Hindu Vivek Kendra
A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA
   
 
 
«« Back
Bypass Democracy

Bypass Democracy

Author: Tavleen Singh
Publication: India Today
Date: January 29, 2001
 
As if it wear the final solution to the Kashmir problem, we have, for weeks now, debated the composition of the delegation of Hurriyat leaders that wishes to go to Pakistan. On almost a daily basis newspapers across the country carried on their front pages pictures of long-faced, pheran-clad gentlemen in gloomy discourse. The accompanying stories speculated ponderously about who would go and what this would mean, as if it were the most important question for the future of the Indian subcontinent. Few commentators had the courage to admit that it would make no difference at all, that it did not matter who went or why. They are, please remember, going only because Pakistan's general wants to establish his belief that the All Party Hurriyat Conference represents the people of Kashmir as distinct front the people of India. This is his way of paving the way for eventual tripartite talks between India. Pakistan and Kashmir.

So, sitting in distant Islamabad, Pakistan's un-elected Government has decided who should represent the Kashmiri people. And, since democracy is riot something Pakistan understands, or even has respect for, it is appropriate that it chose a group of politicians that has never shown any ability to win votes. A little like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale deciding, in those long gone days, that he represented the Sikh community. The Sikhs never indicated that they accepted his self-appointed leadership, nobody asked them anyway. Since they were dealing with death squads which never had time for debate, few people objected when their elected representatives were marginalised as Bhindranwale rose and rose and rose.

Something like this is happening to Farooq Abdullah. As Jammu and Kashmir's legally elected chief minister you would think that he had some right to speak for the state. But no, he does not because Pakistan objects to the fact that he considers himself Indian and India is too namby-pamby about what it wants to come down firmly on his side.

When terrorists from Pakistan shot at bun last week and declared that they would continue to try killing him there was the usual feeble response trout the Home Ministry. Tch, tch, very bad, very bad. How can we consider peace moves when Pakistan's unofficial soldiers are busy (despite our cease-fire pronouncements) trying riot just to assassinate a chief minister but even blow up the Red Fort in Delhi? In short, we are yet again allowing terrorism to triumph over democracy. More significantly, we still do not know what we are actually trying to achieve in Kashmir. If we did we could dictate the agenda and Pakistan would have to listen.

There call be no peace process in Kashmir until the Government of India decides what it wants to achieve and how. Meanwhile, it would help our position considerably if' we were seen to be improving our human rights record in the Valley. There is no way that peace will come to Kashmir unless our security forces understand that killing innocent people as terrorists is not good policy. There is also no way that the average Kashmiri will understand that being part of' India is in his own interest unless he sees around him settle of the benefits of this proposition. Even a casual visitor to Kashmir can see that it is falling to pieces, that if there were once good roads they no longer exist and that almost nothing has happened that can be vaguely described as development for several years now. If Kashmir is, as our leaders like to tell us, a special state, then surely Farooq's bankrupt Government could have at least been offered financial help from Delhi.

This is only the domestic dimension. There is also Bail international dimension to the problem that has not been addressed except for our having shouted from the rooftops that Pakistan is responsible for cross-border terrorism. Fine, but what are we going to do about it'

Are we going to talk to Pakistan directly? Are we going to seek international mediation? And, if we are going to do neither, what do we plan to do? So far all that A. B. Vajpayee's Government has done is tumble around ill the dark. At one time, senior officials in Delhi said they were not talking to Pakistan because they wanted the general to stew ill his own mess. Then why are we allowing the Hurriyat delegation to go at all? If Pakistan has invited them because it sees them as representing Kashmir and not India, then are we prepared to accept that Kashmir is no longer a part of India.

It is an absurd situation ill which the Hurriyat delegation is yet another absurdity. Even if the Hurriyat leaders succeed ill going, what do they hope to achieve? Since they consider themselves Kashmiri and not Indian we cannot demand answers front them. But we certainly have a right to demand answers - if not a clear Kashmir policy-from our own Government. Call we have some answers please?
 


Back                          Top

«« Back
 
 
 
  Search Articles
 
  Special Annoucements