Javid Iqbal Kashmir: Fragility on all fronts Political fragility added to eco-fragility concerns DR. JAVID IQBAL With concerns on eco-fragility widening by the day, Kashmir’s political fragility came to fore. Indo-Pak parleys resuming after a period of suspension promised maturity of approach and ease of interaction. Narendra Modi had voiced regional concerns in his I-Day speech, hyping hopes and prayers across the divide, more so in JK. The promise stays belied. The moment Hurriyat leaders stepped into Pakistan High Commission compound, India called off the talks. Nehruvian era, UPA or NDA in command, Kashmir’s resistance leadership interacting with Pakistan High Commission has remained an accepted norm in Delhi. To project a diverse perception could not but be a knee jerk reaction. Political leadership in Delhi power center might have changed hue; however broader national prerogatives hardly change. Bipartisanship stays; it cannot be otherwise, trust deficit nations could ill afford being the corollary. Kashmir’s resistance leadership has never ever remained off Delhi’s radar. As amiable Sheikh Abdullah reacted to Delhi’s machinations, sharp response had him interned in 1953. Within days visitors from India’s power corridors trailed him. It would be an exercise in futility to name those who interacted with him in confinement. Suffice to say, there were many. And more often than not, they were Prime Minister’s emissaries. In 1964, Delhi facilitated his Pakistan visit. Whatever Abdullah proposed confederation or otherwise, fact stays that notwithstanding the public stalling, Delhi has ever and always conceded the role of Kashmir’s resistance in Indo-Pak parleys. And also to enlist their support in India’s ‘Keep Kashmir Project’ whatever the cost. Abdullah, the resistance leader was softened to the extent of re-making an accomplice of estranged. Conflict however breeds resistance. True to the maxim, others came to fore, fueling resistance. Delhi’s radar continued to track them, in compromising and marginalizing exercise. The marginalizing efforts might not have been successful in every case; however consistency of agencies has had a measure of success. Given the widespread alienation, Delhi continues to indulge in safeguarding interests by marginilizing resistance in its various forms. However of late, the effort is to go beyond and run Kashmir, not through surrogates, but through trusted ones. The trusted ones were earlier thrust in Abdullah lap by congress regimes, as the cub followed the one named lion. The adopted ones [Lay-palaks in vernacular] had the accords—Indira-Abdullah, Rajiv-Farooq turn into discords. Ultimately it shrunk the Abdullah space in soft resistance realm, as Lay-palaks aided by agencies in outflanking maneouver crept into that space. Mission 44—the number needed for gaining simple legislative majority is the new proposition to hasten and fasten Delhi stranglehold. The mission aims to go for the jugular, take legislature to trump separate Vidhan [constitution] or may we say whatever is left of it. India has gone much beyond what was originally proposed—defence, foreign affairs and communications. Financial and judicial control is almost total, as also of resources. The moves, the renewed effort is meant to trump the overwhelming majority by making full use of JK’s electoral mathematics that stays put because of boycott. Boycott that resistance prefers, as Delhi projects electoral participation as a vote for Indian democracy. Democracy that might be working elsewhere in India, vis-a-vis Kashmir it gets derailed at Lakahnpur-entry-point to JK and is carried forward in situation related dosage, and tailored to given circumstances. On August, the 16th a round table conference (RTC) conducted by KCSDS--Kashmir’s prime advocacy group on civil rights and environmental safeguards deliberated on various issues related to environment with participation of environmentalists, geologists, activists related to tourist industry. With shrinking glaciers related in various studies, the prime concern deliberated in RTC remained to safeguard ecology and bio-diversity by addressing concerns. Noted with regret and rightly so is the effort of some quarters bent upon passing a message of getting away with anything they might desire. The effort is geared to deny space to majority view, and enforce failure of majoritarian concerns. Hitherto unknown yatra to Kausernag started making rounds, as Kashmir’s majority geared to welcome their Kashmiri Pandit brethren back to valley. The wide embrace was appreciated by right thinking in India, columns appeared in print media, voices in electronic media praised positive vibes. Such a positive projection ran counter to the efforts of interested quarters bent upon projecting the majority in negative manner. It isn’t over yet, in spite of state government refusing permission to Kausernag yatra. The grapevine has it that September yatra application is being moved to keep the issue boiling, though it has been re-named Puja, the difference in emphasis is far from being spelt. Another concern remains the reported shifting of Tosmaiden firing range to another tourist destination—Yusmarg. If true, it cannot but add to eco-fragility. With twelve out of sixty six firing ranges in JK, the state gets the dubious distinction of being the leader. While an eco-fragile JK has twelve, deserts of Rajasthan follow with six. Imagine the ECOLOGY and GLOBAL CONCERN? Yaar Zinda, Sohbat Baqi [Reunion is subordinate to survival]
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 02:14:49 +0000
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