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BY IRFAN BABA
Culling one in good and bad is a painless task. However, embracing one among the two bad is a bigger challenge and I fell to a wrong choice.’ This dialogue is the kernel of ‘Once Upon A Time In Bombay.’ An honest cop favors an aspiring gangster to uproot an established Don, although his choice later turns in the creation of a larger Don called Dawood Ibrahim.
The assembly elections which will eventually be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir are going to put the whole population of Kashmir in the same dilemma, of choosing between two bad. On one hand there is BJP, which snatched honor and identity of the state. On the other side there is Gupkar Alliance whose players were once effective cogs of New Delhi. The members of Gupkar Alliance are the people who facilitated New Delhi (under different regimes) in hollowing Article 370.
BJP is known for breaking the promises and dividing the people. Jammu was assured while stripping 370 that land and jobs will always be reserved for the state. This promise was broken by giving about 3mn domicile certificates within one year of abrogation; also in recent Bihar election rallies ,the land of Kashmir was openly offered for sale.
In comparison there was no befooling promise made to the people of Kashmir. There is no second thought that BJP has always been hostile to the aspirations of the people of Kashmir region despite 0.2mn memberships with some infamous and comic characters at the helm.
As to correlate the protagonists of Gupkar Alliance have not been less catastrophic. The piles of Article 370 were depleted majorly by Abdullahs and later Muftis. Due to their self-centered acts, their character and sense of responsibility shall always remain ambiguous. People can never forget the bloodshed of mid nineties when Farooq Abdullah was in regime, especially his greed for power at the cost Kashmiri lives. Shopian dual rape and murder case is still haunting the people, so is the role of Omer Abdullah as Chief Minister at that time, the trend of killing kids was introduced in 2010 during his tenure. Mehbooba Mufti’s ‘Chocolate and Milk’ statement can never go off the memories of the masses. The unprecedented swing of blinding people was initiated in her regime which she bizarrely defended. The sudden shift of Sajad Gani Lone form Hurriyat camp to mainstream leadership, later his open support for BJP will always put a question mark on his credibility.
Yet the elections will come. The people of Jammu and Kashmir will be left with two choices i.e. to support one of the two bad.
This is quite obvious that unlike past records of Kashmir, Jammu is going to take part in elections in good percentage. The current mood of Jammu people can easily be accessed through personal discussions, their public speeches and social media that they are enraged, as none of the word made by Centre has been kept. Also the consolidation of Gupkar Alliance has made them more sensitive toward the betrayal. This may be the reason that BJP leaders have begun calling Gupkar Alliance a gang. Come what may Jammu will vote and make a choice.
On the other hand, Kashmir doesn’t have a good percentage of voting in the past baring a few times. However abstaining from voting can prove an indirect support to BJP as their members will vote and bag them good number of seats. In case they come in power, they will have 5 comprehensive years to play further havoc and do more damage in fact some irreversible damage to J&K. Within one year of UT status they could replace prominent and crucial bureaucratic position by non-state officers who are speculated as their men. The current top management of JK Bank is a prime example. In five years they hold capacity to replace people at every level in government set ups by using new employment policy where people can be retired at 48 years of age or 22 years of service.
J&K has a large portion of Nazool Land. This can easily be allotted to outsiders like the civil contracts which have already been invaded by non state companies.
Muslims of the state should not ignore the threatenings given by Anupam Khar (on a famous news channel, which was absolutely against any norms of democracy and secularism), a self claimed representative of Kashmiri Pandits, whose pandit identity itself is doubtful. ‘Raliv, Chaliv ya Galiv’ (join, run or die) was a clear threatening given to Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir. ‘Raliv, Chaliv ya Galiv’ is a concept borrowed from the book ‘Bunch of Thoughts.’ This book is known as the Bible of RSS which states as follows:
“The failure of Indian history to assimilate the Muslims into national society, as it had succeeded in assimilating the earlier invaders, the Shakas, Seythians and Hunas…
No concession should be given without change of Ideology on the part of recipient could bring about the change needed.”
People of J&K need to unify for a common cause; to safeguard land, jobs and most importantly identity, they will certainly have to reinforce Gupkar Alliance. This alliance, if works honestly can save the future, also can repair the damages done to state’s special status. People must know that Article 370 is not over. It is technically just suspended. Gupkar Alliance can probably revoke the suspension.
Those who strive for the freedom of Kashmir must understand that getting freedom is a process. By the time freedom is achieved, society requires basic infrastructure. Participation in elections does not mean that struggle has surrendered. India herself participated in election during freedom struggle.
Coming times will throw the choice of two bad; one may be less bad and the other more. People need to seriously ponder over it. They need to choose between the two bad.
Irfan Baba is author of a novel entitled ‘Love and the Other World’, hails from Srinagar-Kashmir. He is MBA by qualification and works as a manager in a reputed pharma corporate house.
