Ajay Pandita Bharti Cremation - D Excelsior

Anil Anand  

In the context of militancy ridden Kashmir every killing, barring the gun totting Pakistan sponsored terrorists, is condemnable and every killing of innocent citizens throws a fresh challenge to the Government as it in equal terms reflects failure somewhere of the earlier strategy. The terrorist groups, as the past experience shows, plan their targets either to make bold headlines are inflict targeted killings that have wider ramifications- societal, political and administratively.

The killing of 40-year old Kashmiri Pandit (KP) Sarpanch, Mr Ajay Pandita also popularly known among his friends and admirers as Bharti, is one such targeted killing made by the terrorists with a clear notion to deliver multiple messages. Since he belonged to the miniscule and now displaced Kashmiri Pandit community and that he courageously contested and won the panchayat elections and that too from a segment of the South Kashmir which is hotbed of militancy, is self-explanatory as to why did he become a target.

The message behind his killing is loud and clear which the masters through their killers wanted to convey. And it is to thwart the Government’s peace efforts and at the same time convey to the Kashmir Pandits not to venture into Valley.

Naturally, he became a soft-target as he belonged to the minority Hindu community and was easily identifiable. But his vulnerability was increased by the reluctance of the Government in not accepting his requests for security as he feared for his life. This is despite the fact that an elected sarpanch belonging to Kashmiri Pandit community was an asset both for the J and K administration and the Centre Government in carrying forward their agenda of bringing peace and more importantly return of the displaced community back to Kashmir which is high on the agenda of the NDA Government.

In fact, Mr Pandita was a symbol of the philosophy of much touted return of the displaced community which most of the times have remained confined to slogans as a wholesome approach has never been adopted. His family did migrate to Jammu in early 1990s when terrorism had raised its ugly head but he returned about two years back. He successfully contested the civic election as an independent backed by the Congress and made his mark in his area.

Should not the Government have protected him and his family lock, stock and barrel? Even a lay man would respond in affirmative but not our Governmental system. How could they lose sight of such an important asset, apart from being a valuable human life, to be targeted by the terrorists? The answer lies with the Government and the security managers.

Decidedly, Mr Pandita’s killing will have desired effect in different quarters. It has dealt yet another deadly blow to the Kashmiri Pandit community who have been driven up the garden path by successive Governments with a promise to usher them back to the Valley of their love, without any strategy. There have been promises galore but seldom a solid direction. Ultimately the promises got overshadowed by the electoral politics and the current dispensation is no different in that respect but for the fact that they see the ongoing developments in Kashmir as part of the national-electoral-agenda.

Believe it or not but it is a fact that the sarpanch’s killing is a major setback for the Government’s agenda on return of Kashmiri Pandits. All those including some in the community itself who have been raising the bogey of return to the Valley in all its manifestations including restoration of 50,000 temples, under the guise of normalisation having been restored, would definitely have a second thought.

The most intriguing part of the entire episode related to Mr Pandita’s killing is either the absence of or measured reaction from various quarters concerned to the gory incident. Does it have anything to do with the political colour that he wore on his sleeves? If so, one strongly feels that is not the case, it would be most unfortunate and would only be at the cost of undermining his supreme sacrifice for the cause of the nation as well as his community.

No one from the state administration attended his funeral though among those in attendance was the ruling BJP’s state unit president, Mr Ravinder Raina. The situation demanded that both Centre and the state administration should have been represented at a respectable level. This opportunity to send a strong message, after aving suffered a setback, ostensibly was also missed.

All Mr Pandita’s requests to the Government and the UT administration for providing security to him fell on deaf ears. In an interview to a local TV channel, he expressed his dismay on his appeals for security not being heard despite the fact that he had repeatedly been receiving threats from the terrorist outfits.

Mr Pandita’s clamour for security cover has to be viewed in the backdrop of assurance by Union Home Minister, Mr Amit Shah to provide security and Rs two lakh life insurance cover to every panch and sarpanch as they were soft-targets for the militants. The promise was held out September last year when some groups of newly elected panchs and sarpanchs were specially called to Delhi for photo opportunities to generate favourable stories.

Mr Pandita’s grit and determination was visible in the reaction of his family members after his brutal killing. His father lamented that the “terrorists fired at him from the back as they feared him.” Or that his grieving young daughter described her father as a “lion” and that she inherited the same spirit and that no one can stop her and family from going back to Kashmir.

There is an urgent need to protect their spirit which they have exhibited in the midst of a terrible tragedy that has fallen on the family. Their spirit is directly related to many within the Kashmiri Pandit community and outside it for bringing normalcy and simultaneous return of Kashmir Pandits to Kashmir.

Mr Pandita by returning to the troubled Valley two years back to successfully find his place in the local milieu, where he was in a wafer thing minority, has conveyed a strong message. This is the message of reconciliation and ultimately co-existence. If he could individually make a small but significant successful attempt, it needs to be replicated at various levels.

The prime area of concern is the administrative and political approach of the current dispensation in the days to come. There are no two views on dealing with the terrorists firmly. Any strategy/approach in the broader context should be devoid of political or religious colouring.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The views expressed in the Article above are Anil Anand’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.

Courtesy: Daily Excelsior:  15th June, 2020