It seems Jammu&Kashmir is heading towards another crisis. This time for an entirely different reason. For about six months the State had no peace, with citizens on the one hand and the Government at the other engaging in clashes and violence with separatists extracting maximum benefit. Citizens not wilfully played into the hands of separatists they were forced to enter into alliance with the latter as the police, paramilitary forces and army reportedly mounted bloody attacks on the citizens many gunned down, many captured, tortured, imprisoned, many silenced, which led to the citizens trooping to the streets and holding processions and shouting ‘go India go’ slogans. A sense of alienation took hold of them and they demanded autonomy for which the Indian government was not prepared for. Sensing the gravity of the situation, first the Centre sent a team of all party delegation to meet the people and learn about various problems plaguing them like lack of infrastructure development, massive unemployment among educated youths, non-empowerment of women, massive mal-nutrition and poverty, similar problems like that. Soon after, a team of interlocutors under senior journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, Educationist Radha Kumar and former Information Commissioner M.M.Ansari was formed and sent to Kashmir for an in-depth study and for finding solutions to lessen the problems nagging the citizens. They met a cross-section of people learnt about their problems tried to find their own solutions and continue to submit reports before the Centre.
This time BJP (Bharathiya Janata Party) has stirred a hornet’s nest. Republic day is fast approaching. The Party this time has decided to unfurl a tri-colour flag at Lal Chowk which has unnerved the Centre and the latter is determined to scuttle their plans of unfurling ‘tiranga’ at Lal Chowk. BJP’s allegation goes on like this. The Central govt as well as the State govt fearing the separatists are not allowing ‘the more patriotic’ BJP to proceed on their declared objectives. Prime Minister Dr.ManMohan Singh says, this is not the time for settling political agendas and the Central govt is determined to wean away the followers of BJP from hoisting the tri-colour flag at Lal Chowk.
Jammu bound trains filled with BJP men have been stopped and re-routed by the Railway authorities – trains from eleven States – amidst massive protests by the BJP cohorts. We are reminded of 1992s when saffron clad ‘karsevaks’ sporting tilaks on forheads and trishuls, swords and lathis (dandas) aboarding trains with the single objective of demolishing Babri Masjid while watching BJP elements rushing to Lal Chowk for unfurling tri-colour flag.
In Jammu&Kashmir preventive arrests have been going on and the govt is taking maximum precautions possible to avoid a showdown involving separatists, police, paramilitary forces and army.
BJP’s leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitely is angry over the steps being taken by Central govt and State govt to prevent Lal Chowk flag hoisting on the Republic day. He has pointed out an accusing finger at separatists and their ‘supporters’ for holding meeting at Capital and vents his wrath against the Central govt for not taking action against those indulged in ‘sedition’.
What actually in his mind is hard-core Hurriyat Conference leader Saeed Ali Sha Geelani an Arundhati Roy but Jaitely should have noted that the matter is still subjudice. Anyhow he chose not to mention the persons by name.
I am at a loss to know whether hoisting a tri-colour flag at Lal Chowk will amount to patriotism and whether Prime Minister ManMohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are agents of separatists as alleged by the BJP?
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