Migration from Green to Saffron in Kashmir is Unprecedented: Lalit k kaul

 

The Migration from Green to Saffron in Kashmir Valley is Unprecedented

                                                                                                  Lalit K Kaul

On the political canvass of Kashmir Valley new pictures are emerging; pictures that were prohibited even in the realm of conception are being drawn unhesitatingly. Pictures that portray the impossible-merging of the two banks of a river-defying the law of Nature. The “politically untouchable (Saffron)” in Kashmir Valley is being hugged by “sacrosanct Green". Is it a mirage or reality! Is it a pointer towards the beginning of the rise of Indian Nationalism in the Valley or a Subterfuge? Or, is it mere opportunism that harbours subterfuge? 

The Political History of Green in J&K:

The Green has the history of being anti-India; the ostensible demarcation between the “mainstream" and “separatists” as far as their political leanings were/are concerned was only for consumption of Indian political leadership as it enabled transfer of thousands of crores of rupees from the Center to the State which were duly apportioned by the two; one, for fueling anti-India sentiment and the other, for filling one's coffers. It was all done unabashedly in the name of “alienation of Muslim youth" as the expenditures were never to be audited.

Then Bangladesh happened. While the “separatists" blamed India openly and squarely for it, the “mainstream” did so covertly. This shock and disbelief that the two protagonists of anti-India suffered and went through-because the parent and the inspiring Green had got bisected to create Geography- was not given an explicit expression immediately. The ever inspiring Ideal had got vanquished not because of its own doings but because of the machinations of outside forces that schemed its demise, was the narrative that was assiduously built by combined efforts of the “mainstream” and the “separatists” and the entire blame was laid at the doorstep of India. So, “India had to be taught a lesson".

The 1975 saw the beginning of the preparations for Jihad against “Kafir" India and the preparedness was sample tested in 1986 by organizing Anantnag riots and the process culminated into forced exodus -in the year 1990- of near total Kashmiri Pandit community from its land of birth, culture and heritage. Rest is the history of indiscriminate killings of those Pandits and Sikhs who had chosen to stay back until Saffron captured the center stage of Indian politics.

The Political History of Saffron in J&K:

Late Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee set the tone when he stood by “One Nation One Constitution One Flag". It wasn't Palace intrigue, but the one worked out in a democratic dispensation that led to poisoning him to death. But the non-erasable lines had been drawn by the Green – the one who opposed Dr. Mukherjee’s political stand and the other who stood by him and his political slogan. The Kashmiri Pandit community was classified as being pro and labeled as “jansanghi". Thus, anti-Pandit community narrative was assiduously built over the years to poison the minds of successive generations of Kashmiri Muslims. The discrimination against the Kashmiri Pandit community was institutionalized- be it in the field of education or government jobs, to ensure steady forced migration of this community from the Valley to other parts of India in search for admissions into professional colleges and jobs suiting their qualifications.

The Saffron was declared to be anti-Muslim and, therefore, all Muslims were to keep unbridgeable distance from it and its protagonists.

Then Arrived “Maut Ka Saudagar":

Before He arrived, the “mainstream" of all political shades had enjoyable honeymoon with Saffron at the center by being a constituent of NDA and while enjoying it they continued to stoke fires of India hate in the Valley like a woman who while enjoying all the good things in life as provided for by her husband enjoys extra-marital relationships or like a man who while enjoying all the hospitality and courtesies extended by his wife enjoys few more women outside of home. They were like chameleon who displayed different colours when in Delhi and Srinagar, but like a panther, in character, who never changed its spots.

The “Maut Ka Saudagar” came with the reputation of having tamed Green in Gujarat and his first act was demonetization that broke the back of terrorism and the immediate result was cessation of stone pelting and stone pelting brigades turned jobless, because fake currency racket in Pakistan downed its shutters. The “separatists" lost steam as its paymasters had gone broke.

Then the “Maut Ka Saudagar” decided to lay to rest the ghost of non-existent (deceased) Article 370 which had been sought to be kept alive by all political parties including the Saffron party during the first tenure of NDA government at the Center. He decided to remove the thorn in the flesh with the help of a thorn. So, he acknowledged existence of Article 370 and got it abrogated through an act of the Indian Parliament. It was not a question of ethics but that it had become the imperative to bury the thriving falsehood using its own narratives. Time had come to reorganize the erstwhile state of J&K into two UTs that would put a stop to machinations and diabolical games of Green and Red. That was, indeed, a master stroke which was executed with laser precision.

The Green had been politically vanquished and the Saffron had triumphed. The Green and its apologists approached the SC of India for reversal of the abrogation of the Article 370, but that was a desperate attempt to keep intact the followers of their ideology because any person blessed with less than an idiot's intelligence could have easily professed that the SC wasn't going to oblige the petitioners.

Development: The Instrument to buy Loyalties:

“Iss paimanae par kashmir mein vikas karo ki sarhad paar kae log bhi iss par aana chahein". How prophetic these words seem to be turning out. These words by “Maut Ka Saudagar”. But the Saffron should know that development to buy loyalties of Green for India was also implemented by Late Bakshi Gulam Mohammad (the PM of erstwhile state of J&K, 1953 to 1964). He developed infrastructure, transport industry, introduced free education up to and including post-graduation and invented schemes for creating employment for the people. He would say, “The GOI is transferring crores of rupees for your wellbeing without asking for any accounts. Don't harbour dreams of your Ideal Green. Make it good while the Sun shines. Remember if you ever raise voice for separation and if India is forced to give away J&K, it will raze it to ground before handing it over". How prophetic these words! Gulam Mohammad Sadiq who was the PM until 23^rd March 1965, he too carried out developmental works. But the Green never changed its ideology. So, let the present dispensation at center not rest assured that Green will be so much drowned in development that it will renounce its ideology.

Green to Saffron: Is it change of heart?

The Saffron welcomes it because it's desperate to form government in the UT of J&K. The Green is happy so long as the unprecedented rate of development continues to be as it not only helps in the birth of a much larger and stronger middle class, but also helps it to bide its time for an opportune and appropriate time to strike and raise its ideological flag. For, it's the middle class that nurtures political aspirations and not the ones who find it difficult to make both ends meet. And the Green in the Valley has always lived up to that axiom. It has always displayed very affable nature until it gathered enough strength to strike.

The Green's assessment is that the Saffron is going to continue to be at the helm of affairs at the Center for appreciable number of years in future. It's near certain up to 2029, then why not align with the Saffron in the Valley if only to be in synch with the Center. Of what use is it to align with fossil political outfits who, in any case, are not going to be as committed to development in the Valley as the Saffron.

The other dimension to it is the acceptance by the Green of the abrogation of the Article 370. Does it remain convinced that the said abrogation has not robbed it of it “identity"? It's not only about the school/college/university educated middle class/un-employed youth; but also, about the rural folks who are led by their political and religious leaders and therein lies the anytime eruptible volcano. And the leaders have been screaming loud and clear about “loss of identity” and “loss of link between J&K and Indian Union". The impact is such that their Ideal Green is busy taking up with the UN and the US that India has altered status-quo by abrogating Art 370 forgetting what it has done in POK and GB. The Green affiliations being such that they derecognize international borders and nationalities, the rhetoric by the Ideal Green developed on the narrative of local Green needs to be factored in while trying to sink thousands of crores in development and forming Saffron government in the UT of J&K.

Whether it is change of heart or a brilliant political move by the local Green (supported by pockets of Green in the rest of India), only time will tell; but let no Saffron leader underestimate the political mind of the local Green that has been quite successful in making Indian political leadership of all shades to dance to its tune. If diamond cuts diamond is the bottom line, then the Saffron will have to be always ahead in designing political moves to check-mate the political designs of the Green.