This article was published in Mainstream (March 3, 1990)

Kashmir: Need for Political Action

K.Z. AMANI

There is a general tendency in the ruling circle of the country to blame others for things that go wrong as a result of our own short sighted approach in dealing with religious minorities and regional aspirations of the people. It is, therefore, not surprising that the developments in Kashmir are being viewed from the same point of view. The entire blame for the present turmoil is being put on Pakistan and the only solution at the moment seems to be in adopting a hard line and handing over the Valley to army and paramilitary forces. Pakistani designs in Kashmir are well known. Certain misguided but highly motivated young men, who have been talking about the liberation of Kashmir, have been getting training and encouragement from across the border. The majority of Kashmiris are not pro-Pakistan but they are not happy with India either.

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This growing disenchantment with India has encouraged the anti-Indian forces to operate more freely in the Valley. Needless to say that the success of Pakistan in misleading the Kashmiri youth is largely due to our own failures. Regional aspirations of the people, if not taken care of, are bound to result in violence and instability as we have seen in the case of AASU agitation, the Gorkha movement, the Bodo demand for autonomy and the Jharkhand movement. Happily for us these regions do not have common borders with an unfriendly neighbor ever willing to fish in troubled waters.

It must be found out as to what has gone wrong and why is it so that a people who had rejected the two-nation theory and opted to be a part of the Indian union, have developed an ant-Indian feeling. Kashmir valley is a unique region of India in many respects. It is of great strategic significance owing to its location in high Central Asia, close to Russia, China and Afghanistan; it is a region of exceptional scenic beauty inhabited by people who were made to suffer and exploited for centuries by conquerors after conquerors – Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus – making a talented people a spiritless, evasive lot, easily overawed and very different from their rulers. Incidentally, Kashmir is the only state of India which has a Muslim majority population.

The framers of our Constitution had taken these realities into consideration. For them the emotional integration of Kashmir with India was the primary consideration and so the State was given a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. The Kashmiris who were fighting Dogra oppression in the State were being helped by the leadership of the national movement. They rejected the two- nation theory and after independence, opted to be a part of secular and democratic India rather than to go with a theocratic Pakistan.

One basic reason for the present discontent in Kashmir is due to the fact that once the state became a part of India, we had to face a hostile Pakistan staking claim over Indian territory. And in our effort to keep the territory under control so that it continues to remain an integral part of India, somewhere on the way, we forgot that the integration of Kashmiri population should have been an equally important consideration.

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Two groups of people were involved by the Central Government in our policy formulations on Kashmir. First was the leadership of the National Conference which over the years has alienated itself from the mainstream Kashmiri population because while remaining in power it did little to stop the gradual erosion of the special status guaranteed to Kashmir under the Constitution. In order to rule the State, the National Conference tried to be more loyal than the King and gave the Indian Government the impression that they are the only nationalists and but for them, Kashmir would go to Pakistan. And hence it was necessary to ensure their rule in Kashmir through means fair or foul.

The second group of advisers consisted of those people who had flourished during the Dogra regime, specially the Kashmiri Pandits, who were well educated and articulate but happened to be a minority. Just after independence whereas no Kashmiri Muslim was qualified and trained enough to take up responsible positions in the State and Central administration, this group got easily absorbed at different levels in the administrative hierarchy and was able to influence government policy. Needless to mention that there has been no love between this group and the majority of Kashmiri population.

The National Conference gradually lost its following and credibility with the people because it failed to project their real feelings and aspirations. The masses began to look towards the post-independence generation of educated Kashmiri Muslims, who like young men elsewhere in the country, were fearless, conscious of their rights and willing to fight for a just social order. These young men wanted to get rid of the one family rule which was inefficient and corrupt. They failed in their efforts because whereas in other states of the country the people were having a government of their choice, successive elections in Kashmir have been hardly free and fair, to put it mildly. The people, thus, were greatly disappointed.

Another factor which could have reassured them and helped the Kashmiris to come closer to India was secularism. There was a time, not long ago, when Kashmir was considered a model of communal peace and harmony. But it could not remain unaffected from what was happening in different parts of the country. Not only Kashmiris but the people in India are rather apprehensive about the future of secularism in the country. The growing frequency and intensity of communal violence and the talk of taking over the Muslim places of worship by force in the name of correcting the wrong done to the Hindus in distant past, are things that have shaken the faith of Kashmiris in secularism.

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Pakistan has rightly been told in no uncertain terms that the developments in Kashmir are purely an internal matter of India and any outside interference will not be allowed. At the same time, it must be made abundantly clear to the extremists in the Valley that they cannot be allowed to have their way and the state apparatus will put down any talk of secession from India with a firm hand.

Much water has flown down the Jhelum since Kashmir decided to join India. The new generation of Kashmiris is restive and wants to be assured that justice will be done to them. There is an urgent need to review our Kashmir policy, for it would be unwise to treat the present developments as a simple law and order problem. History is replete with instances where people of a territory who have been put under control by force have revolted against the Central authority. This has been specially so in the case of religious and ethnic minorities who are willing to lay down their lives for the preservation of their identity. In a country like India which has a multiplicity of religion, language and culture, any attempt to impose a majority decision on the unwilling minorities will be counter-productive in the long run.

Taking into consideration a long range perspective it is essential that certain steps be taken after the present phase of turmoil in the Valley is over, in order to isolate and marginalize that small but misguided section of population which thinks that the interest of Kashmir will be best served in Pakistan.

Firstly, the Kashmiris should be reassured that their special status under Article 370 will be maintained and necessary steps will be taken to restore to them what has been taken away in the name of bringing Kashmir closer to India.

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Secondly, Kashmiris should be given full freedom to elect their own representatives and form their own government in the state. There should be no apprehension, if as a result of fair and free elections a state government which is opposed to the Centre comes to power, as long as its activities do not in any way challenge or question the finality of Kashmir’s accession to India

Thirdly, it should be made clear to all that no section of population, whether in Kashmir or elsewhere in the country, will be allowed to undermine our secular fabric and that the religious and linguistic minorities will be provided full protection under the law of the land.

Finally, effective measures must be undertaken for the speedy economic development of Kashmir which is bound to generate employment, increase the income level and improve the living standards of the population. Kashmiri Muslims have hardly any representation in the various Central Government agencies and administrative set-up. The deserving Kashmiris should be encouraged to move out and take up challenging assignments outside the Valley.

It is only when we are able to assure the Kashmiris that their genuine interests are fully protected in India, we can stop them from looking across the border and make them understand that they had taken a right decision in opting to put their faith in a democratic and secular India rather than going to a theocratic Pakistan, which is still stricken with internal strife and sectarian violence and has little to offer except the empty slogan of religious brotherhood.

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Dr. Amani is Professor of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University

[email protected]

Aligarh 202002 (India)