Author: Editorial
Publication: Kashmir Sentinel
Date: February 1-29, 2004
During his interaction with Hurriyat
leaders recently, the Union Home Minister focused on the homeless Displaced
Kashmiris and the inhuman conditions they live in. Politely but eloquently
he told them that for any dialogue on Kashmir to move forward the Pandit
question needs to be addressed with all sincerity. This concern displayed
by Mr LK Advani has won for him the appreciation of the people languishing
in exile for the last fourteen years.
The Union Home Minister also asked
the Hurriyat leaders whether their claim as representatives of all sections
of people and the pursuit of communal ghettoised politics were mutually
reconcilable. Kashmiri Muslim alienation and the rise of separatist sentiment
are the fall out of pursuit of Muslim identity politics by the Valley's
political leadership over the years. If this were untrue one may well ask
people in which other state of India people have risen in arms to wage
war against the state on the issue of unemployment/rigged elections and
pushed out the entire religious minority through a process of religious
cleansing.
A paradigmal shift from omissions/commissions
of government of India to communal basis of Kashmir politics as a genesis
of the rise of separatism in Kashmir holds the potentiality of tackling
Kashmir on the long term basis. A Kashmiri infatuated by Muslim identity
politics would always be uncomfortable with secular India as well as Kashmir's
secularist presence i.e., Kashmiri Pandits. The Valley's mainstream political
leadership instead of contesting the communal and separatist politics competes
for this agenda. Sharpening the genocidal attrition against displaced Kashmiris
has been linked to reaping of political dividends. The role of Kashmiri's
political leadership on the issue of genocidal discrimination against the
displaced employees, the administrative cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus from
the state services, large scale grab of Pandits' property and shrines and
its policy on return with an inbuilt potential for massacres has been condemned
universally.
Over the years the elements owing
allegiance to Jammat-i-Islami and other communal separatist groups have
come to dominate the state administration at all levels. They torpedo all
those proposals which could lessen the pain of genocide. The Valleys ruling
party also patronises them to project itself as better defender of Muslims
and separatists. There are also allegations that there has been misuse
of vast funds for the displaced Kashmiris. The state governments recurrent
blackmail on return has only lead to massacres. In comparison to this the
central governments role vis-a-vis displaced people has remained far better.
It has managed the problems of Central government employees in a better
way. On the issue of relief in income tax or reservation of seats in professional
colleges and appointment of teachers in Delhi administration, the Central
government has played a positive role. In fact the state government has
only created problems even in these areas.
The tagging of displaced Kashmiris
to a hostile state administration which even does not foot the bill for
a section of its own employees and cash relief to its own-people, is not
only morally wrong but disastrous for the hapeless refugees. It is in this
context the demand of Kashmiri Pandit groups for creating a Ministry of
Rehabilitation at the centre needs to be viewed with urgency. In fact such
a demand was made way back but put in cold storage.
The direct supervision of the Central
government will bring the displaced people's' problems in better focus
and lead to their speedy resolution. Handling of return issue by the Central
government will also release the rehabilitation problem from the petty
political expediencies of the state government. This will create a tremendous
goodwill and confidence of displaced Kashmiri in the Indian state, an essential
prerequisite for ultimate return of Kashmiri Hindus to the Valley. This
measure can also create compulsions for the Valley ruling political leadership
to secularise itself.
