Click to play videoJammu and Kashmir government finally acted on Thursday, almost 11 days after two young women were reportedly raped and murdered in Shopian that triggered off violent protests across the Valley. Shopian Superintendent of Police has been transferred, powers of the CRPF clipped and law and order has been made the sole responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir police. Home Minister P Chidambaram on a tour to Jammu and Kashmir also conveyed the Union Government’s concern.
It took 11 days for both Central and the state government to wake up to the protest in Kashmir over the alleged rape and murder case in Shopian. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah first said that the two women had died of drowning, leading to the accusation that the state government was trying to cover up the case.
The alleged rape and murder of young women in Kashmir is a particularly brutal assault on the Kashmiri psyche. It is immediately reminiscent of the Kunan Poshpora rape of 1991 where many women were raped by security forces. In this kind of situation, has the Omar Abdullah-led state government really committed a grave error in not being able to sound in compassionate enough tone? Can Government, with its slew of damage control measures, ever win the hearts and minds of the Kashmiris?
Face the Nation debated: Can the Indian Government win hearts and minds in Kashmir? The panel included political analyst Amitabh Mattoo; Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti.
Jayanti Natarajan reacted to the Shopian incident saying, “I am sure there is total compassion. I would not like to say that the government of Kashmir has not be compassionate but there is absolutely no doubt that the rape of these two young women, particularly if it is true, as apparently now the Jammu and Kashmir government has accepted is something that is deeply offensive to the Indian and not just the Kashmiri psyche. But I do believe that the government will take all steps to bring the perpetuators to book.”
It took many days of violent protests for the Central and state government to act. Has the honeymoon period of Omar Abdullah ended with this incident? When Omar became the Chief Minister, he was supposed to herald a new dawn but now we find that the image of the people’s Chief Minister of a new Kashmir has slightly eroded because he simply wasn’t there with his people when the incident was taking place.
Amitabh Mattoo said, “Frankly, if there has to be blame apportioned it has to be pinpointed toward the establishment, the Government of India, it is reflective of the mistakes that we have made and continue to make over the last 62 years. Shopian, once known for its delicious apples and cheese, is now symbolic of the lack of trust that the Kashmiris have in the Indian state. We had a moment of opportunity after the election where we had the most inclusive elections in the history of Jammu and Kashmir but that moment of triumph was reduced to a moment of triumphalism. That window of opportunity, also because we had elections in the rest of India later on, was not used and unfortunately unless we act now, much more imaginatively, Kashmir will be back on the boil. What we require is political sensitivity and imagination. I know the Prime Minister himself is much more sensitive than most people in Kashmir but what is required is that the establishments, the agencies, security forces and the bureaucracies develop the same attitude.”
The conversation coursed over to the state politics of Kashmir over the Shopian incident where the Opposition had been leading protests.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti started off by saying, “Two young were brutally raped and murdered. One died of brain hemorrhage because she was bleeding from many parts of her body and the other one died of shock because so many people were committing rape, you can imagine what can happen to a women. An FIR wasn’t lodged for a week. So in that situation, what does a responsible citizen, a mother, a woman and as a representative from that district should have done? Should not I have been doing what I have been doing? The protests in the Valley have prompted the government to file an FIR, which is a fundamental right.”
Is this the time to for the opposition to whip the issue they are wont to do as the Hurriyat often does in order to create a constituency of victimhood as they (Opposition) did over the Amarnath Shrine controversy, instead why not play the role of a constructive opposition and look at what the state government is trying to do?
“What do you do when the Chief Minister himself says that there has been no rape?” questioned Mehbooba Mufti.
She said, “You have to raise your voice and we did not commit any kind of violence. It was a very peaceful march. What is the role of an opposition? What did we do that is antinational? Don’t you think that forcing the government to lodge an FIR is a constructive thing?”
Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his inaugural address to Parliament did not mention Kashmir even once.
Natarajan responded and said, “I think it is part of the success of this historic mandate in Kashmir that we are talking about, this wide spread participation, the success of the election itself in Kashmir.
But has the government forgotten about the historic mandate?
Natarajan added that Kashmir is part of the national mainstream and that the government considers issues which are of concern. It was extremely unfortunate that this issue in Kashmir has come again. There is no triumphalism in the part of the Congress party whatsoever.
She said that the Congress believed that every part of India was a part of the mainstream and had to be developed as much as any other part.
She did not read anything more into the fact that Kashmir was not mentioned, except to say that it (Kashmir) is part of the mainstream and the progress and development contemplates it for the entire country. It as much contemplates it for Kashmir if not more.
Mattoo said that he greatly respected and appreciated Natarajan but wished that Kashmir was part of the national mainstream.
He went on to say that the business in Kashmir is not the usual. He urged that a more imaginative and innovative approach towards Kashmir than was needed for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka or even Tamil Nadu.
He mentioned three things that needed to be done for Kashmir. Firstly, he said that the human rights issue needs to be addressed.
“I think you need a better balance between respecting the human rights for the individual citizens and the challenge of fighting the militancy. Both Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have talked about repelling the Arms Forces Special Power Act. You may not be able to do it completely for the state, but you can start doing it district by district. Remove Srinagar, Baramullah from the Arms Forces Special Power Act and give greater responsibility to the J-K police, suggested Mattoo.
“More importantly, the Prime Minister had set up working groups whose recommendations are waiting to be implemented. Hamid Ansari, the current Vice-President, chaired one of those working groups and his recommendations on human rights are so worthwhile and important to implement. That needs to be done. Finally, remember, today Kashmir is boiling, it could well happen that Jammu start to boil tomorrow and Ladakh day after tomorrow. You need a process of reconciliation. You need to set up a reconciliation commission which will actually bring these states together,” he cautioned.
Shouldn’t the Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir respect the mandate of good governance instead of trying to raise temperatures? Is it time for the Opposition to introspect and play the role of a democratic opposition and not an agitation force?
Mufti responded by saying, “It was unfortunate that Gulam Nabi Azad created the Amarnath row. He took up files which was lying for so many years and did something for his political gains and it misfired. Again Omar Abdullah bungled the whole thing. If he wasn’t sure of the incident, he should have kept quiet instead and ordered an inquiry. And when we play the role of a responsible opposition, what we are supposed to do, people say we are messing up things, but having said that it is not about police giving responsibility to police, we also suggested to the home minister that let’s start, if we are able to take away Srinagar from Armed Forces Special Power Act and start withdrawal of other troops from another districts, it is about trusting people of Jammu and Kashmir who have voted in such huge numbers. They have put their faith in Indian democracy.”
Has the Home Minister’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir come too late?
On this note, Mufti said, “I would say he (Chidambaram) was very much convinced at whatever we had been saying that there is always going to be a friction between the security forces and the civilians because they are not needed now in the civilian areas. Their powers are not required because the number of militants have gone down drastically but are the people of India ready to trust Kashmiris.”
Withdrawal of Arms Forces Special Powers
Mufti went on to say, “The bare minimum we can do is that we should start repelling of special powers. If we can’t do it as a whole, let us start from one district. Let’s start withdrawal of troops phase by phase and see what happens. When we repelled POTA and took hold of SOG, it had a great impact after 2002. We were experienced very bad situation. There was total sense of insecurity and that is coming back.”
The President’s reconstruction plan for Jammu and Kashmir, Baglihar Hydel project, railway line, investments is not what is expected from the new government that is trying to create a new social charter. Can we hope that the new government will be bold enough to withdraw troops from Jammu and Kashmir?
Natarajan responded by saying, “I totally disagree. I am not going to take that up. I totally disagree with Mehbooba’s comments on Gulam Nabi Azad, it is a whole different story.”
However, she endorsed totally what Mattoo said earlier during the discussion.
She defended the government’s stance by saying, “The government is aware of the happenings in Kashmir and that appropriate measures with regard to the situation on the ground. We do have confidence in the people of Kashmir.”
Heartful gesture not much forthcoming
Can the Indian government start the process of winning the hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people?
Mattoo said, “I think it can, it should. I think we need to create a national reconciliation. Kashmir is far too important for it to be reduced to a partisan slanging match between national parties or state parties. If I was the prime minister I would actually make an imaginative statement on Kashmir within the next few days.”
He added that he would say, “Reach out to the people of Kashmir, make them feel wanted and make them realise that India and government of India is going to do all it can to ensure that there peace and dignity is ensured.”
The people of Kashmir are going to participate in Indian democracy, will the Opposition come in their way and stop the process?
Mufti said, “Until and unless the people have a sense of security, honour and dignity development will not help.”
She said that she liked to remind Natarajan that the Prime Minister had assured Mufti in 2007 when a defence committee was set up for withdrawal of troops that it will be done. It was again the prime ministers working group who had recommended repelling of AFSP. At least respect what we say and if it doesn’t happen then we have to come on the street.
Does the government of India require a street protest to realise the presence of Kashmir?
Natarajan responded by saying, “The government of India is fully aware that Kashmir is out there and the people have voted in large measure along with the people of India putting their faith in the government. We are very responsible and conscious and sensitive to that. No matter what the opposition might do, the government will certainly put into place not just innovation but also reconciliation.
Results of SMS poll: Violence in Shopian: Can the Indian government win hearts and mind in Kashmir?
Yes: 58 per cent
No : 42 per cent
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