Express Buzz ; Anita Saluja : Saturday, September 11, 2010 ;
After the passage of the nuclear liability Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ought to concentrate now on the volatile situation in Jammu & Kashmir, by initiating the dialogue process with all those who matter, to bring normalcy back to the state. With hope giving way to despair and panic, residents of the state, who all along have voted for peace, need to be assured that the Congress-led UPA government is responsive to their fears and requirements.
Rahul Gandhi, who considers himself to be a Kashmiri as a descendant of the Nehrus, has now set his sights on the state. He is keen that his party reaches out to the stone-pelting youth, though he alone would be in no position to assuage the wounded feelings, unless drastic steps are taken by the administration to restore confidence of the people. Autonomy, as demanded by the National Conference, is not the only solution for restoring normalcy. As rightly pointed out by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, it is only a stone’s throw away from azaadi.
For the UPA government at the Centre, the functioning of the coalition government in which the Congress party itself is a coalition partner is getting worried. When Omar Abdullah took over as the chief minister, the Congress was euphoric that with a youthful CM at the helm and a new generation of Kashmiris moving on to the centrestage, things would change for the better. He was expected to gain the confidence of the masses, particularly the youth, by coming out with out-of-the-box solutions.
Rather than appearing to impose someone from Delhi, Sonia Gandhi wanted a Kashmiri face to take the lead. The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections were just the starting point and the Omar Abdullah government had to reach out to the people, try and understand their aspirations and meet their basic demands for better civic amenities and better educational and employment opportunities.
Hope is giving way to disenchantment in the UPA government now. Far from shaping up as a mature politician and a worthy scion of Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, Omar has disappointed, appearing to be tactless, complacent and out of touch with the people and the ground reality. Popularly it is said Omar is inaccessible. Even if one manages to gain access, it is difficult to get Omar’s attention, as he is said to be busy, fiddling with his BlackBerry and playing games on it, even while talking to his guests!
Although the Congress leadership considers him to be well-meaning, secular and modern in his outlook, Omar has a handicap. He cannot speak Kashmiri fluently and is basically anglicised and does not connect with the common Kashmiri people.
Kashmiri leaders are out to create hurdles for Omar Abdullah. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti is taking advantage of the situation. Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has galvanised thousands of activists to take to the streets.
Changing tack now, the extremist elements managed to bring women and children on to the streets. Geelani gave a call not to respond to force, to sit down and to keep off violence. This further limits the scope of the government to resort to force to tackle the situation. When militancy was at its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, deployment of the army was justified. In the new situation, where there are no guns but only stone-pelting protesters, the government cannot justify use of force.
As the demand is not for azaadi but only autonomy, the state government is keen to seize the opportunity. Singh, on the other hand, is for holding panchayat elections in Jammu & Kashmir. If the polls are held and people at the grassroots are involved in the decision-making processes, it strikes at the roots of the demand for azaadi.
Popularising RTI in the Valley will help check corruption and make the administration more accountable for the funds sent to the state from the Centre. The profile in the Valley is rural and that is why a special drive is required to popularise RTI.
The Centre is quietly pushing for reforms. As a coalition partner, it wants to put its foot down and ask for results from Omar Abdullah. It wants the state government to look at non-lethal methods of mob control. But a Union minister pointed out that even a rubber bullet could prove fatal if it hit the wrong spot.
The Centre wants the state police to take the lead in maintaining law and order, without excessive reliance on the Central security forces. It was pointed out that one way out of the controversy like the demand for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act would be to accelerate the process of strengthening and expanding the J&K Police, so that they could function independently and effectively.
If the situation takes a turn for the worse, the Centre’s options are limited. Imposition of governor’s rule (the equivalent of President’s rule in Jammu & Kashmir) is not a happy option. When a democratically elected government is in place, to dismiss it and replace it with governor’s rule is something the Centre considers repugnant.
A Congress chief minister is no option, as it will be seen more as an imposition from Delhi. Joining hands with Mehbooba or Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is also no option, given their pro-separatists stance. Replacing the junior Abdullah with the senior Abdullah is also not a happy option. While Farooq Abdullah has a very good grasp of the ground situation, he has no application. Omar is considered more sincere if only he has the right set of advisors. The Congress sees it a better option to strengthen the Omar Abdullah government than to destabilise it.
.JPG)
.JPG)
