Guest Post By: Zahir-ud-Din
Did New Delhi fail in winning the people of Jammu Kashmir over these years? Or, was the sentiment so strong that it could not uproot it in six decades?
During last year’s budget session, a legislator made a laughing stock of himself by saying: “If AFSPA is repealed, how can we move about?” Well said the legislator. At least he had the courage to admit the truth. In the garb of upholding democracy, they want a draconian legislation like AFSPA to `reach’ the public. In the same session, the members of the legislative assembly uttered the truth about Jammu Kashmir.
Responding to the memorandum of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resolution seeking revocation of armed forces special powers act (AFSPA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members said: “We are in this house because the army is there to protect us.”
So during all these years, nothing has changed in the state. The BJP members admitted that the presence of army was necessary for holding Jammu Kashmir. If the army goes, India loses Jammu Kashmir. What a bold admission? The constituent assembly ratified Jammu Kashmir’s accession to India on February 6, 1954. Most of the members were loyal to the then Prime Minister, Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad and behaved accordingly. Little resistance was offered to the motion. It was unanimously passed by all the members the only honourable exception being Abdul Gani Goni who had the courage to talk about izzat aur aabiroo ka muqam (honour and dignity) for the people of the state. However, his resistance got drowned in the deafening applause of the members of the constituent assembly. Goni had to walk out of the house.
Here an attempt is not being made to glorify Goni. But, his speech in the constituent assembly helps one understand the situation that prevailed then in its right perspectives. It can also go a long way in making people understand the situation that has emerged now. Has anything changed in Jammu Kashmir since February 6, 1954?
Realising that the members of the constituent assembly mocked at him while he was speaking, Goni said: “Let us withdraw the Indian army for five days and see whom the house represents.”
This particular remark evoked severe reaction from the members but Goni had succeeded in putting across his message in very strong terms. During an exclusive interview with me during Amarnath land row in 2008 Goni said with authority that the motion could not be defeated for want of resources. He urged me not to divulge vital details of the interview during his life time. “I do not want to embarrass some people”, he urged. I have kept the promise.
On that day Goni conveyed to the house that they did not represent the people of Jammu Kashmir. He made them aware that they were delivering fiery speeches in favour of accession only because a huge army had strangulated the genuine aspirations of the people.
The BJP legislators are not the only ones to admit this harsh reality. Omar Abdullah promised repeal of AFSPA the day he assumed office of the chief minister. He also promised a debate on AFSPA in the legislative assembly. But New Delhi told him to behave like a good boy and he obeyed. He, however, could not tell the people about his failure to repeal the draconian legislation. His law minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar did it for him. He shocked the people by stating that AFSPA could not be repealed. “It has to remain there for some time”, he said. On behalf of National Conference and the coalition government he too admitted that the situation in Jammu Kashmir was not as rosy as it was being projected by the state information department.
Former Director General of Police (DGP), Gopal Sharma recently said, “Even as police were well equipped and trained to take on militants in Jammu Kashmir, army should not be withdrawn completely from there.
Though police have learnt a lot in the past 20 years of turmoil in the state in combating terrorism and have now been better equipped to fight insurgency, still army should not be withdrawn completely from there.” The former DGP made this observation while speaking in a panel discussion organised by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) at the India International Center (IIC).
“I think army’s complete withdrawal from Jammu Kashmir is just not possible and great caution should be taken while thinking about the same,” Sharma added.
Now let us have a look on what government of India and its stooges in Jammu Kashmir did to win the people for New Delhi. Corruption in all its forms and manifestations was introduced and encouraged in the state. The media were gagged. Political activists were exiled. Some of them were jailed under defence of India rules (DIR), leadership was blackmailed, draconian laws were extended to the state, and the special status was diluted through legislative and administrative means. But the sentiment for freedom did not die down. It remained there though in a dormant phase for most of the time. But when the suppressed volcano made its way in 1987, New Delhi was surprised and shocked as well. The outside world was forced to focus attention once again on Jammu Kashmir.
Did New Delhi fail in winning the people of Jammu Kashmir over these years? Or, was the sentiment so strong that New Delhi could not uproot it in six decades? The questions merit special consideration.
For the past three years, the heads of various security agencies operating in the conflict ridden state have been giving details about number of militants, their modus operandi and the damage they have suffered from time to time. In one such statement, it was stated that 750 militants were active in the entire state. And according to the incumbent DGP, 20% of the militants had no guns. Does New Delhi need around half a million regular troops and an equal number of para-military forces and police personnel to fight 750 militants of whom 20% are without guns? The Indian army has been fighting insurgency since 1947. It is experienced enough to fight Jammu Kashmir insurgency effectively. And, it has now been established that Jammu Kashmir insurgency lacks the sting required to fight one of the biggest armies of the world. The US led allied troops on the other hand are fighting Afghans. The valiant people of Afghanistan have time and again proved their worth. Nobody has enslaved them to this day. Notwithstanding this, the number of allied troops in Afghanistan is not more than one hundred thousand. The massive concentration of troops in Jammu Kashmir cannot be justified by any means especially when there are a handful of militants around. What is the Indian army, therefore, fighting in Jammu Kashmir? A mindset or the militants?
The army is fighting a mindset. Or to put it plainly the sentiment is too strong to be uprooted or crushed by use of force. It has survived more than six decades of suppression. This is the reality of contemporary Kashmir. And this always has been Kashmir’s reality.
