Intro: Due to politicians’ patronage to the separatists, fundamentalists and the fanatic elements, the Kashmir Valley also reffered as heaven is turning into devils land.
The so called moderate separatist of the Valley is president of that group who had worked to implement Nizam-e-Mustafa, by controlling the educational system and cornering all the non-Muslims in every sphere, and whose planned first phase was completed in 1990 by expelling non-Valley Muslims from the Kashmir region.
The next years were consumed in stabilising Muslim society in the Valley to further pump up extreme hate for non-Valley Muslims and nation on the whole. As a consequence, Valley Muslims have never treated those Muslims as true Muslims who have patriotic zeal. The state has the ugliest political character revolving around Abdullah and Mufti families who are fighting each other for the throne; both have a sweet rotational rapport when in opposition role in the house with the separatist leaders. This triangle has a cover of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty who has continuously enjoyed the ruling booty with Abdullahs-Mufti family and has been patronising separatist leaders.
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These three families have their personal political parties who have political leaders who are basically on their role. They have no choice to think for the nation or society but are made to prove their sincerity to their party bosses.
Mustafa Kamaal, son of Sheikh Abdullah, younger brother of Farooq Abdullah, ex-central minister and uncle (Chacha) of Omar Abdullah- the present Chief Minister of J&K has rightly said that his father (Sheikh Abdullah) had raised the National Conference (NC) for agitating for Valley people.
In 1932, a political organisation was raised by the name of “Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference” with Sheikh as its President. The Indian National Congress had deep interest in it and the local leadership saw the advantage of eliciting support of the national leaders to broaden the base of its movement against the State Maharaja’s Government. In 1938-39 the “Muslim Conference” was renamed as “All Jammu and Kashmir National Conference”.
In 1944, the national conference adopted a program called “Naya Kashmir” and in 1946 a moment against the State Maharaja named as “Quit Kashmir” was launched calling the youth to treat it as a Jihad and to join it as a soldier.
Having a rapport with national leaders, especially with Jawaharlal Nehru, Sheikh succeeded in having the state in his grip. Between 1947 to 1953 period of Sheikh’s rule, typical happenings were observed which drew every step and movement to the National loss. The differences between Nehru-Abdullah turned so difficult that Nehru had to decide to arrest Sheikh treating him as a traitor.
In Radio broadcast on 9th August 1953, after assuming office, Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammad justified the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah by saying that, “Betrayal of the country’s interests was in the offing. The slogan of independence was highly misleading. An independent Kashmir, under the influence of an imperialist power, will be a grave threat to freedom and independence of the Indian and Pakistani people. Another Korea may be staged here.”
The appeasement policy of Jawaharlal Nehru for Sheikh had compelled substantial section of Indian opinion to say that for the unduly appeasement of Sheikh, national interests were being sacrificed. The political party Bhartiya Jan Sangh at national level was highly critical of the Delhi agreement and reacted to it in these words “Sheikh Abdullah has secured the most unreasonable of his demands without conceding anything substantial. Every concession that Nehru has secured is limited by a provision which almost nullifies it. This is not likely to gain Kashmir for India but will certainly endanger the security and development of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Before Sheikh’s arrest in 1953, he made an aggressive speech in Ranbir Singh Pura on 10th April, 1952. He denunciated the Indian press and the Indian Government accusing them of communalism. On July 1952 during the course of so-called “Martyr day” speech he declared that the interference of central government in the affairs of state would not be tolerated. On May 3, 1953 Adlai Stevenson came to Srinagar and had a long meeting with Sheikh, causing grave misgivings about the intentions of Sheikh. On July 10 1953, speaking at “Mujahid Manzil” Sheikh said, “A time will, therefore, come, when I will bid them goodbye.” While speaking on Martyr Day on 13th July 1953, he again commented, “It is not necessary that our state should become an appendage of either India or Pakistan.” All these events pronouncements, taken together, should leave no doubt that Sheikh was dreaming of becoming an independent ruler of Kashmir. The Anglo-US block at that time was encouraging it, India being with the Russian influence at that time.
On 8th January 1958, Sheikh was released. However, his supporters caused riots after his speech at Hazratbal on 21st February 1958 in which one died and twenty one injured. Earlier, on 29th April 1958, Sheikh along with Mirza Afzal Beg and 22 others were charged with conspiracy under the Kashmir Conspiracy case to cause forcible annexation of the state to Pakistan.
Beg was the loyalist companion of Sheikh but he was cornered by him while giving preference to his son, Dr Farooq Abdullah to be the head of NC ensuring his path to be the State chief minister. Irritated from such betrayal Beg left the NC and formed his own political party.
The appeasement policies, based on love and hate swings, between Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and Abdullah dynasty continues in strengthening these dynasties to keep firm hold on their personal political parties. The individual policy for their party in enthroning their wards, discarding their sincere workers, senior most loyal leaders, compelled most of them to form their own group elsewhere.
Conflict between Dr Farooq and his younger brother Mustafa Kamaal and his sister Mrs Khalida Shah was not a family dispute but was intended for establishing Omar’s stature over the senior and the most loyal leaders of the National Conference. The same infighting is evident in PDP- Mufti is facing criticism from his loyal senior leaders for encouraging Mehbooba to lead the party. The BJP in Jammu wing though doesn’t have the similar problem but here the senior leaders are raising their favourites creating a void in their rank and file.
All this has made a mockery of democracy, has forced the leaders to fight for survival-they are manipulating to divert attention of the public from the problem of corruption, mis-governance on flood disaster by raising useless issues like AFSPA and Indo-Pak dialogue. Had the political leaders had sufficient time to concentrate on the national problems, the citizens of J&K would not be facing the same trouble as they are facing today.
Democracy demands collective movement for nation and society without permitting space for individual lust-and that is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to do.
These incidences remind me of the visit of Hiuen Tsang, the celebrated Chinese traveller who came to Kashmir Valley in 631 AD during the ruling time of Karkots dynasty whose founder was Durlabhakarkuhan king. The Chinese scholar was well received and he stayed in the Valley for two years. He visited all the important places as Buddhism was fairly wide spread in Valley that time. He thought poorly of the Kashmiris of the time. He had said, “They are volatile and timid, they are good-looking but deceitful. They are fond of learning and follow both Buddhism and Hinduism.” But, there was no mention of Muslim existence.
Jitender Kohli (The author is a Journalist, Ex-State Press & Publicity Secretary; VHP J&K State Unit)
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