Kashmiri people are being branded as permanent agitators and generations of them are habituated to such branding. The Srinagar bye-election exposed the hollowness of the administration’s claims that everything is normal except in some pockets. Only 7 per cent of people voted in the election; 93 per cent boycotted it. People voted in large numbers earlier in the local bodies elections, and in reasonably good number in the assembly election. But in the parliament elections only a small percentage is voting. Can it be taken as lack of confidence in Indian Parliament by Kashmiris for failure to implement Article 370 of the Constitution? Or is it because of the timing of the election? The bye-election itself was caused by the resignation of PDP’s elected member expressing anger at the PDP-BJP state government’s policy towards solving the problems of Kashmir.

The situation in Kashmir dramatically changed after the killing of Burhan Wani, the local Kashmiri youth, who had allegedly turned a militant. The second commander, a local Kashmir youth appointed in place of Burhan Wani, has also been killed and several thousands attended his funeral.

Earlier militants or armed terrorists used to come from Pakistan as intruders but it is a matter of serious concern that after seven decades, maybe a few, but local youth are joining armed militancy and they are getting sympathy and support.

Kashmir is a permanent problem with Pakistan from the day of its accession to India. The state’s constituent assembly passed a resolution that it will accede to India on the basis of Article 370, which gives a special status to Kashmir. It assures internal autonomy, which is accepted by the Indian Union and incorporated in the Constitution. But it was never implemented. A part of the beautiful valley of Kashmir is under occupation of Pakistan.

There was always a section, albeit small, which wanted to join Pakistan. A little bigger section was for independent Kashmir. Probably the largest section wanted to be part of a secular India than a theocratic Pakistan, with Article 370, special status and Kashmir identity. Why and when did the drift start? Who is responsible?

Undoubtedly the implementation of Article 370 has been problematic. One fear is that it may trigger such new demands from the Northeast states. But that is to be tackled separately. The important point is that we assured the Kashmiris of internal autonomy and that needs to be honoured.

Before Partition, neither Mohd Ali Jinnah nor the Muslim League could ever get the support of the Kashmiri people. The extraordinary leadership of Sheikh Abdulla, however, could keep the traditional secular values in the valley alive.. Many separatist leaders were targets of Pak terrorists and got eliminated along with integrationists. Over the years, separatists became divided, united, and divided again, and became weak in the process. Their credibility has also gone down. But in recent years, the miserable failure of consecutive governments changed the situation. More and more people are turning to be separatists. The clashes between people and security forces are increasing. The opportunist alliance between PDP and BJP has been a miserable failure and the situation further deteriorated.

Several rounds of dialogue had earlier been initiated but these hardly led to any concrete decision. Now another round of dialogue is necessary to save the situation. The Government says it will not talk to separatists. But if it wants to engage only with the political parties it will be a futile exercise. It should talk to all stakeholders with a promise to implement Article 370.

People Vs Security Forces

The Army of a country is meant to be used to defend the borders and the nation from the enemy. It is not to be used against its own people. Police and other security forces are to be used to control law and order in any part of the country. Due to the infiltration of militants and Pakistani terrorists, the Army has been pressed into service along with security forces. Now for decades the Army is continuing to maintain law and order and many times the people and the Army are at logger heads. The use of excessive force and killings under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act have alienated the Army from the people. There are demands to withdraw AFSPA and the Army.

The recent incident of a citizen being tied to the bonnet of a military jeep as human shield on the polling day in Srinagar apparently to navigate through a stone-pelting crowd has created a huge controversy. An enquiry was ordered, but pending the final outcome, Major Gogoi, the officer who was responsible for the event, has been given a gallantry award and it the action defended by General Rawat, Chief of the Army. The army is certainly facing a difficult situation but using a citizen as human shield will not send good signals to Kashmiris.

General Rawat’s Comments

General Rawat made some unfortunate comments on that occasion. He warned that “any country where the people are not afraid of the Army will be doomed” and that it is a dirty war being fought in Kashmir, which called for different tactics.

It is the enemy who should be afraid of the Army. People should respect the Army, love it and should not be afraid of it. A people fearing the army is a colonial concept.

In Kashmir it is not a war on our own people. It is the question of maintenance of law and order. Stone pelters are from angry mobs but not terrorists. They should be dealt with in a different way. It is important that a wedge is created between the angry masses and terrorists. It can be done by winning over people by instilling confidence in them. If they are treated at par with the enemies, it will be tantamount to sending them to the enemy’s camp. Hence a dialogue is necessary.

Pakistan is a failed state. It is unable to control the Islamic terrorists. A section of the army supports them. An independent Kashmir will not survive. But if it is to be an integral part of India, it has to create the confidence that the state is secular. If it is Hindutva India, it will not convince the people. It should also create confidence on the implementation of constitutional guarantees to the people of Kashmir.

At a seminar in Delhi recently a university Professor commented: “I prefer to be in secular India than Islamic Pakistan. But if the choice is between Hindutva India and Islamic Pakistan I prefer the latter”. He may have just spoken out the heart of the people of Kashmir.

Kashmir should be saved before it is too late. Only dialogue will help achieve this. We tried the military solution but it did not work. The strategically important and beautiful Kashmir should be saved with honest efforts and not narrow-mindedness. The solution has to be political and not military.

India needs not only Kashmir as a land but Kashmir with its hard working and lovely people. Let wisdom prevail on the rulers to help save Kashmir. (IPA Service)