for too long now, we expect the new government to address this at the earliest.

And, it is my hope that the new dispensation that takes over in Kashmiri Samiti Delhi, later this month from us, will pursue the government with vigour on this issue. Unity is strength and KSD, as in the past, will try unifying efforts so that our one voice is amplified and the struggle gets consolidated.

Once again, for the last time, while extending thanks from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all the very best in your respective lives. May Mata Bhawani and Bhagwan Shiv keep blessings us!

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Courtesy:- Vijay Raina and  May 2019, Koshur Samachar