NANDHIVARMAN OPINES

APPEAL TO CONGRESS AND BJP  :

KEEP AWAY FROM KASHMIR FOR ONE ELECTION

The Rediff.com news dated August 19, 2008 states that “Besides many other things, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is certainly a lucky politician. In just 22 days his police claims to have solved the conspiracy behind the serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad  of July 26 and the mystery behind the bombs that were planted all over Surat but did not explode. How did the Gujarat police manage what the police in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Bangalore could not do in the last two years? Rediff.com reconstructs the investigations that went into unraveling the conspiracy on the basis of information from multiple sources in Ahmedabad and New Delhi”.

When I read this story though it contained passage about state authorities and Intelligence Bureau working united brought this result, what struck me is the other side of Mr.Narendra Modi. Two years ago I wrote letters to all the Chief Ministers in this country about the genocidal war in Srilanka where more than 70,000 people had lost their lives and urged them to participate in an Eye-Opening Seminar of Tamil Eelam. Only two Chief Ministers replied. Mr.Narendra Modi of Gujarat and Dr.Raman Singh of Chattisgarh. It left a lasting impression in me. I could not assimilate the role of Narendra Modi with regard to Gujrat riots. But by his swift response, he touched my heart. Here is a politician in power willing to discuss the Tamil problem, while all other Congress Chief Ministers were dutifully killing their conscience to please the ruling dynasty, of course ruling by proxy. Now again Mr.Modi had proved that he can tackle terrorism, since he has political will.

While I record my appreciation for Mr.Narendra Modi, I must also place my word of condemnation for the words that emanate from the mouth of Mr.Lal Krishna Advani. My friend and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Rajaji, Mr.Rajmohan Gandhi had expressed the same feeling I have in the columns of The Hindustan Times dated 19^th August 2008.

Mr.Rajmohan Gandhi wrote: “In his letter to the Prime Minister on nationalism versus separatism, L.K. Advani has placed the people of Jammu, the national flag, the Motherland and the Indian Army in one column, and the people of the Kashmir Valley and separatism in a second, adversarial, column. Some will see this as fair. Can it be denied that the national flag and the Indian Army have many more admirers in Jammu than in the Valley? Don’t we hear of attacks on security forces and the raising of Pakistani flags in Kashmir? Does anything like that happen in Jammu town? Advani’s divisive formulation has to be opposed not because it is entirely untrue but precisely because it is a half-truth, more dangerous than a lie for being believable. A difficult reality can be dealt with in two ways. It can be admitted, deplored, and corrected. Or it can be welcomed with glee, presented as a fundamental and unchangeable truth, and used as a political springboard. For the first time, an important political leader has suggested that not just the terrorists but all the people of the Kashmir Valley are adversaries — foes of the Motherland, of the national flag, and of the Army. For the first time, a possible future Prime Minister of India has divided the people of Jammu and Kashmir into two sections, one with positive qualities and worthy of the Army’s protection, and the other with negative impulses, deserving of the Army’s suspicion. Advani was careful not to use the word ‘Muslims’. But, of course, he is not implying that Kashmiri Pandits are separatists. He means Kashmiri Muslims. Everyone knows that, and Advani knows that everyone knows what he means.”

Electoral gains are uppermost in the minds of politicians. They want either caste vote bank or vote bank of religion. How long these politicians are going to foment trouble, divide society and practice the British principle of divide and rule? All these years the Congress is the sole accused in keeping Kashmir burning, now it is the time of BJP, it seems.

NEHRU IN DOCK :

In fact a host of questions have to be answered in order to understand the Kashmir problem. The background and political mysteries that surround Kashmir’s accession to India, is best known only to Dr.Karan Singh, who continues to enjoy Indian Government patronage all through his life but never goes to the rescue of any section of the people of Kashmir, whether it bleeds or burns.

A scholar wrote that “ an understanding of various political forces such as National Conference, Jamat-i-Islami and Congress party within the region provides important clues. Although Hindu reactionaries had limited space to operate, they did enormous damage to the healthy political traditions in the valley. There is no doubt that of all the political parties, National Conference till recently enjoyed immense popular support for having emerged as the champion of anti-feudal struggle under the leadership of Late Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in the thirties and forties of 20^th century. But unfortunately when Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was arrested in 1953, the political expression was brutally ruptured.” Thus wrote Mr.Rattan Lal Hangloo, Reader, Department of History, Hyderabad University

In 1955 Sheikh Abdullah’s associate Mirza Murd Afzal Beg founded the Plebiscite Front. After the break out of Indo-China war, Sheikh Abdullah was released. Prescriptions of Congress are delivered when the disease worsens, that is why till now, Congress continues to commit mistake after mistake. Congress envied the popularity of Sheikh Abdullah, its leaders lacked his charisma, hence the need to arrest him so that his political space could be occupied by Congress.

“ In the late sixties and early seventies, though the Congress was at the helm of affairs in Kashmir, at the popular level it was the Plebiscite Front and the Jamat-i-Islami which had made a dent……. In 1974 Congress thought of another trick that it asked then Chief Minister Mir Quasim to step down and offered the post of Chief Minister to Sheikh Abdullah with the intention of getting the Plebiscite Front of Sheikh Abdullah dissolved. Once Abdullah took over as Chief Minister with the Congress support he was made to dissolve the Plebiscite Front. It was thought that this move would undermine the growth of regional tendencies at the popular level. But once again Congress failed because it soon withdrew support to Sheikh Abdullah in the assembly and after a short period of Governor’s rule the state went to polls in which the National Conference [which had been revived in meantime by Sheikh Abdullah ] came to power with Sheikh Abdullah as Chief Minister.” Thus goes the analysis. But what should be borne in mind, the people of Kashmir were made pawns in the power games played by the Congress. Thereafter whatever permutation and combination Congress works to be in power in that state had only alienated the people from Indian mainstream political parties.

Now it is the time for BJP to fish in troubled waters. BJP would be left happy with Jammu, but country will loose Kashmir, if these. election oriented statements of Advani spreads hate. Mahatma Gandhi told on attaining Indian Independence that Congress should cease to be a political party but must become a seva sangh. If that had happened fresh blood would have been infused into Indian politics. The erstwhile Maharaja’s against whom people fought would not have been rehabilitated like Dr.Karan Singh enjoying fruits while freedom fighters struggle even to get pensions. National Parties like Congress and BJP must not contest atleast one election in Jammu and Kashmir, neither they should directly or indirectly prop up proxies. They must allow the people to elect their government, and promise Kashmiris that they wont impose any Government on them and they can rule themselves within Indian Union and power games of ruling parties at Center will be outlawed in Kashmir.

N.Nandhivarman General Secretary Dravida Peravai