Abrogate Article 370 and
rename J&K as Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir among other measures during
Governor’s Rule
At long last, after proving its high threshold for tolerating all
kinds of anti national activities in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the BJP
government imposed Governor’s rule. Over many years and much more since 2016,
Kashmir Valley was sundered with countless heightened acts of terrorism,
radicalization, destruction of schools, selective atrocious killings of
good/patriotic Kashmiris, victimization of army/security forces (SFs) etc, not
to mention many decades of misgovernance by successive governments.
While the decision to impose Governor’s rule is a result of
political will, much higher degrees of it will be required to take more hard
decisions and ensuring their implementation. Because that is the only way to
retrieve the seriously infected/contaminated part of the Kashmir Valley, which
not only affects the entire State but also the country’s security.
Undoubtedly, while the immediate priority is ensuring a
smooth and secure Amarnath pilgrimage, given the terrorist threat and the
weather, alongside, tourism will have to be covered similarly. Even on July 08,
2018, a Sunday, the pilgrimage had to be suspended owing to separatists
glorifying the death anniversary of a hard core terrorist leader.
The large community of minor traders for whom tourism provides
sustenance have suffered greatly and BJP government must seriously consider
some relief measures for them.
Education, which has since long been majorly targeted by Pakistan
through the Valley-based separatists and which was dealt a body blow with the
destruction of almost forty schools, will need an urgent and sustained boost.
Ruining education in the Valley was also linked to the process of
radicalization. The aim of Pakistan’s military and mullahs is to destroy
education on one hand and on the other to indoctrinate and incite people,
particularly youth. While in earlier years radicalization was carried out
through separatist leaders and clerics in mosques and religious/ political
gatherings, info- technology and social media gave it a massive boost.
None of the elected governments in J&K
prevented the spread of anti-India sentiment and activities. Pakistani and even
ISIS flags, pro-Pakistani/anti India slogans were tolerated or ignored. In
fact, both the National Conference and People’s Democratic Party pandered to
Pakistan/pro-Pakistan elements, forgetting how the Valley had been exploited by
Pakistan during the late-1980s onward phase. Thanks to the Indian Army’s vigil
on the Line of Control (LoC) and terrorism was reduced to the extent that
tourism began to flourish once again, it became too much for Pakistan’s
directors of anti-India operations. New tactics like paid stone-pelting were
developed to raise them to the level of hectoring the Army and SFs during their
operations. PDP went even further by filing FIRs against Army and SF personnel
for doing their duty while being stoned and even petrol-bombed.
After the
abductions and brutal murders of Kashmiri Army personnel like Lt Umar Fayaz,
many Kashmiri J&K police personnel and finally Rifleman Aurangzed and
Editor of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari, that too during the Ramzan ceasefire
totally disregarded by separatists and terrorists, the BJP decided to
pull out of the alliance and promulgate Governor’s rule. One of the reasons for
all these murders and for many other problems in the Valley are that over the
past decades and particularly in the last few years, truth/facts/history became
major casualties. Kashmiris have not only been killed by Pakistani terrorists
but also by Pak-supported Kashmiri terrorists and recently even radicalized
youth.
While addressing the major challenges
during this eighth spell of Governor’s rule, decision makers will be well
advised to revisit the State’s history, geography and demography and review
some basic facts about the State, which should be factored in. For seven
decades political leaders from New Delhi have endlessly been parroting that
J&K is India’s ‘atoot ang’ (unbreakable part), the hard decisions required
to run this State so that it remains an unbreakable part have been avoided by
both Congress governments at the Centre and of course all J&K State
governments.
By the end of 1980s, at
least 5,00,000 Kashmiri Pandits/Saraswat Brahmins, the original inhabitants of
the land named after the sage, Kashyap, were threatened/ intimidated by
Pakistan-paid Kashmiri separatists/their network/followers, many were killed
and finally over 4,00,000 were forced to flee, leaving behind their belongings
and properties.
Of the 22 districts in
J&K, there are only 5 districts where separatists hold sway and organize
anti-India operations-Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramullah, Kulgam and Pulwama. These
are where stone pelting , hoisting of Pakistani and ISIS flags and anti India
demonstrations are held. Interestingly these five districts are far away from
the LoC. The other 17 districts, including some along the LoC, are fully
pro India. So separatist’s writ runs in just 15% of the population which is
Sunni Muslim dominated. Majority of the people in J&K do not speak Kashmiri
as their mother tongue. They speak Dogri, Gujjari, Punjabi, Ladhaki , Pahari
etc. Only 33 % people in Kashmir speak Kashmiri and this group has controlled
the narrative from Hurriyat to terrorists and from NC and PDP and thereby,
bureaucracy, business and agriculture. This Sunni dominated 33% is opposed to
India although population of all other Muslims in J&K is 69 %.
The
State of J&K, which includes Ladakh (excluding Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,
which is legally India’s/part of J&K) has a square area of 101380 sq kms,
of which 26% is Jammu, 15% is Kashmir and 59% is Ladakh. Considering this fact,
the State should really have been named Ladakh, Jammu, Kashmir. It is worth
considering to do so even now.
Of the total area of the
State, 85,000 sq Km, which is 85% of it, has a non Muslim majority. Of the
total population of 1.25 crores (12.5 million), Kashmir’s population is
69, 00,000, of which 55,00,000 speak Kashmiri. The remainder 13,00,000
speak non Kashmiri languages.
Jammu, with a population
of 53,00,000 comprises people speaking Dogri, Punjabi and Hindi. 3,00,000
people of Ladakh speak the Ladakhi language. There are 7,50,000 people settled
in the State, who have not been granted the State’s citizenship.
More than fourteen major
religious/ ethinic groups amounting to 85% of the population of J&K, are
totally pro India. These include Shias, Dogras (Rajputs, Brahmins and
Mahajans), Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs, Buddhists ( Ladakhis ), Gujjars, Bakarwals,
Paharis, Baltis, Christians and some more.
Shias (12%), Gujjar
Muslims (14%), Pahadi Muslims ( 8%), Buddhists , Pandits, Sufis, Christians and
Jammu Hindus/ Dogras (approximately 45%) are totally opposed to
separatism and Pakistan. Poonch and Kargil have above 90% Muslim population.
There has never been an anti India or separatist protest in these districts.
Separatists also control
a section of the media in J&K, which carries/contributes to anti-Indian
propaganda/sentiment and also tries to create the impression that all of
J&K is against India.
It is high time a long
overdue course-correction is done in J&K. If the Constitution of India
stipulates that the provisions related to Article 370 for J&K are of
“purely temporary nature”, then all the more reason that for the vital cause of
India’s integrity and security, it is abrogated.
Some of many other steps
required are:
(a) The narrative in the
Valley has to be changed. As tried out in recent months by Army/SFs, use social
media to involve the parents/close relative/friends of radicalized youth/those
being motivated to join Pakistani or Kashmiri terrorist groups, to appeal to
them to return. Make use of social media to revisit history. Make Kashmiris
aware of what Pakistan is doing in Pak Occupied Kashmir, Balochistan etc.
(b) Simultaneously,
social media needs to be closely monitored not only in J&K but the rest of
the country, to prevent the vast spread of leftists/apologists from
derailing the debate.
(c)
Disable the network organizing anti-India/Army/SF operations/ stone-pelting and
revoke FIRs against Army/SFs personnel.
(d) Education must be
fully resumed and school-burners must be punished/prevented from any further
attempts.
(e) All government
departments must function properly.
(f) Adopt Indian Army’s
Sadbhavna (civic assistance programme) methods to win hearts and minds.
(g) No matter what all
is done by Army/SFs, till the separatists leaders and their minions are not
literally separated from the Valley, terrorism will continue
unabated. For lasting peace, legal action must be taken against them and they
should be put in jails outside J&K.
With too much at stake,
it is time to cross the Rubicon-the Jhelum in this case.
-WordSword
Features
22-Jul-2018
/ Col Anil Bhat, VSM (Retd)
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