Short of Azadi Plus ?

Gopi Nath Raina Editor Koshur Samachar

The Prime Minister's statement in Parliament last month about his government's to grant something short Azad, within overall Indian Constitution, is sure to work as a shot in the arm of Kashmir terrorists. For them it would just be another victory, to take them closer to their cherished foreign-sponsored goal of complete independence from India, and also greater expectations of slithering into the arms of the Islamic Pakistan, or of the Islamic bloc, as the situation might develop in future.

They would not be wrong in coming to their own conclusions as they have been recording victories, year after year, for the past six years, since that fateful July 31, 1988, when they felt emboldened to launch a daylight attack on the then Kashmir DIG in his office. They have not looked back since, courtesy the Centre's policy of dithering about this critical national issue.

Their first significant victory came in the Rubbaiya Sayeed case, followed immediately by their successfully hounding out three hundred thousand Kashmiri Hindus from the Valley without anybody losing sleep in New Delhi. This was followed by the unceremonious removal of Shri Jag Mohan from the J&K Governor's post even though he had been successful to a large extent in making common Kashmiris feel that their dreams would not fructify. Later, in November 1990, came the condoning of the 73-day old strike of 1,37,000 government employees in support of five senior State Government officers who had been suspended for anti-national activities This involved a payment of about thirty crores to the employees, for abstaining from duties. About half of the amount must have gone to fill the coffers of various terrorist organisations.

Later came the much-trumpeted 'transparency about Kashmir which enabled the secessionists and political patrons of various terrorist organisations to talk secession openly to foreign diplomats in Kashmir, from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, as also in Casablanca and other foreign countries. As if this were not enough, the government kept harping on the tune of political process day in and day out. The present Governor must have talked about elections every week since he took over in March 1993. The Prime Minister's latest 'Short of Azadi' slogan should surely reach terrorist ears as henna from nowhere. One can be sure that the Hurriyat will reject this offer in routine as something which does not tally with its overall calculations just because it falls short of their goal of complete independence Also, one can be sure that the Short of Azadi slogan not whetting the palates of secessionists, the Government of India may come out with further offers like deleting any reference to the Constitution, unconditional talks, or something like that. The government has already committed itself to unconditional talks with Pakistan to resolve outstanding bilateral issues including Kashmir. What harm would it be, the government may tomorrow come to think if this unconditionally clause is also extended to the secessionists within the Valley.

One can only wonder if it ever occurs to our government, its advisors, and the bureaucrats concerned that such statements only fan the fires of insurgency in Kashmir further and negate the very purpose for which these are ostensibly made. As for the much publicised democratic and electoral processes contemplated by our government, let the government note it, once for all if it can do so, that no election process can be brought to its logical conclusion in Kashmir unless the gun is silenced effectively, and the people, who are supposed to come out to vote, feel secure enough to do so. They can come to the polling booths only when they are very sure that no terrorist reprisals will take place against them, their families and their properties. It would be simply illogical for the government to expect the people, even if they are fed up with militancy completely, to come to the rescue of a machinery which has failed utterly in imparting any sense of security to them.

This brings us back to our of-repeated contention that the authorities must prioritise its duties in Kashmir, go about silencing the gun seriously and make people feel secure. Everything else, including developmental processes can follow. Let it also be said here that we are not against any democratic processes in the state which can lead to the people having their own elected government to attend better to their problems, including those created by continuing insurgency and an unhindered gun-culture in the Valley of Kashmir. Will the government rise to the occasion even at this late stage in the interest of the and do first things first?

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Courtesy: Gopi Nath Raina Editor Koshur Samachar and June 1995, Kosher Samachar