“What perturbs me greatly is the fact-that not only India has once before lost her Independence, but -she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. It was Jaichand who invited Mahommed Gohri to invade 'India and fight against Prithvi Raj…. Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety”.
–Dr Babasaheb B R Ambedkar,
(DR AMBEDKAR'S LAST SPEECH IN THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ON ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION, NOVEMBER 25, 1949)
Farooq Abdullah, former J&K Chief Minister and Union Minister, whose family has ruled the State of Jammu & Kashmir like a fiefdom, declared that Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) is with Pakistan and Bharat should forget regaining control over it. This is not the first time he has spoken like this. Whenever Abdullah family has faced the wrath of the people and has to sit in the Opposition, it virtually spoke the separatist
language. The key question is why he is repeating this position now and what can be the possible implications.
After being defensive on the ‘Kashmir’ issue for a long time, domestically and internationally, Bharat is in a position to dictate the terms. The deceptive discourse is being set right and the nationalist voices are gaining ground at the cost of separatists. The treasonous statement of senior Abdullah should be seen in this light.
Internally, the strong and all round policy of the Union Government and persistent efforts by nationalist organisations in and outside the State is transforming the discourse on Jammu & Kashmir. The formation of unbelievable alliance in the State has also shocked the separatists and their masters across the borders. While all round development is being promoted through the Government agencies, terrorists are being targeted in a coordinated fashion by the security forces. The daring decision of demonetisation and NIA raids on hawala networks have broken the backbone of terror funding.
This has also exposed the malicious intentions of the Hurriyat Conference that has been misguiding the Kashmiris for a long time. The hitherto neglected sentiments of Jammu and Ladakh are at least being aired and the ‘Valley’ criticism of manipulative politics started by the Abdullah family is seeing the dead end. The real issue of 35A is being discussed and the façade of autonomy is being challenged on the grounds of human rights and discrimination perpetrated through the fraudulent politics of ‘Azadi’.
Internationally Bharat is by and large successful in isolating the terror State of Pakistan. The US supply chain of military equipments is blocked and Islamic world no longer toes the Pakistani position blindly. Recently, a delegation led by State Minister for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju also categorically told irritants like Britain not to harp on ‘Kashmir’ in the Parliament of former colonial power. The assertive foreign policy of Bharat is foiling all attempts by Pakistan to make ‘Kashmir’ an international issue. China is the only major power that stands with Pakistan but is finding it difficult to openly support the time tested ally on terror and ‘Kashmir’ issues.
The logical next step of both these processes is to talk about illegal occupation of Indian territory in J&K by Pakistan to resolve the bilateral issues once and for all. This is going to snub many vested interests in Pakistani establishment, and at the same time going to diminish the pre-eminence of families like Abdullahs.
Pakistani State is very clear about enmity against Bharat, systematically percolating the ‘existential threat’ narrative through textbooks and pursuing thousand cuts policy with rigour. In Bharat political and family interests like Abdullahs have created the confusion. The favourable UN resolution declaring Pakistan as an aggressor is being sold with the issue of referendum. Since 1950s there has been much better democratic participation in the Bharatiya parts of J&K than PoJK that has been negated with human rights violations issue. Internally Abdullah and other vested interests along with State actors in Pakistan would like ’Kashmir’ to remain as a dispute to further their political and economic interests. Now the time is ripe to be clear about our national objectives and to tell the people like Abdullahs to forget the fiefdom.
@PrafullaKetkar
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