Jammu and Kashmir: At Crossroads!
Ram Puniyani
In the aftermath of the Amarnath shrine board land transfer and then reversal of the same, the matters in the state are going from bad to worse. One was witnessing a gradual decline in acts of terror and increase in the democratic space, democratic patterns, despite the heavy presence of the army in the state. With the Shrine board issue being used by the separatist elements and communal elements, the things seem to be heading in the direction which will have far reaching adverse impact on the politics of the region.
There are many a things which the separatist elements exaggerated and took extreme position. Their march to Muzzafarabad, slogan of Azadi got response mainly due to two reasons. The first and the foremost was the perception in the valley that if already the Amarnath yatra is going so well what is the need to transfer the land to the shrine board? For the people of Kashmir Amarnath yatra is one of the significant sources of income and is part of the culture of Kashmir, and has so far never been seen in the communal light. The move of the Governor, Sinha, a covert BJP sympathizer, to Hinduise the yatra was a big blow to the traditions of the valley. The illegal land transfer, nowhere is the forest land transferred for any other purpose. In all cases of melas etc. the land is temporarily used without transfer. Here the complicated story is that the Governor and his Principal Secretary, who was CEO of shrine, maneuvered this illegal move with the help of the forest official in charge, who happened to be his. The state Government’s refusal to follow the illegal decision of the board and forest department was stalled by the courts and the seeds of a discord were sown.
One is reminded of the Babri Masjid dispute, where the idols were illegally installed in 1949, the local collector, a RSS sympathizer stalled the removal of the idols sowing the seeds of the problem which finally led to demolition of Babri mosque and giving the flesh and blood and political power to the BJP over a period of time. In valley the Israel Foreign minister Shimon Perez’s advice to Advani for changing the demographic profile of the valley is well known. Also the people in the valley have been suffering either the militancy or the rights violation by the army so their sentiments are on the burning point, needing one separatist group to ignite the issue. A sorry state of affairs! Nothing can match the suffering of the people of Kashmir, which had a potential for improvement but things are going haywire now.
Second was the suffering in the valley due to the blockade by the protesters in the Jammu region. This is being denied vehemently by the BJP, which is at the core of the Jammu agitation. The truth is that this agitation did frighten the truck drivers, excesses were committed on the truck drivers, frightening experience for them on the way, coupled with effective blockade of trucks. This led to intense and immediate reaction in the valley. As this was the main artery connecting the valley with country they were deprived of essentials, more so life saving and other medicines, and routine supplies. Secondly the backbone of economy, the export of fruits suffered leading to depression in the already emaciated economy. In this backdrop the march to Muzzafrabad, capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, appealed to the people.
The tale of Jammu has the other elements tragedy. In this predominantly Hindu majority area, there are many grievances, the major one being around the step-motherly treatment to this region by the J&K administration. Always in the policy planning Jammu gets a backseat and Kashmir valley the first priority. Also the emigration of pundits from valley has been misrepresented and complex issue of ethno-regional-Pakistan intervention issue has been presented as a communal one. The emigration of Pundits, a tragic story has been used by the RSS combine to the hilt to create a communal atmosphere. In this scenario the discontent in the valley due to reversal of land transfer came in as triggering factor and all the dam of discontent burst. This in turn affected the lives of people in the valley. While it seems that the Jammu agitation cuts across the political lines, surely it is the BJP associates who are in the driver’s seat and others have meekly surrendered to this agitation.
Advani’s attempt to present valley people as anti national and those of Jammu as National is fraught with dangers. While the central government is playing its old role of silent spectator, helplessly watching separatists and communalists stoke the fires on both the sides. This is akin to its role in opening the gates of Babri Mosque and playing fiddle when the Mosque was being demolished by RSS and company. There are many other analogies, a sense of déjà vu with the Babri issue are there. In case of Babri, BJP’s interest was in demolishing the mosque, while it was presented as the one for building Ram Temple. It did demolish it, came to power but Ram temple was nowhere to be seen. In case of Amarnath Yatra also it is not interested in the yatra itself but in issues which can ignite communal passions and help it come to power, and that’s what its agenda is.
One of the logics given for land transfer was the increase in the number of pilgrims, due to which more facilities and space is needed. The point is, more number of pilgrims is a threat to ecological balance and the Amarnath cave cannot take more pilgrims as that is causing the warming and melting of Shiv ling, the Phallus like structure, revered by the pilgrims. In other such places like Gangotri and Gomukh, because of similar reasons, BJP has been demanding a restriction in the number of pilgrims to protect the holy place and environment. So why these double standards? The answer is too easy to guess, and BJP, a shrewd party realizes that it is not religiosity which is important but its political encashment what matters.
All in all Jammu and Kashmir has been treated by the neighboring countries, Pakistan and India as a beautiful woman, whom both want to own, irrespective of what she wishes! The so called patriots are treating the Kashmir issue as a real estate issue, the life of the people does not figure in the calculation of the powers involved in the dispute.
Today many ideologues are arguing that Azadi is the solution, some of them are arguing that economically people of state stand to benefit if the old trade routes to Pakistan are normalized. In this charged up atmosphere, in this strategically located area, is it not overdue that the wishes of regions, dialogue between all concerned parties are the guiding factor rather than the legalistic and ‘blind nationalist’ approaches? J&K did legally accede to India, but at the same time one has to realize that right form the beginning the autonomy which was promised in the treaty of accession, was never honored and the clauses of the treaty were violated with impunity. The US designs to have a presence in the region through the proxy of Pakistan, in a region surrounded by Communist (Russia, China) and socialist (as India was supposed to be), were well planned. After the US sponsored Al Qaeda completed its assignment of defeating Russian armies in Afghanistan, the same indoctrinated Al Qaeda elements did enter J&K to communalize a regional ethnic issue. We need to overcome the Hindu-Muslim approach and look at all the concerned issues in an objective dispassionate manner. Hope all these complexities and grievances of the people of Jammu, the people of Kashmir valley form the basis of peaceful and just solution to the present turmoil in the state.
--
Issues in Secular Politics
August 2008 II
For circulation etc.
ram.puniyani@gmail.com, www.pluralindia.com
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Ahemdabad Blasts
Combating Terrorism
Ram Puniyani
The sufferings of the country are worst compounded with the occurrence of acts of terror. Every such act not only inflicts bodily blow to the innocents but also acts as a divisive force, subtly polarizing the communities and weakening the bonds of National integration. One is not talking of the massive bonhomie shown by the communities in the wake of terror attack. Actually immediately after the attack the communities come together like solid rocks, helping each other in the moments of grief. One is talking of the strengthening of communal politics, which emerges stronger after the terror attacks. The role which communal violence has played during last two and a half decades, of dividing the nation, gets a deeper strength due to these blasts as by now despite the most immediate protests by most of the Muslim groups, coming out with severest condemnation of these dastardly acts, the 'social common sense' that 'all terrorists are Muslims' does get a shot in the arm.
The blasts of Bangluru, 25th July 2008, and the one's in Ahemadabad, 26th July 2008, left a trail of blood and suffering. The bombs in Bangluru were crude unsophisticated, ones’ meant more to frighten than to kill. Out of 9 areas, which were hit by these none of the areas was that of IT affluence, four Muslim majority areas were part of it. In Ahmedabad also neither RDX nor other trade marks of 'Jehadi' terrorists were clear. A cycle, Ammonium Nitrite and low level of intensity was the hall mark of these bombs also. At the same time many of these bombs were defused in Surat, these did leave a question mark in mind. How did only one political groups’ members knew that bombs are there at particular spots, and how come they confidently picked up the live bombs in front of cameras?
When these blasts took place many a significant events had been taking place in the country. The Manmohan Singh Government won the vote of confidence and Advani, the leader of opposition and BJP did feel humbled due to passing of confidence motion in Lok sabha. BJP led agitation in Jammu for Government land for a Shrine board has been peaking to the communal heights, which may leave a severe mark on the values of national integration. A pilgrimage by Hindus which was extensively managed by Muslims, a pilgrimage which was the major tourist attraction and means of livelihood for Muslim majority state is being communalized in a severe form. And in Gujarat itself, a close spiritual ally of BJP, Asaram Bapu, has been mired in the doubts following the death of four boys in his Ashrams. In Gujarat Narendra Modi had blurted that Jehadi terrorists will not dare to enter his state, so who entered?
It is not that we have not witnessed the acts of terror before. Starting from attack on Parliament, Ansal Plaza, Akshrdham temple, Raghunath Temple in Jammu; during NDA regime to blasts in Malegaon, Samjhauta express, Nanded, Jalana , Parbhani, attack on RSS headquarters in Nagpur and Chennai, killing of two Bajrang Dal workers in Nanded while making bombs, Hyderabad blasts and Jaipur one's the country has suffered enormously during recent times. Post blasts some scenarios have become fairly repetitive. Some of these are welcome while others should raise our eyebrows. What is welcome is the post blast community response of helping the victims. What should raise our eyebrows are, first, the fact that failure of intelligence agency to either gather intelligence or to act in time. Second, the pet thesis is immediately dished out by investigating agencies, pointing its fingers to ISI, HUJI, SIMI and other organizations which give clear boost to the popular perception that all terrorists are Muslims. Some Muslims, beards or without, are arrested and languish in jail. Barring steps where few helpful terrorists have been carrying their dairies, phone numbers of contact to make the job of our agencies easier, the charges against those arrested, have not been proved most of the times. The whole set of allegations begins with a bang and ends with a whimper. Interestingly though this happens case after case, no rethink on the issue! Third, there are some instances when the investigative agencies have got a success, but these events, as their results are contrary to what are the popular theories about who the terrorists are, remain in the backyard of popular consciousness and remain a foot note in the media.
Three such cases of underplayed 'success' and simultaneously a failure to learn from those are glaringly obvious. First, on April 2006 two Bajrang Dal workers died while making bombs, false moustache and typical clothes of a Muslim were recovered from the site and one of the survivors of the accident stated that Hindus should be doing blasts; else they will be taken as eunuchs. These blasts should be done on Fridays near the mosques where the congregation of Muslims generally takes place in the afternoon. The blasts in Parbhani, Jalana did follow this pattern and Samjhauta express case was also very similar. In the blasts which took place in Thane and nearby places (June 2008), the connection of Hindu Jagran and Sanatan Ashram was proved beyond any shadow of doubt. The Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad succeeded in apprehending the culprits. The case of attack on RSS head office in Chennai also was led to the culprits, who were the RSS workers only. What is a bit surprising this time is that BJP spokespersons who usually blame some Muslim terrorist group in the aftermath of the blasts, this time has accused Congress for the same. Their blaming Congress out of frustration is understandable but how come the needle of their suspicion is not on the usual suspects?
Now while this is the overall schemata of these tragic events, what do the political parties say to it? So far, during the UPA regime BJP after every act of terror has been calling for more stringent laws, particularly POTA. What does POTA entail? It merely empowers the authorities to arrest any body on the grounds of suspicion and to put them behind bars infinitely. Despite POTA many attacks took place while this was in place during NDA regime. Then there is an argument that BJP governments are better motivated to deal with terrorism. Most of the recent attacks of terror have taken place in BJP ruled states, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Despite Modi’s boast that terrorist dare not touch his state as they know he can deal with them.
Whatever are the other interpretations, one thing stands out undisputed and that's that these acts in the long term benefit the communal politics. Communal, divisive politics has become stronger with the rise of communal violence during last two decades. Most of the inquiry committee reports (Communalism Combat March 1998) show us that somewhere the hand of a BJP associate organization is there in orchestrating the violence. What communal violence was doing earlier, polarizing the communities, is now being done by the acts of terror, as the propaganda that ‘it is those from one religious community do it’ has succeeded like nothing else.
No body can deny the role of Pakistan Administration, the role of AL Qaeda types (both supported and propped up by US for oil interests) had a very adverse impact on the south Asian perceptions about such acts. It is post Al Qaeda and post communal violence 92-93 Mumbai, that these insane acts were sometimes presented to be done for the defense of faith! The role of US media in coining and propagating the word Islamic terrorism, post 9/11 completed the circle.
It is high time we get over this mind set and our agencies get over the preformed notions to be able to crack the real culprits, the way they could do in Thane. And surely no investigation which begins with preformed biases can succeed in proper results and the real elimination of the problem.
--
Issues in Secular Politics
August 2008 I
www.pluralindia.com
Ram Puniyani
The sufferings of the country are worst compounded with the occurrence of acts of terror. Every such act not only inflicts bodily blow to the innocents but also acts as a divisive force, subtly polarizing the communities and weakening the bonds of National integration. One is not talking of the massive bonhomie shown by the communities in the wake of terror attack. Actually immediately after the attack the communities come together like solid rocks, helping each other in the moments of grief. One is talking of the strengthening of communal politics, which emerges stronger after the terror attacks. The role which communal violence has played during last two and a half decades, of dividing the nation, gets a deeper strength due to these blasts as by now despite the most immediate protests by most of the Muslim groups, coming out with severest condemnation of these dastardly acts, the 'social common sense' that 'all terrorists are Muslims' does get a shot in the arm.
The blasts of Bangluru, 25th July 2008, and the one's in Ahemadabad, 26th July 2008, left a trail of blood and suffering. The bombs in Bangluru were crude unsophisticated, ones’ meant more to frighten than to kill. Out of 9 areas, which were hit by these none of the areas was that of IT affluence, four Muslim majority areas were part of it. In Ahmedabad also neither RDX nor other trade marks of 'Jehadi' terrorists were clear. A cycle, Ammonium Nitrite and low level of intensity was the hall mark of these bombs also. At the same time many of these bombs were defused in Surat, these did leave a question mark in mind. How did only one political groups’ members knew that bombs are there at particular spots, and how come they confidently picked up the live bombs in front of cameras?
When these blasts took place many a significant events had been taking place in the country. The Manmohan Singh Government won the vote of confidence and Advani, the leader of opposition and BJP did feel humbled due to passing of confidence motion in Lok sabha. BJP led agitation in Jammu for Government land for a Shrine board has been peaking to the communal heights, which may leave a severe mark on the values of national integration. A pilgrimage by Hindus which was extensively managed by Muslims, a pilgrimage which was the major tourist attraction and means of livelihood for Muslim majority state is being communalized in a severe form. And in Gujarat itself, a close spiritual ally of BJP, Asaram Bapu, has been mired in the doubts following the death of four boys in his Ashrams. In Gujarat Narendra Modi had blurted that Jehadi terrorists will not dare to enter his state, so who entered?
It is not that we have not witnessed the acts of terror before. Starting from attack on Parliament, Ansal Plaza, Akshrdham temple, Raghunath Temple in Jammu; during NDA regime to blasts in Malegaon, Samjhauta express, Nanded, Jalana , Parbhani, attack on RSS headquarters in Nagpur and Chennai, killing of two Bajrang Dal workers in Nanded while making bombs, Hyderabad blasts and Jaipur one's the country has suffered enormously during recent times. Post blasts some scenarios have become fairly repetitive. Some of these are welcome while others should raise our eyebrows. What is welcome is the post blast community response of helping the victims. What should raise our eyebrows are, first, the fact that failure of intelligence agency to either gather intelligence or to act in time. Second, the pet thesis is immediately dished out by investigating agencies, pointing its fingers to ISI, HUJI, SIMI and other organizations which give clear boost to the popular perception that all terrorists are Muslims. Some Muslims, beards or without, are arrested and languish in jail. Barring steps where few helpful terrorists have been carrying their dairies, phone numbers of contact to make the job of our agencies easier, the charges against those arrested, have not been proved most of the times. The whole set of allegations begins with a bang and ends with a whimper. Interestingly though this happens case after case, no rethink on the issue! Third, there are some instances when the investigative agencies have got a success, but these events, as their results are contrary to what are the popular theories about who the terrorists are, remain in the backyard of popular consciousness and remain a foot note in the media.
Three such cases of underplayed 'success' and simultaneously a failure to learn from those are glaringly obvious. First, on April 2006 two Bajrang Dal workers died while making bombs, false moustache and typical clothes of a Muslim were recovered from the site and one of the survivors of the accident stated that Hindus should be doing blasts; else they will be taken as eunuchs. These blasts should be done on Fridays near the mosques where the congregation of Muslims generally takes place in the afternoon. The blasts in Parbhani, Jalana did follow this pattern and Samjhauta express case was also very similar. In the blasts which took place in Thane and nearby places (June 2008), the connection of Hindu Jagran and Sanatan Ashram was proved beyond any shadow of doubt. The Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad succeeded in apprehending the culprits. The case of attack on RSS head office in Chennai also was led to the culprits, who were the RSS workers only. What is a bit surprising this time is that BJP spokespersons who usually blame some Muslim terrorist group in the aftermath of the blasts, this time has accused Congress for the same. Their blaming Congress out of frustration is understandable but how come the needle of their suspicion is not on the usual suspects?
Now while this is the overall schemata of these tragic events, what do the political parties say to it? So far, during the UPA regime BJP after every act of terror has been calling for more stringent laws, particularly POTA. What does POTA entail? It merely empowers the authorities to arrest any body on the grounds of suspicion and to put them behind bars infinitely. Despite POTA many attacks took place while this was in place during NDA regime. Then there is an argument that BJP governments are better motivated to deal with terrorism. Most of the recent attacks of terror have taken place in BJP ruled states, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Despite Modi’s boast that terrorist dare not touch his state as they know he can deal with them.
Whatever are the other interpretations, one thing stands out undisputed and that's that these acts in the long term benefit the communal politics. Communal, divisive politics has become stronger with the rise of communal violence during last two decades. Most of the inquiry committee reports (Communalism Combat March 1998) show us that somewhere the hand of a BJP associate organization is there in orchestrating the violence. What communal violence was doing earlier, polarizing the communities, is now being done by the acts of terror, as the propaganda that ‘it is those from one religious community do it’ has succeeded like nothing else.
No body can deny the role of Pakistan Administration, the role of AL Qaeda types (both supported and propped up by US for oil interests) had a very adverse impact on the south Asian perceptions about such acts. It is post Al Qaeda and post communal violence 92-93 Mumbai, that these insane acts were sometimes presented to be done for the defense of faith! The role of US media in coining and propagating the word Islamic terrorism, post 9/11 completed the circle.
It is high time we get over this mind set and our agencies get over the preformed notions to be able to crack the real culprits, the way they could do in Thane. And surely no investigation which begins with preformed biases can succeed in proper results and the real elimination of the problem.
--
Issues in Secular Politics
August 2008 I
www.pluralindia.com
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