[Reader-list] protests against Gaza Siege - ideological arrogance

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Pawan (and all)

I have gone through the website, though I must admit not as fully as I
wanted to for lack of time. But there are certain observations I would like
to make here, after having gone through the website.

First of all, there have been allegations of discrimination being made
against the Jammu and the Ladakh region, in terms of development. There must
be substantial truths in this I agree. There is also an element of Kashmir
appeasement involved in it, for when the delimitation process was being
conducted in 2001, the then Central Government (ironically, the NDA Govt.
headed by the BJP, the most Right-wing party in India) refused to allow this
process to be conducted in J & K. If this process would have been conducted,
Jammu would have had more seats in Assembly elections 2002 and 2008, than
Kashmir had. What's more, this policy was continued with by the UPA Govt.
Therefore, on this issue, I don't know, who is the bigger appeaser, the NDA
(headed by the BJP) or the UPA (headed by the Congress). Moreover, this
practice was completely wrong, as it's against the basic tenets of
democratic systems and practices introduced and followed by the Election
Commission in India, regarding fair demarcation of constituencies.

Having said that, the most interesting thing is that Kashmiri Pandits have
been asking for development of Jammu. If I am not wrong, since they are
Kashmiri Pandits, they must have been living in Kashmir Valley and not
Jammu. By all means, the discrimination against Jammu must be portrayed. But
I cannot understand how can the Kashmiri Pandits, or anybody speaking for
them, say that the discrimination against Jammu is discrimination against
the Pandits? This is beyond my understanding. I have no objections with
Pandits fighting for Jammu's rights, and I can support it. But is it a
discrimination against them, even before 1989, when they were living in the
Valley? And if they feel more for Jammu than for the Valley, I don't think
Kashmiri Muslims would have had any trust in them when they were thinking of
azadi. That however does not mean that those Muslims had any right to go
about doing rapes and abettin violence. They should and must be punished for
that.

Secondly, just having proper food and clothing doesn't mean people will live
peacefully. Today, Gujarat riot victims would also be living peacefully
probably in some places, but does that mean they don't want the abetters of
violence to be punished? Wrong. If the Kashmiri Pandits, those for whom the
situation has improved since 1989 so much so that they are economically and
even politically well off, are asking for justice, can't the Kashmiri
Muslims ask for justice regarding the 1987 elections, and also for the human
right violations being committed on them. I agree that the armed forces are
living in a region of high insecurity, but does that mean they have the
right to carry out fake encounters and rapes of women, in the name of
protecting India's borders? Mind you, they have the right to self-defence.

Thirdly, the demand for Panun Homeland, is somewhat similar to the demand
made by the RSS that the entire state should be partitioned into three
regions, namely, Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. But there can be many objections
raised on the basis of this.

First of all, I would like to know whether this designated Homeland is only
for Pandits. Can't other Hindu communities live in this place? Can't people
from other religions, be it Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists live in
this homeland? Is it the idea that this homeland will be exclusively for
Pandits only? If that is the case, then I think it's the worst precedent
which can be set up in this very country. Already, we are having the problem
between Maharashtra and UP-Bihar based people, and this will lead to further
tensions.

Let me be clear on this account. People have to migrate to other places, and
even live there, as they want to take up some occupation. Moreover, a
territory in India has never been formed on the basis of a religious,
community-based or a secretarian identity. Even the Valley has not been
formed a state of its own, simply because of this. Hence, the asking of such
a kind of homeland, is a threat to the idea on which the Constitution of
India is based.

Secondly, from a nationalist perspective. Since the Kashmiri Pandits are
calling themselves as patriots, but their rhetoric or arguments have been
based on what I think are nationalist perspective, they do deserve an answer
from this point as well. The formation of a separate homeland for them, will
certainly trigger off a demand for the partition of the state into three
regions. Doing so, will mean that Kashmir is actually a separate entity.
This will indirectly mean that India has accepted Jinnah's proposition that
Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations. And if that is the case, then
there is no use of the Indian Nation declaring Kashmir to be an integral
part of India. We may as well gift it to Pakistan.

The Indian nation formed the state to show to Pakistan and the world, that
the three regions, inspite of their diversity, can co-exist together. The
elections to the State Assembly of 2008 have also been used to show the
same. Ironically, the Pandits, who call themselves the sons of India and
true Indians, have now decided to take up a cause which is actually RSS
supported, but which could very well create this divide.

By the way, I have not formed all this conclusion of nationalist perspective
by myself. It is something government officials and defence officials have
spoken about in private, or one should say, anonymously to media time and
again. And this is why even under the NDA government, though RSS supported
the tri-partite state to be formed, BJP didn't even ask its allies for it,
although I don't think anybody would have opposed it actually. They never
even mentioned it during 2002 elections of Jammu and Kashmir. For those who
think they can't speak their ideological voice during coalition rule, better
refer to Modi mania during 2002 Gujarat elections.

There are many issues raised in the website. And I think I will require a
time for 2-3 days to answer all those. But I think I have put forth my views
properly. I will just add a few more things I wish would happen in that
state:

a) First of all, delimitation must be carried out in the state. If Jammu
deserves more seats (which it seems based on 2001 census), then it should be
given more seats.

b) If Pandits have not been rehabilitated, efforts must be made to done so.
But Pandits must also realize that demands should be justified based on
rational grounds. At the moment, the demand for a homeland is not even
justified based on nationalist grounds.

c) I don't understand their logic for making it a union territory. Is it to
ensure that since Muslims are in a majority in the state, and the Pandits
fear them, so a union territory can ensure Pandit's influence and not the
Muslims'?

d) Any violence, unleashed by either the Kashmiri Muslims (during 1989,
which led to displacement of Pandits), unleashed by the security forces (in
the form of human right violations and daily security checks), or by the
foreign terrorists (Pakistanis, Afghanis, Saudi Arabis or what not as
portrayed by both Pandits and the Indian security establishment) is totally
wrong. All those responsible for it, whatever may be their ideology and
justification for causing violence, must be punished and made an example of,
so that nobody practices violence.

I must say that the Jammu agitation on Amarnath, and the Kashmir agitation
in response to it, have provided a shining example in one sense. After a
long time, both regions experienced peaceful and non-violent agitations. I
don't have problem with people agitating against the establishment, for that
is what India is and it will be, but it should be non-violent. Of course,
stray incidents of violence did take place, but one can take heart out of
it. Full marks to people of both regions for having followed that course.
And hope they continue to do so, and we all can learn from it.

I promise to answer back on some other issues as well after fully reading
it. Hope to get your response.

Regards

Rakesh