HINDSIGHT ROHIT SINGH RANA AFSPA musings: Mr. CM there are other important things to do The Chief Minister of our State is still young compared to other Chief Ministers. He is healthy and God bless him with a good health always. That apart, being a Kashmiri and if he is conversant with the Kashmiri language, then there is a widespread used proverb -Halaiy No Daliay No Pani-ne Hani Chalay No- meaning, I shall not waver from my position come what may. The proverb fits well into the grand political vision of our energetic Chief Minister on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The motivation to muse on the Act while it is day or night, dawn or dusk has come to stay with him as a second nature. The CM has no doubt many qualities and tenacity is one with which he is thrashing AFSPA with his subtle and diplomatic mind. With terrorists waiting on the launch pads and intelligence reports saying that infiltration has increased, there was a studied need on behalf of the most responsible man to weigh his words with caution. But political parties play politics and politics is a tool to remain in power perpetually. No political party will shun power, nor will it say that we shall work for the betterment of the people and take even unpopular decisions for larger good of the people, even at the cost of electoral defeat for that reason. Long term gains or durable policies are not on the agenda of the political parties and the CM is no exception. Here he is playing true to the type. Having said so, the noise on AFSPA should have stopped for the time being because of recent incidents which have taken place in the valley. The killing of two policemen and eight army soldiers in Srinagar are ominous signs of tenuous calm prevailing in the valley. In this backdrop, the unfortunate killing of two youth in Sumbal area cannot dilute the importance of army in the valley. The incident is being investigated and those guilty will have to be punished. One wonders why the CM is so keen to talk about AFSPA on a regular basis when nobody at the Centre is willing to listen to him. Does he have his own compulsions or he is raising the pitch just for the heck of it. The CM is astute and not a novice now instead should display his perspicacity in ameliorating the lot of people. There are many things for him to do but how can AFSPA prove so alluring for the young Chief Minister. The reasons are perhaps not far and a zsimple scratch can perhaps unravel his complex calculation on the issue. It is another matter that political calculations do not follow a strictly mathematical law so the CM has to be chary on the issue. If the ground situation in the valley is any indicator, the mood is for a change and perhaps the Opposition PDP is making its presence felt in a big way. That said the relation between Congress and National Conference is not steady. The Congress is willing to go alone as its State Captain, Saif-ze political ideology. Autonomy comes handy and so is the AFSPA. But eventually if Sonia Farman comes out for the State Congress to go with NC then things will be different. Not with standing that Omar will continue to harp on AFSPA. The problem with his firm and constant line on AFSPA is that he is failing to garner the support of his constituency on the issue, courtesy the tremendous positive role that army has played in the valley and in hilly regions of Poonch , Rajoury, Uri, Tangdhar, Kupwara etc. For him the only way is to improve the promise of good governance that he made to the people of the State. Corruption, lack of connectivity, power crisis, and rehabilitation of displaced people in Kashmir, PoK refugees, and forest degradation are issues that need his immediate attention. AFSPA will stay for a while whether the young CM likes it or not.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 03:46:57 +0000
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