Author: B.R.Haran
Publication: News Today
Date: August 25, 2008
URL: http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=29
PDP president Mehabooba Mufti refusing to
accept the suggestion of giving the 100 acres of land to the SASB even for
three months has said, 'This solution has already been rejected by the Kashmiris.
The only solution is to either dissolve the Shrine Board or curtail its powers
to the minimum and let the Jammu and Kashmir government conduct the Yatra.
The central government must rein in the Army and security forces, or else,
we will join the protestors in the valley'.
While National Conference leader Omar Abdullah
has demanded for ways and means to bring the separatist leaders to the discussion
table, those leaders have shown no sign of willingness to discuss by openly
and arrogantly thundering through all the TV Channels that they are Pakistanis
and that they would fight for 'freedom' from India to secede and join with
Pakistan. As the separatists were planning to take out a massive 'Azadi' rally
in Srinagar, the government clamped curfew and arrested the separatist leaders
of the Hurruyat.
In the aftermath of the calls for separation
of Kashmir from India in support of the Hurriyat from the so-called intellectual
and journalistic circles, the center has rejected those calls and asserted
that the country's territorial integrity is 'non-negotiable' and the borders
cannot be 'altered or redrawn'. The government admonished the Hurriyat Conference
leaders for claiming to be the representatives of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir, as they have never tested their popularity in elections. It has said,
'Any such talk (of secession) is preposterous and in conflict with the Constitution
and law of the land. The country's borders cannot be altered, or redrawn and
Constitution cannot be rewritten. Our territorial integrity is non-negotiable'.
When the Jammu and Kashmir government decided
and transferred 100 acres of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board
to build temporary tenements for the Amarnath pilgrims facilitating their
pilgrimage and when the allotment was cancelled consequent to the protests
of the separatists and militants in the valley, there were no mind-boggling
debates in the 'secular' intellectual and media circles. In fact, the reversal
of the state government's stand was cherished as an act of upholding the secular
principles of the nation. But the moment the Hindus of Jammu started their
democratic and peaceful protests, they were condemned as 'communal' and their
protests were picturised as 'communal violence'.
The allotment of the land was dubbed as an
insult on the so-called Kashmiriyat and the cancellation of the allotment
was professed as continuation of the 'secular' ethos of the Kashmir valley!
The earlier protest in the valley by the separatists and militants carrying
Pakistani Flags, shouting pro-Pakistan slogans and calling for 'Azadi' as
if they are living without freedom, was termed as 'Kashmiri Nationalism' and
the later protests by the Hindus carrying India's Tri Colour in Jammu were
painted as 'Hindu Communalism'.
Kashmir has been a 'Seat of Shivism' from
time immemorial and has been ruled by Hindu Kings up to the time of its accession
by Independent India. Just because the Islamic terrorists have persecuted
and driven out the Hindu Pandits from the valley, it doesn't mean that it
has become the home of Muslims. Unfortunately this nation has never had a
government with 'spine' so far since independence and that is why the Muslims
claim Kashmir as their land, which is not at all acceptable. So, these talks
of 'Kashmiri Nationalism' and glorifying them as 'freedom movement' of Kashmiris,
by the media houses in 'secular' India is outrageous and deserves to be condemned.
A lot of debates have gone in the mainstream media, both print and electronic
and every Muslim and Secular individual, who took part in the talks and writings
has been waxing eloquent on the so-called Kashmiriyat' and the Muslims' support
for the Amarnath Yathris. Worse is the farcical claim that a Muslim Shepherd
identified the Amarnath cave hundred and fifty years ago! This is juts a 'secular'
claptrap invented to hype the so-called 'Kashmiriyat'. Hindu scriptures like
Nilamata Purana, Bhringhish Samhita and Amarnath Mahatmya, historical chronicles
like Rajatarangini and travelogues of westerners have enough evidences to
establish the hoary past of the Amarnath Shrine and its pilgrimage. Sikh records
too show that Sikh Guru Arjan Dev had allotted land for religious celebration
of Amarnath Shrine.
Every pilgrimage centre in the country serves
as a centre of livelihood for the locals living in such centres and the Muslims
near the Amarnath Shrine naturally make a living out of the pilgrimage during
July and August every year. The pilgrims for their part are paying heavily
out of their packet for the 'helps' given by the locals. It is also the Shrine
Board's responsibility to take care of both the pilgrims and the locals by
streamlining the pilgrimage for the benefit of both and that was what the
earlier Governor S.K.Sinha did with aplomb. The land transfer was also the
result of the process of streamlining and facilitating the pilgrimage, which
has been serving as a mode of good revenue for the state government. The madness
of the separatists and the militants was so enormous that they failed to recognise
the advantages of a streamlined, facilitated and well-conducted annual pilgrimage.
After all the Amarnath and the Vaishno Devi pilgrimages contribute large revenue
to the state. The PDP and the NC, whose nationalist credentials are always
dubious, played spoilsport by joining hands with separatists and politicising
and communalising the issue by saying that the Hindus would change the demography
of the valley by utilising the 100 acres of land for settling permanently
and encroaching further at more than 12,000 feet above mean sea level! As
a result of the protests, the central government, which passionately panders
to the Muslims at every opportunity, wasted no time in withdrawing the land
allotment showing scant regard to the pilgrims and the sentiments of the Hindu
majority.
The history of the valley shows how the Muslims
have been appeased beyond limits and how they have received many things undeservedly.
The Congress party stands foremost in the politics of appeasement and Jawaharlal
Nehru was the major player in making Kashmir a permanent thorn in the flesh
of India. He made four monumental blunders, for which the nation has been
paying a heavy price for the past sixty years.
He rejected the transfer of population.
He refused to give just ten days time to the Indian Army for driving out the
Pakistanis and capturing the entire Kashmir.
He connived with Sheikh Abdullah to take the issue to the UN and
Incorporated Article 370 in the Constitution.
The Article 370 is nothing but a Constitutional
guarantee for Muslim appeasement and it has been a plain pain in the neck
of the rest of India. The present day speakers and writers from the 'secular'
brigade do not have the mind to touch these well-known blunders committed
by 'Panditji' in their talks as well as columns.
Though Article 370 was supposed to serve the
entire state, administratively it was ensured by the successive governments
that only Muslims enjoyed its benefits. As the Muslims wanted to pocket all
the benefits, they victimised the Hindus in the valley and drove them out.
While the militants and terrorists indulged in hard-core action, other Muslims
simply watched the evil and barbaric proceedings without batting an eyelid
or moving a finger. None other than Omar Abdullah in his blog confessed the
same two months back. Now, in the aftermath of the present crisis, he has
closed down his blog after getting brickbats and reprimands in thousands.
This action of Omar is typical of the Abdullahs. The nation has still not
forgotten the crocodile tears shed by his father for the sake of the Pandits
in the state assembly a few years ago.
The father-son duo has been eulogoised as
great patriots by the media mandarins now. Omar Abdullah's claiming in parliament
that he was a Muslim first and then an Indian and his harping on Babri building
and Gujarat riots has been hyped as a 'compassionate' speech. Mehabooba's
shrieking rants, again on Babri and Gujarat, has also been appreciated as
a memorable speech. Farook Abdullah threatened that he would leave the country
and settle in London if the Hindus of Jammu didn't stop the protests! Who
could forget his earlier threat that the country would go up in flames and
the Judges would be attacked if Afzal were hanged? Now his son Omar threatens
that he would resign from the membership of parliament if Army and police
take actions against the militants and separatists! So what? The country will
not lose anything if they resign and go to London! In fact, it will be a good
thing to happen for the country in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular.
The stand taken by these Kashmir parties and
the ineptness of the UPA government have emboldened the Hurriyat to march
towards Muzaffarabad. The so-called moderate section of the Hurriyat has also
joined the hardliner faction. But, what is moderate about Huriyat? What is
the difference between a 'pro-Pakistan' stand and 'Free Kashmir' stand? Does
it imply that the former is hard-line and the later is moderate? For that
matter, when one section is bombing at will and the other section is watching
in silence, then one wonders if there is anything 'moderate' in Islam itself!
But then, what is the difference? Does it mean that bombers are hardliners
and the silent spectators are moderates? Does the nation need such moderates?
The ever-hostile neighbour Pakistan, which
cannot ensure even one square meal for its citizens is poking its ugly nose
into India's internal affairs in support of the separatist elements and those
elements are expressing their appreciation and gratitude by shouting pro-Pakistan
slogans, waving Pakistani flags within Indian territory and marching to UN
offices for submitting memorandums against India, which provides them with
everything on earth from meals to sleep, ensuring health, wealth, happiness,
peace and prosperity!
These Kashmiri Muslims are getting everything
from the Hindu taxpayers and what is that they have given in return? They
offended the Hindus and Sikhs and drove them from the valley, usurped their
properties and destroyed their temples. What is that they are giving back
to the nation, which has been taking care of them so far? Anti-national slogans,
claims that they are Pakistanis and demands for their merger with Pakistan!
They have trampled upon the Indian Tricolour and burnt it! They have even
hoisted the Pakistani flag in Lal Chowk! The imbecile UPA government has been
simply watching! It has taken days for the government to arrest them! The
UPA government must understand that there is not even an iota of 'Indianness'
in either Hurriyat or PDP or NC. If it fails to or refuses to understand,
then its own 'Indianness' will be questioned.
The rest of India must appreciate what the
people of Jammu are doing. They are fighting for the Heritage of Kashmir;
they are fighting for India against the pro-Pakistan separatists; they have
closed down their businesses; they have stopped their works; their children
are not going to schools and colleges; they are starving; they are on the
streets carrying the National Tri-colour protesting peacefully; they have
seen their own brothers sacrificing their lives and they are determined for
further sacrifices! The sixty years of simmering anger has resulted in a silent
uprising! Lastly, the State Governor's delegates have had three rounds of
negotiations with the Sangharsh Samithi, which have miserably failed. It is
said that the government has offered the lands only for three months, which
is a clear indication that the government has been sitting on the negotiating
table with the interests of the Valley weighing in its mind. Unless it involves
in negotiation with an open and free mind, with an intention of solving the
problem, it cannot find a solution but will only reach a point of no return.
The crisis, in fact, has developed to such
an extent that it has come as a blessing in disguise. Yes, India must utilise
this opportunity to solve this long pending painful problem. The disease has
to be treated and right now! One everlasting solution is available with five
steps: Uphold the resolution 'Kashmir is an integral part of India' passed
unanimously in Parliament.Scrap the separate Constitution, forbid the separate
flag and scrap Article 370 sanctioned to Kashmir.Open the Muzaffarabad road
for only once and allow those interested to cross over to Pakistan. Declare
that those who stay back must abide by the Indian Constitution and the Law
of the land. Close the Muzaffarabad road forever. Rehabilitate the Pandits
in the valley, give back their properties as much as possible, compensate
others and rebuild the temples.Reconstitute the Amarnath Shrine Board and
provide sufficient lands for permanent facilities for yatris.
If the government fails to ensure this solution,
the people will, for this is a 'Hindu' Boomi and it has place only for Indian
Nationalism!
