The ruling BJP led NDA Government took a political decision of amending the Constitution by abrogating Article 370 that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories that formally came into being on October 31, with Girish Chander Murmu and R K Mathur assuming the office of Lieutenant Governors of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh respectively. Though this decision has ruffled many feathers in political circles, since it has momentarily brought J&K directly under Central administration, it has been propagated as a well thought decision towards achieving national integration.
The credibility of J&K’s ‘mainstream’ political parties in the state had already hit rock bottom since the key players misused the trust that the people of Kashmir reposed in them. Irrespective of which party came into power, corruption and mis-governance continued unabated. As a result, even the basic aspirations of the people remained a distant dream. Awareness that the center didn’t have any alternative to challenge the political status quo made political parties adopt a lackadaisical approach towards governance due to which the people of J&K suffered immensely.
So while the mainstream political parties are making much hue and cry over abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K into two Union territories, the fact is that they themselves have forced New Delhi to take steps to break their monopoly. Decades of dynastic rule in J&K had created an atmosphere of sycophancy and this prevented capable and dedicated youth from finding their rightful place as leaders of political parties and businesses. Now it’s a good opportunity for youth of J&K to work towards eradicating the ills arising out of poor-governance and devoting themselves to development-oriented activities.
The state remains on edge with all the top political leaders, including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, under house arrest while internet and mobile services are snapped for security reasons. To suit their self-serving interests, many have been exploiting the situation by painting a doomsday picture with weird analogies such as the Nazi movement that resulted in persecution of Jews. At a time when inimical forces were portraying conditions in Kashmir to be inhuman with the locals “caged” by security forces, a delegation of 27 European Union MPs from nine countries visited Jammu and Kashmir.
After meeting people belonging to different sections of society in Kashmir and getting first-hand information, this delegation realised that despite getting adequate funds, the local political parties had done nothing for the people due to which there had been no development and widespread corruption.
While EU delegates made it clear that they were not here to interfere with Indian politics, they fully understood that abrogating Article 370 is India’s internal matter. A delegate pointed out that “Kashmir is backward because of the situation. The message we got from the people we met was that there is hope that the change in status will help reverse the situation.” The delegation said that the people of Kashmir want peace and development. They want schools and hospitals.”
Expressing concerns on Pakistan sponsored militancy as it is the major factor for instability in Kashmir, claiming lives of innocent people, one of the members said: “First of all, this visit in my view is of very high importance. In Kashmir, militancy is severe and this is a global question. Police and army have apprised us of how militants have been sent from Pakistan.”
The delegation said they do not want to see Kashmir becoming another Afghanistan. One delegate said, “Terrorists can destroy a country. I have been to Afghanistan and Syria and I have seen what terrorism has done. We stand with India in its fight against terrorism.”
Newton Dunn from the UK described the visit as an “eye-opener”, adding that the delegation would advocate what they had seen on ground zero. “We belong to a place Europe which is peaceful after years of fighting. And we want to see India becoming the most peaceful country in the world. And for that we need to stand by India in its fight against global terrorism. The delegation expressed hope that the change in status will improve the situation of the state.
Kashmir is a flashpoint between two nuclear countries and thus tensions in Indo-Pak relations worry the international community. Hence, the visit of EU delegation to Kashmir is timely. Business suffered an estimate loss of Rs 10,000 crore in this current turmoil while tourism and education has been badly affected. Apple industry which is main component in Kashmir’s economy was hit the most due to prevailing situation. It has been further harmed by target killings of those connected with the horticulture sector.
For the people of Kashmir, it’s important to get over petty issues and look at the larger picture so that they are not left behind in their quest for improving their economic status. If Kashmir does not open to India and the world, it will be left out of the development loop. The objective of the elected government is to ensure that nothing of this sort happens and that’s why all energies are being channelized towards bringing the region at par with the rest of the country. The idea, in fact, is to see the region surging ahead on the basis of the abundant economic possibilities that are available there.
People of the Kashmir are hopeful that members of the European delegation after returning to their respective countries will spread words at different forums which will help the cause of Jammu and Kashmir, especially of the common people of Kashmir so that this festering wound will be healed once for all. Nevertheless, it’s also the foremost duty of every citizen to leverage the commitment of the nation to their advantage by rejecting the divisive voices, shun violence and concentrate on issues of development.