Nowhere in the world has terrorism been quelled by prostrating before terrorists. But our Government believes only in talks and not the use of force. This, when nobody in Kashmir wants to talk to the Prime Minister even
The way terrorists, in the guise of separatists, spit fire against India in the Kashmir valley, leaves one wondering at the amazing capacity of the Union Government to tolerate what goes on there. As for the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, one thing is certain: It is mostly appeasing the bullies and tormentors, and following their dictates. But it is fruitless to bend over backwards in this manner for people who will not even lift a finger for you in reciprocation.
It is worthwhile to recount that, while dealing with terrorism, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had said: “Publicity is the oxygen of terrorism”. But in India, not only have Governments violated every rule and policy essential for dealing with the menace, they have also given financial support to media outlets which espouse terrorism. I have one advantage here when it comes to understanding the media in Kashmir: I read Urdu.
An ancient worthy, call him whatever you will — separatist, terrorist supporter or Pakistani agent — called for a bandh to protest musician Zubin Mehta’s concert in Srinagar this past Saturday saying these events “can be used to change Kashmir’s disputed nature”.
The German Embassy in New Delhi organised the event with the Government’s help, as part of its broader engagement with India. The terrorist asked the people to hold demonstrations and observe a complete shut-down. The worthy I mentioned said, “Such musical programmes do not warrant to be held at a place where human rights violations are taking place...Any sort of international activity, be it political, diplomatic, cultural or sports, will have an adverse impact on the disputed nature of Jammu & Kashmir.” In other words, he and his ilk get to dictate what kind of cultural activities the Government should or should not undertake.
The mighty Government of India, with nearly two million defence and paramilitary forces, however, appears only to appease terrorists and separatists. The latter even issue a weekly protest calendar on various issues, including the hanging of Kashmiri terrorists, and also direct Government employees not to work or abstain from work on those days; students are told to neglect their studies and sit in dharna. They are not bothered that some of the terrorists were responsible for the attack on the country’s Parliament.
The Director General of Jammu & Kashmir Police revealed sometime back that more than `40 lakh was spent to fuel protests and finance stone-pelting in Kashmir. The money came from many separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani. This was exposed in the interrogation of Masrat Alam, who led the agitation in Kashmir last summer.
According to the Jammu & Kashmir police chief: “He has revealed a lot of things during interrogation. We are compiling them, we are taking further action on that; financing for stone-pelting has also been revealed. His contacts, who have emerged as facilitators of pelting in Kashmir, are also being rounded up. Many of them have been booked under public safety act cases also and we will follow it up.” When asked if there was any connection between the sponsorship of the protests and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, he said: “No, it has been coming from various separatists including him too.”
The State Government has been, at best, a silent spectator and has abdicated its responsibility in ensuring that its writ, and not that of the terrorists, runs.
In a quiet but clever manner, these people are carrying out the Pakistani agenda and have overawed the State administration, which to speak plainly, has been their bed fellow. Anywhere else in the country, such persons would have been rounded up. But the Government of India, which has been spending Indian taxpayer’s money to provide for the well-being and security of these terrorists, does not do anything. It is voiceless.
But then again, not a word did the Government of the day speak when 3.70 lakh people of the minority Kashmiri Pandit community were forced to leave the valley in 1989. Even today, there is not a word in condemnation when security forces are killed or attacked by terrorists.
Instead, the State regime has ordered paramilitary forces not to carry weapons to defend themselves. How can security forces then defend themselves, more so when the State Government is turning a blind eye to the high-handedness of terroristsIJ
This is exactly what the terrorists want — that security forces not stay in the valley or if they stay, they be sitting ducks. In the protests that took place in the valley after Afzal Guru was hanged, 359 Central Reserve Police Force jawans were injured while 134 CRPF vehicles were damaged by protestors.
Separatists or terrorists are not bothered by attacks on the State Assembly or Parliament.
Reinforcing the Centre’s policy of appeasement in Kashmir, Union Minister for Home Affairs Sushil Kumar Shinde, obviously ignorant or unmindful of the ground reality as well as Pakistan’s separatist intentions, said, “In Jammu & Kashmir, we do not want guns to always do the talking. So, all paramilitary soldiers were not armed at the time... We want to bring peace in Kashmir by giving a special package there... we, too, do not want to keep the military there for long.”
But in New Delhi, Mr Shinde speaks in another tongue. He has been able to bully the State Government into adopting anti-India policies such as those that allow terrorists to return to Kashmir after spending 20 to 25 years in Pakistan. There is no way to find out if they have come on their own or have been sent by the Inter-Services Intelligence.
As per media reports, three families that came to India have since returned to Pakistan. Such policies have taken a toll on the police and the paramilitary forces; many security personnel have quit their jobs.
Nowhere in the world has terrorism been quelled by talks or by prostrating before terrorists who only understand the language of force. But in our country, the Government believes only in talks, when nobody in the valley wants to talk to the Prime Minister even.
Ultimately, the fact of the matter is that those who cannot abide by the Constitution of India and do not want to follow the law of the land, such as the terrorists and the separatists in Kashmir, are free to migrate to any other country. In fact, the Government of India should give them a little push and shove them across the border to the land of their dreams in Pakistan.