India first, power doesn’t matter; BJP remains firm on its stand
Khalid Jehangir
Centre appoints IAS officer BVR Subrahmanyam (L) as the new Chief Secretary, while
former IPS officer Vijay Kumar (R) will be adviser to the Governor in J&K
The BJP has once again proved that nation comes first and power hardly matters. The party realised that coalition with the Kashmir based PDP is not working and cannot be carried forward as the PDP wanted the BJP to make compromises on national security by entering into a dialogue with the secessionists in Kashmir and Pakistan, who have been fighting a proxy war in J&K for the past three decades.
The BJP-led NDA Government in the Centre had shown magnanimity by suspending the operations against the terrorists during the Ramadan month but the ultras tore it apart by attacking the security forces and the innocent civilians. Two cold blooded murders on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr one of Army jawan, Aurangzeb and the other of the chief editor of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari shook everyone. These brutal killings proved that terror has no religion and the ceasefire against the terrorists proved to be counter- productive. During the Ramadan month terrorists called shots and carried out multiple grenade attacks across the Valley and attacked the camps of the security forces.
Despite situation turning from bad to worse in the Valley, PDP was insisting that ceasefire should be extended and talks be held with Pakistan and their agents present in Kashmir. In New Delhi PDP leaders used to talk about nationalism and country’s sovereignty and integrity while in Kashmir they used to talk about Pakistan and holding talks with the separatists.
On many occasions the top BJP leadership made it clear to PDP that it has to choose between the nationalism and separatism and it cannot keep on sailing in two boats. Many people within the BJP believe that PDP mistook the party’s desire to show magnanimity as its weakness and the PDP had started believing that it could dictate terms to New Delhi and people sitting there would keep on listening to the PDP leaders. Soon after the PDP-BJP alliance was formed the party took a unilateral decision to release hardcore separatist Masrat Alam. He was re-arrested after the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called the then Chief Minister of J&K late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The PDP leaders on many occasions tried to convey it to BJP that Pakistan and separatists are the stakeholders and it kept on indulging in rhetoric just for the sake of politics.
PDP having soft corner towards stone-pelters and other anti-national elements, and its leaders not being able to cut the separatists to the size had created a notion that elements advocating Pakistan’s cause are running Kashmir. PDP’s soft approach towards the anti-national elements and its insistence that Kashmir is a “big issue” added fuel to the fire. The undue interference of the PDP leaders into the issues concerning the national security irked the BJP leaders on many occasions.
It looks like that PDP failed to understand that the BJP stands for “India first.” It thought that it can keep the BJP leaders happy by hosting Wazwaan parties in their honour and by taking them around the scenic Kashmir Valley. The PDP leaders thought that BJP is like the Congress party and its leaders can be taken for granted. When PDP announced amnesty for stone-pelters BJP leaders in J&K opposed the decision tooth and nail and drove home a point that it’s unacceptable. When the Chief Minister asked the Police to lodge an FIR against an Army Major who had fired in self-defence to save himself and his unit from stone-pelters the PDP was told in clear terms that BJP won’t compromise with Army’s integrity and it won’t be allowed to take any such action which would demoralise the security forces.
PDP ministers seemed least interested in good governance. Hundreds of crores of rupees which were sanctioned for various schemes were left unspent. On the other hand party failed to conduct the Panchayat elections in the State. These polls were announced but at the last moment these were called off as the PDP did not want to annoy the separatist elements. The PDP ministers failed on every front and their performance has proved that they didn’t make any effort to reach out to the people. They provided space to anti-national elements and remained confined within their shells.
By pulling out from the coalition BJP proved a point that party would never make any compromise on the issues pertaining to national security nor would it succumb under pressure. During the past three years PDP on many occasions threatened to walk out from the coalition but their threats were just meant at “blackmailing” the people sitting in New Delhi. The BJP pulled the plug and proved it to PDP that national interests are supreme and party can sacrifice anything for safeguarding the interests of the country.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
