Mehbooba’s Burhan Wani comment in bad taste
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's comment on the recent operation of the security forces in the valley which led to the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani may create an atmosphere of confusion and utter chaos among the people of Jammu & Kashmir. First of all, she should have restrained herself from making a remark on the nitty-gritty of the plans and programmes of the security personnel on such a high-profile attack on a dreaded terrorist. Second, her statement in public saying that she was unaware about the movement of the forces is telling a different tale — that the Chief Minister of the State was not kept in the loop. This can never happen and the forces belonging to Army, para-military, police and the intelligence will definitely have a secret line of communication at least with the Chief Minister. Third, as a Chief Minister of a sensitive State like Jammu & Kashmir, which has been on the throes of militancy for decades, should not have aired the view that ‘had I known about him (Wani), I would have given him a second chance'. Wani is a terrorist and will remain so. And hence, there is no point for our security forces to either let him go scot-free or allowing him to rein on innocent civilians and security forces. It is clear that people those who are taking up arms against India with the full support of Pakistan, both financially and militarily, do not qualify to be a part of the dialogue. If they would have believed in the process of debates and dialogues, they would have taken the non-violent path for sure. Knowing well that these militants can never achieve their imagined goals, their fight continues for years because their masterminds in Pakistan have the sole agenda to create instability in India through proxies like Wani. On this backdrop, the comment made by Mehbooba Mufti seems untimely.
Realising the belligerent mood of the people across the valley, Mehbooba Mufti is putting all efforts to save the face of her party and trying to repair the damage brought by the killing of around 50 civilians in the post-Wani protest. Regretfully, she has chosen a wrong occasion, the 17th foundation day of her party, just to assuage the people that she wanted a better deal for Wani if she would have known. Her appeal to bring back an atmosphere of reconciliation and accountability that took place during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is definitely appreciated. But at the same time she must be aware that when Vajpayee was very much in Pakistan and in the midst of the long-awaited dialogue, the then Army General of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf carefully planned the historic Kargil attack. And referring to her take on the young people those who had sacrificed their lives during the protests, saying that ‘it should not go waste' may indirectly encourage many more to pursue an anti-India course of action than making them realise that their State is in dire need of development which can only happen in an atmosphere of peace. For years, since the eruption of militancy in the State, the Government of India has always been opening the door for peaceful dialogue and the political parties across Jammu & Kashmir, must seize this opportunity. Mehbooba Mufti must streamline her endeavours to persuade the youth to shun violence and help instilling a sense of safety to the people of the State.