Delhi
must go whole hog during J&K Governor’s Rule
Published : Jul 10, 2018, 1:53 am IST
Updated : Jul 10, 2018, 1:52 am IST
None of the elected governments in
J&K prevented the spread of anti-India sentiment and activities.
Paramilitary soldiers return to their base
camp as they lift restrictions in Srinagar. (Photo: AFP)
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 the Governor’s Rule. Over many years and
much more since 2016, the Kashmir Valley was sundered with countless heightened
acts of terrorism, radicalisation, destruction of schools, selective atrocious
killings of good/patriotic Kashmiris, victimisation of Army/security forces
(SFs) etc, not to mention many decades of mis-governance by successive
governments.
While the decision to impose the Governor’s Rule is a
result of political will, much higher degrees of it will be required to take
more hard decisions and ensure 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.
The immediate priority is ensuring a smooth and secure
Amarnath pilgrimage, given the terrorist threat and weather, alongside, tourism
will have to be covered similarly. Even on July 8,2018, the pilgrimage had to
be suspended owing to separatists glorifying the death anniversary of a
hardcore terrorist leader.
The large community of minor traders for whom tourism
provides sustenance have suffered greatly and the BJP government must seriously
consider some relief measures for them.
Education, which has since long been majority targeted by
Pakistan through the Valley-based separatists and dealt a body blow with the
destruction of almost 40 schools, will need an urgent and sustained boost.
Ruining the education system in the Valley was also linked
to the process of radicalisation. 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 radicalisation was carried
out through separatist leaders, clerics and religious/political gatherings,
information 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 and 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 in the late 1980s. Thanks to the Indian Army’s vigil on the Line of
Control (LoC). Terrorism was reduced to the extent that tourism began to
flourish once again and 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, including Lt. Umar Fayaz, many Kashmiri J&K police personnel and
finally rifleman Aurangzed and Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari during the
ramzan ceasefire, 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, particularly in the last
few years, truth, facts and history became major casualties. Kashmiris have not
only been killed by Pakistani terrorists but also by Pak-supported Kashmiri
terrorists and recently even radicalised 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.
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 and intimidated by Pakistan-paid Kashmiri
separatists, their network and 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 five
districts where separatists hold sway and organise 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), has an 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 remaining 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 14 major religious/ethnic groups, amounting to
85% of the population of J&K, are pro-India. These include Shias, Dogras
(Rajputs, Brahmins and Mahajans), Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs, Buddhists (Ladakhis
), Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis, Baltis, Christians and others.
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:
·
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 radicalised 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.
·
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.
·
Disable the network
organising anti-India/Army/SF operations/ stone-pelting and revoke FIRs against
Army/SFs personnel.
·
Education must be
fully resumed and school-burners must be punished/prevented from any further
attempts.
·
All government
departments must function properly.
·
Adopt Indian Army’s
Sadbhavna (civic assistance programme) methods to win hearts and minds.
·
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.
The writer, a
retired Army officer, is a defence and security analyst based in New Delhi
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