critical task
   Date :29-Jun-2019

 
 
THE visit of Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah to Jammu and Kashmir has immense importance in the current situation, particularly against the backdrop of speculations that the Centre is getting geared up to scrap the Special Status that Jammu and Kashmir has been accorded for the past several decades. The widely held belief that Mr. Shah has already initiated a scrutiny of the gain-and-losses balance of Special Status to Kashmir has only got strengthened with the visit of the Home Minister to the State where terrorism is being fought back with reasonable success for the past some time. One of the most critical tasks before Mr. Shah is to highlight the reality that terrorists do not differentiate between Hindus and Muslims and anybody can be their victim. This approach seems to be helping the Government strengthen its case against stricter action against terrorists.
 
 
Another positive dimension of the current situation in Kashmir is the fact that leaders like Ms. Mehbooba Mufti -- who took anti-India position on the issue of separatism -- have been shown the door by the voters in the recent electoral battle. This had never been expected. Yet, the electoral defeat of Ms. Mufti and the likes is being considered as a signal of the shape of political things to come in the troubled State. Mr. Shah’s visit, therefore, has multiple dimensions, some stated and some silent. Until some time back, there was a general impression that a good number of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir were backing separatists, may be out of fear. That feeling is now waning fast as enough evidence is cropping up that the common civilians in the State are completely tired of and disgusted with terrorist activities and political shenanigans. Enough evidence is also available from Kashmir that all common people want is peace and prosperity that have been eluding the State for decades, thanks to the domination of separatist politics in public affairs.
The foremost difficulty the Centre has faced in J&K is that the Kashmiri politicians have all the time opposed whatever move the Centre made. They reject every good proposal by the Government on grounds that are directly anti-Indian. On countless occasions, the Kashmiri politicians expressed an open support to Pakistan and insisted upon treating Islamabad as a stake-holder in Kashmir. Such treacherous politics has marred any possibility of easing of the tense situation in Kashmir for the past half a century.
 
 
Add to this the possibility that some separatist leaders of the Hurriyat Conference may be willing for talks with the Government, and the picture gets somewhat clearer. This possibility, sounded by Governor Mr. Satya Pal Malik, has indicated that some cracks might have developed in the ranks of Kashmiri politicians. If there is even an iota of truth in this, then the effort to resolve the Kashmir tangle may get an altogether different dimension. Of course, the Government may not agree to talks right now. Nevertheless, the very possibility has suggested a little thawing of the Kashmir freeze. As observers of the Kashmir situation, we do not feel that the Government should give too much of weightage to the talks offer by the Hurriyat leaders. We would still offer a word of caution because of the treacherous nature of Kashmir politics.
 
 
In the past five years since his emergence as national leader, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has approached the Kashmir problem quite sensibly. There were some moments of great anxiety all right, but Mr. Modi’s overall approach to the Kashmir tangle has been one of patience and prudence. All the systematic and silent work the Centre did in Kashmir is now beginning to demonstrate itself on ground. Mr. Shah’s visit to the State points to certain gains the Government has posted in Kashmir.